Wilkes-Barre, PA — Endostory and Congressional slugged it out most of the length of the stretch in the $21,000 fast-class pacing feature Saturday (Aug. 15) at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, and it would be Endofstory (ironically-named as an altered son of Lazarus N) who had provided his backers the endofstory they wanted, getting a nose decision in 1:50.3.
Congressional is one of the fastest horses around leaving the gate, and George Napolitano Jr. let him get to the lead around Endofstory before coming out by the :26.2 quarter to take charge, after which he got a helpful breather to a :55.4 half. Soon after the 1:23 three-quarters these two left the rest of their opposition in their wake, and then Congressional ducked into the Pocono Pike for his late challenge. The two even money favorites (Congressional had a tiny bit more on him to win) went at each other with all the courage they could summon, with Endofstory getting this decision for trainer Doug Dilloian Jr. and the ownership combine of David Linker, Brian Loman, Robert Venable, and Kyle Warren.
Aside from the headliner, many of the paths to the winner’s circle went through driver Brett Beckwith, who had five wins on the day for five different trainers. In the $16,000 co-featured fast-class pace, trainer Deborah Daguet and the Alta Christiano gelding Boom N benefited from the young star’s sulky mastery, as Beckwith used a quarter-move as the basic winning tactic in a 1:50 mile, which set a new mark for the 10-year-old despite a 35-day layoff. Boom N’s ownership is shared by Donald Mac Rae and Stephen Klunowski along with J R and Collin Ryan.
Neither of the fast-class miles produced the swiftest of the day’s clockings, however; that honor went to the Captaintreacherous sophomore gelding Treacherous Lou, whom Beckwith guided to a new mark of 1:49.2 for trainer Robert Cleary and Royal Wire Products Inc.
For the developing classes, there were two $17,500 events. The one for pacing males was captured by the Courtly Choice gelding Courts On Fire, who tallied in 1:50.3 for meet leaders Tyler Buter and Ron Burke and the ownership of Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Frank Baldachino, and Knox Services Inc.
The event for up-and-coming trotters went back to the pattern of monster-priced winners that figured in so many races this past week. The Bar Hopping gelding Heytherbartender didn’t pay $100-plus, but he came pretty close at $82.60, and he was followed by 80-1, 7-1, and 65-1 shots in the 1:53.4 mile as the two favorites broke before the quarter, generating a Superfecta carryover. The count for carryovers during the last four days is now 13, including the one into Monday’s (Aug. 17) Pick 5 wager.
Brett Beckwith had five winners as noted, and Tyler Buter checked in with three. It was very interesting to see the correlation between their multiples and Saturday’s most successful trainers; for instance, two of Buter’s three winners came from the barn of his frequent collaborator Ron Burke, whose other winner was guided by Beckwith. Trainer Herb Lux III had two wins – and no extra points for guessing what two drivers he used in his successes.
Monday will be a huge day at Pocono; not only will there be a 1 p.m. stakes-laden live card featuring Pennsylvania-sired 2-year-old trotting fillies, but it will also be draw day for the highlight of the Pocono season, the $2.3 million Sun Stakes Saturday card for the very best 3-year-olds and free-for-allers, which will take place on Saturday, Aug. 23, starting at a special post time of 2:30 p.m.
Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org (the hope is to have the proofs for the Sun Stakes Saturday card available by later Monday afternoon).