Wilkes-Barre, PA – The Always B Miki gelding Congressional may not win very many “style” points for his gait, but he can go with anybody in a battle of stretch courage, just as he did Saturday (Sept. 19) at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, when he won the $21,000 featured pace in 1:49.4.
In an early three-way dance for the lead, Be Dazzled Lou A (post four) was the first to back off, tucking third, as Splash Brother (post six, driver Braxten Boyd) and Congressional (post one, Kevin Wallis) battled for the top, which was gained by Splash Brother after a :25.4 opener. Congressional put in a couple of his funky steps on the way to the wire the first time but quickly smoothed down, as Splash Bother cut middle fractions of :54.4 and 1:21.4, with favored first-over Maximus Miki coming to him.
But for most of the lane the battle boiled down to the pacesetter and the pocketsitter utilizing the Pocono Pike. In a fierce duel, driver-trainer-owner Kevin Wallis kept after his winner of $436,988 right to the line, where Congressional got the nod by the smallest of margins.
But the race was not OFFICIAL yet – the judges posted the INQUIRY light to examine the action off the first turn. It was found that Congressional did make a off-then-on type of break, violating no rules and bothering no one, and so his number was left up.
There was a pair of $17,500 events for horses looking to rise up on the classification ladder. The pace in this class also went in 1:49.4, which was a new mark for the Huntsville gelding Imgoingtojackson, whom driver Ridge Warren raced second-over then got him to go by for a 1-1/4 length victory over pacesetter Hardt Of A King. Imgoingtojackson was an impressive longshot winner in his local debut, then made a break last time, but on Saturday he has his A-game ready for trainer Deborah Daguet and owner Ellen Mc Neil.
The trotting counterpart to this contest was won by Jog On Col, an altered son of Marseille who was home first in 1:54.3 for driver-trainer Jim Pantaleano and owner Lynne Foley. Jog On Col has been on the steady improve since his late spring arrival from Oak Grove, with Saturday’s wire-to-wire victory, by a half length over two-holer Mrstery Deal, the highest level at which he has won locally.
Simon Allard won three times at Pocono on Saturday to take the day’s honors. The track’s leading driver, Tyler Buter, combined with the track’s leading trainer, Ron Burke, for one of two in Buter’s brace, while both of Brett Beckwith’s winners came for the only trainer to double up Saturday, Hunter Oakes.
Next racing at Pocono is Monday (Sept. 21) at 1 p.m. The $27,500 featured handicap trot has lured 2025 Hambletonian winner Nordic Catcher S, also winner of the recent Sebastian K S Trot here; he’ll have to overcome the outside post six. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.