from the PHHA/Pocono

Wilkes-Barre, PA — Boffin, who took his 1:51.1 mark at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono last year, returned to the mountain oval Sunday night (Oct. 16), then used very atypical Pocono tactics to take the $20,000 conditioned trotting feature in 1:53.4.

Boffin was one of the few horses not seeking position fleeing the barrier and was last early. But the meet’s leading driver, George Napolitano Jr., reminded everybody that all of his wins don’t come on the engine, and in fact he employed sound strategy as a host of horses contested for the top during fractions of :26.3, :55.4, and 1:24.2.

Boffin swung four-wide from third-over late into the final turn, and still was fifth in mid-stretch, but the quick early pace on a coolish evening took its toll on those heretofore involved, and Boffin stormed down the middle of the track, his move timed perfectly by Napolitano to get a neck decision over Commentary, who brushed to the lead before the half, with pocket-sitting Stonebridge Combat moving well in the Pocono Pike but having to settle for third.

The victorious altered son of Donato Hanover has a lifetime win rate of 32 percent (30 for 93), with earnings of $365,102 for trainer Anette Lorentzon, who is also co-owner with ACL Stuteri AB and Kjell Johansson.

In the top pacing event of the night, Iwillmakeyousaywow used a perfect trip for launching a winning late move, running down front-stepper Hurrikane Ali in 1:51.4 at the end of the event with a purse of $18,000. The altered son of Manhardt, trained by Todd Buter for owners Gene Oldford Farms LLC, Lynette and Tyler Buter, and James Marion, proved a neck more photogenic under the guidance of Andrew McCarthy while boosting his bankroll to $187,033.