Wilkes-Barre, PA – One sign of spring at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania is the appearance of promising 3-year-olds preparing for Bobby Weiss Series action, an annual event for all divisions of sophomores that begins this year on Saturday, April 4.
Another sign of a change in the fortunes with weather was the upswing of 14 degrees (from 36 to 50) that the mercury took during a marathon morning session at Pocono on Wednesday (March 25).
Each of the four sex and gait possibilities contest their own Weiss Series action, and here we focus on the Wednesday winners who were fastest in their divisions.
TROTTING FEMALES – Nightcap Mearas S. a daughter of Walner, was ready for her first charted line of the year, coming from third in the stretch to win in 1:58.1 for driver Andrew McCarthy and Snogarps Gard Inc. Her trainer is Nicklas Oestergaard-Andersen, a 30-year-old native of Denmark, and he was victorious in his first race as a trainer, at least on these shores.
TROTTING MALES – The Devious Man gelding Acoustic Blue Chip, who has had some gait issues during his brief career, was on best behavior Wednesday and made every pole a winning in 1:57 for multiple Pocono driving champion Matt Kakaley; his stablemate for trainer Jared Bako and owners Blue Chip Bloodstock Inc., the filly Aviatrix Blue Chip, was second.
PACING FEMALES – The Huntsville filly Grazia was in fashionable form for her owners, Vincent Ferriero Jr., Pint Size Racing LLC, Donald Kayser, and Dominic Pavia, sitting the two-hole until the far turn, then going on to a 1:55.2 triumph. Jason Bartlett was in the sulky for trainer Joe Pavia Jr.
PACING MALES – The Always B Miki colt Twin B Thriller, four of six at two and a winner in a qualifier last week, repeated here, proving a pocket rocket in 1:55 – :55.4 – :27.3. George Napolitano Jr. drove the winner for trainer Dennis A. Laterza and the partnership of Ginko Stable Inc. and Latz A Luck Stable.
This division also generated the day’s fastest qualifier, although the accomplishments of Hunt Off The Press at two kept him out of the Weiss Series. A four-time NYSS winner who was second in the Empire State’s Sires Championship, Hunt Off The Press showed he may be ready for bigger game right now, with the Huntsville gelding sprung out of the pocket and posted back numbers of :55 – :26.2 to win by himself in 1:52.1 for Tyler Buter and Team Bako / Blue Chip.
In the seven qualifiers won by Weiss eligibles, Team Orange Crush (driver Andy and trainer Julie Miller), driver Jason Bartlett, and trainer Jared Bako had doubles. For the overall -race q16ualifying session, Bartlett guided five winners, with the Millers and Bako authoring four success stories each.
Replays of the Wednesday Pocono qualifiers can be found at www.phha.org. Pocono is next in pari-mutuel motion on Saturday (March 28) at 1 p.m.