Wilkes-Barre, PA – The John Simpson Sr. Memorial Stakes started a four-card run at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on Monday (Oct. 20), with the eight stakes classes divided into two events each day, and each one named after a champion associated with the Hall Of Famer.
Unfortunately, the stakes youngsters coming out for two $45,900 divisions of the Bret Hanover for freshman colt pacers and three $30,000 divisions of the Elma for sophomore trotting fillies were greeted by cool weather and a sloppy track, eliminating chances for a fast mile. Yet three favorites and a second choice won in the Simpson action (the bomber of the day will be described near the end of this story).
In the first division of the Bret Hanover, the Stay Hungry – Tempest Blue Chip gelding Thai Hanover was made the favorite after going 1:20.4 in a recent Lexington stake and missing just a length in a 1:48.4 mile. Thai Hanover justified the crowd’s faith by getting the lead in a blink of an eye and maintaining control of the proceedings to the wire, winning in 1:55.2 by 1-1/4 lengths over Easy Breeze for driver Jeremy Indof and trainer Mitchell York, co-owner with Erin York.
Pocono’s leading driver Tyler Buter kept his cool behind the Captaintreacherous – Sweet Lucy Lou colt Treacherous Lou, and the baby came up the inside to win the other Bret Hanover division in 1:57.3. Treacherous Lou, the second choice, was sitting in the pocket behind favorite Superchamp Hanover on the far turn when that one made a nasty break, pushing “Lou” into the infield and the rest of the field wide. Buter got the horse literally back on course, though fourth at headstretch, but the winner had enough recovery kick to defeat 60-1 outsider Whiskey Venom by a length for trainer Robert Cleary and Royal Wire Products Inc.
Quickest winner in the three divisions of the Elma was the Southwind Frank miss Hangover, who left strongly and forced tucks, rated the middle half, then drew clear for an easy 1:57.1 success as the punters’ choice. Trainer-driver Åke Svanstedt is also the co-owner of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes winner with Joe Sbrocco & JAF Racing Stable, Little E LLC, and Rivers Stable.
The International Moni filly Country Victory set the pace as the favorite in her division, opened up a good margin around the far turn, then tired some but had taken enough of a lead to keep steady grinder Truly Authentic a half length behind her at the wire in 1:58. A Keystone Classic divisional winner and second in the Jugette, Country Victory was driven by Jason Bartlett for trainer Melvin Schmucker and Yacht Club 140 LLC.
My Debt Collecter, a New York champion with earnings of $738,518, was made the odds-on choice in her cut despite the outside post six, and with many leaving inside, she had to take back to last early. The Muscle Hill filly Jersey Slide, with names such as Take All Comers and Next Level Stuff in her immediate pedigree, was pointed frontward from the start by driver Jordan Stratton, and though it took her three-eighths to clear, she never surrendered the lead with a strong front-end effort. My Debt Collector, 6-3/4 lengths back at the three quarters behind the runaway, closed steadily but came up three-quarters of a length short in a 1:57.3 race. The familiar combination of trainer Jim Campbell and Runthetable Stables are the connections of Jersey Slide.
The French horseman Alexis Collette, a winner of 500 races on the “other side” of Atlantic including nearly one-third of them to saddle (monte), made his U.S. debut in an overnight race, guiding the longest shot on the board, Mrstery Deal. But Collette followed second-over behind favored Choco Charlie, then sliced through a narrow opening inside of “Charlie” and was hustled along to a neck victory – quite the memorable local bow for Collette. And then he showed a razzle-dazzle more associated with Americans – wearing a transparent rain slicker over his colors, he managed to strip it off while still in the sulky coming back to the winners circle, perhaps the better to show the “JOCKIZ” sponsor logo (for a French harness racing game) on his colors!
Tyler Buter had four winners on the afternoon; besides his nifty handling of Treacherous Lou in the stake, three times he brushed strongly down the backstretch to a lead nobody could surmount. Åke Svanstedt had the only training double; besides his stakes win with Hangover, he also won with Warrior, who handed Super Chapter a defeat at Lexington two starts back.
As noted, Simpson Stakes continue on Tuesday’s (Oct. 21) 1 p.m. card, and then on the following Saturday (Oct. 25) and Monday’s (Oct. 27) programs at 1:00 p.m. Tuesday’s racing will feature three $30,000 divisions of the Super Bowl for 2-year-old trotting colts and a similar turnout for the Hardie Hanover three-year-old pacing filly event. The Tuesday program will also feature a double carryover into the last race High 5 bet that was to be decided on Monday, but scratches took the bet “off the board.” Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.