from the PHHA/Pocono

Wilkes-Barre, PA — Driver Mike Simons combined with the Andover Hall mare Tweet Me to win the $20,000 feature on his favorite gait Sunday (Oct. 2) at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, as “The Trot Man” brought home the favored distaff two lengths clear in 1:54.2, a race after he guided a pacing filly to her first victory in 26 career starts and paid $108.00 to win.

Tweet Me was looped to the top by Flying Isa N early, continuing on to grab the lead past the :27.4 quarter. Simons posted middle splits of :57 and 1:25.3 and the victorious mare made it look easy in the last quarter by drawing clear for trainer Nicholas Devita and owner Bridget Mcneese. Flying Isa N came out of the pocket for the stretch drive, giving Pocono Pike access to third-inside Uncle Hanover, and that one closed to take second by three-quarters of a length over Flying Isa N, behind the winner of $390,678.

Seventeen minutes earlier, it was Simons who had taken advantage of the Pocono Pike from third-inside situation, and he maximized his opportunity by getting Windup West home first with a length and a quarter to spare as she broke her maiden in 1:55.4 style. The Western Ideal filly, out of the four-time $100,000-plus producer Matt’s A Coming, had started her career in a PA Stallion Series race, but hadn’t panned out as desired in eight starts at two and was purchased for $10,000 at the Blooded Horse Sale for owner/trainer Cindy Truitt. Windup West proved 18th time lucky, all at the mountain oval, for Truitt as she pulled the upset.

Simons driving a $100-plus winner isn’t as much of an upset as one might think as it was the third time this meet that he has pulled off a mutuel super-shocker, with no other driver at Pocono having more than one triple-figure winner, and only one other driver in the state, Dan Rawlings at The Meadows, having as many as three $100-plus winners this year.