Wilkes-Barre, PA – Mike Polansky powered off a pocket trip while John Calabrese went pillar to post to win their respective $10,000 divisions of the American Harness Drivers Club (AHDC) trots at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on Sunday night (July 26).
Polansky delivered even-money favorite Massive Matter to a 1:57 win in the first division of the AHDC trots. Leaving from post 7, Polansky found a seat behind leader Infinite Zette (driven by Frank Tsipouras) heading to a :27 first quarter and tracked the leader intently through a :56.1 half and 1:25.4 three-quarters. He then angled from the pocket coming for home and spurted by with fresh legs for a length win over fast-closing Ezra (Austin Brubacker) in second. Infinite Zette settled for third and Hey Dude (Anthony Verruso) gave chase in fourth.
Frank Catalfamo owns and trains Massive Matter, an 8-year-old gelding by Explosive Matter. He paid $4 to win.
John Calabrese faced little pressure with 9-5 favorite Show The Will to score an easy 1:55 victory in the other division of the AHDC trots. Calabrese cleared command out of post 7 to a :27.3 first quarter and strolled through middle fractions of :56.1 and 1:25 to win snugly by a length over pocket-chasing longshot Bacardi (Anthony Verruso). Snowman Hanover (Vanessa Kalrewicz) clinched third from Love This Bar (Frank Tsipouras) in fourth.
Vincent Ginsburg trains Show The Will, a 7-year-old gelding by Possess The Will, for owner Jaypaul Hoover. He paid $5.80 to win.
Earlier in the day, Harrah’s Philadelphia hosted three $8,500 divisions of AHDC paces, and William Clark Jr. opened the day with a front-stepping win in 1:55.3 behind Uncle Coz. Uncle Coz endured persistent pressure from parked Backstreet Lawyer (Geovany Hernandez) through a clip of :28, :56.4 and 1:25.4 but successfully staved off that rival coming for home. He then withstood a late charge from Moonwards Hanover (Anthony Verruso) to snag the win by three-quarter lengths with pocket-sitter Bargain Shopper (Yogi Sheridan) taking third. Backstreet Lawyer held fourth.
William Clark Jr. trains Uncle Coz, a 13-year-old gelding by Rock N Roll Heaven, for owner Mary Cuerbo. He paid $8.20 to win.
Hernandez returned from a parked trip in the first division to hit the winner’s circle in the second AHDC pace with Tricky Captain N in a 1:54.4 mile. Tricky Captain N cleared the lead out of post 7 to a :27.1 first quarter and strolled comfortably while even-money favorite Skattebo (Yogi Sheridan), who broke from interference at the start, ground up the rim through middle splits of :57.4 and 1:26. Skattebo remained the closest pursuer coming for home and plateaued, leaving Tricky Captain N to coast in a 2-1/4-length winner while Lincoln Boulevard (Anthony Verruso) checked in third, another four lengths behind, and Revolver N (Michael Shults) took fourth.
Geovany Hernandez owns and trains Tricky Captain N, a 5-year-old gelding by Captaintreacherous. He paid $7.40 to win.
Yogi Sheridan then returned from a parked trip to romp in the last AHDC pace with odds-on favorite Captain Dee Tee in a 1:55.1 mile. Sheridan rolled his charge out of post 8 to a :27.4 first quarter and snagged a breather to a :58.1 half, prompting Hold My Tiara (Michael Shults) to pull out of fourth for an attack. But Captain Dee Tee promptly accelerated to three-quarters in 1:26.3 and repelled Hold My Tiara into the last turn. Captain Dee Tee maintained his speed through the lane to register a 4-length win with Miki On The Run (Matt Zuccarello) rallying from a ground-saving trip for second ahead of Baron Michael (William Clark Jr.) in third while pocket-sitter Lew Hauber (Geovany Hernandez) tired to fourth.
Izzy Estrada trains Captain Dee Tee, a 4-year-old gelding by Captain Trevor, for owner Estrada Racing LLC. He paid $3.40 to win.
AHDC action resumes Sunday (Aug. 2) with pacing divisions at Harrah’s Philadelphia and trotting divisions at Pocono Downs. First-race post time at Harrah’s Philadelphia is 12:40 p.m. (EDT) and 5 p.m. (EDT) at Pocono.