Wilkes-Barre, PA – There were two $17,500 sections of the feature class at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on Saturday afternoon (Oct. 18).
In the “nw 7 races” for pacing males, the Papi Rob Hanover sophomore gelding Makes Sense drew post eight and sat last through argued fractions of :27.1, :55, and 1:22.2. Makes Sense swung to the extreme outside for the stretch and was still last midstretch, but the 3-year-old found the required late rush, swooping past beleaguered foes to be up by a neck at 10-1 over 28-1 shot Dream Bird, who shot the extreme inside and came up just short in the 1:51.2 mile. Ridge Warren provided the nerveless drive behind Makes Sense for trainer Robert Cleary and the ownership of Let It Ride Stables Inc., Celtic Racing, and Carl Howard.
In the trotting co-feature, the Chapter Seven 3-year-old colt Karinchak got away mid-pack for trainer-driver Ray Schnittker and sat during fractions of :28 and :56.4, then followed the cover of Messenger Hanover, who cleared to the lead before the 1:24.2 three-quarters. Schnittker, who also co-owns the winner with Arden Homestead Stable and Ted Gewertz, still had plenty of horse despite his having raced only once in 42 days, going to the lead in the stretch then withstanding fellow closer Give Me A Yankee by 1-1/4 lengths in 1:54.
In the $16,000 claiming handicap pace for the highest-priced horses at Pocono, the winner has an age double the combined ages of the two feature winners, though he used similar tactics to them. The 12-year-old Christian Cullen gelding Hesa Kingslayer N, way back off of cutthroat fractions of :26, :54.1, and 1:22.1, moved three-wide on the far turn and four-wide headstretch, and just got the job done by a neck over Thunder Hunter Joe, whose cover he followed on the far turn, in a 1:51.1 mile. Simon Allard rallied the veteran to victory for trainer-owner Mark Akins.
Anthony Napolitano won the last three races on the card to earn the driving crown on the day; two of them came from the stable of Deborah Daguet, the only doubling conditioner on Saturday.
The John Simpson Sr. Memorial Stakes start their annual two-week stay at Pocono on the Monday (Oct. 20) card at 1 p.m., with $181,900 to be contested among two divisions of 2-year-old pacing colts and three cuts of 3-year-old trotting fillies, the latter group headed by NYSS champion My Debt Collecter.
There will also be three carryovers awaiting the plays of the racing public on Monday: one into the Pick-4 wager starting with the opener; a Pick-5 carryover for the wager starting with the fifth race; and a High-5 carryover in the final race of the day.. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.