Wilkes-Barre, PA — Foiled Again made a furious rally on the outside to nose out Bettor Sweet and win a talent-packed Open pace on Saturday night at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. The race carried the night’s top purse of $50,000.

Foiled Again (Dragon Again-In A Safe Place) left from the outside post in a field of seven which had combined lifetime earnings of approximately $12 million. Driver Matt Kakaley settled the 8-year-old gelding in fifth place early as a 2-1 second choice while 8-5 favorite We Will See took the field to the quarter in 26:4 on a sloppy track. Bettor Sweet brushed in the front stretch to take the lead and get the field to the half in a sizzling 54.2.

Kakaley set Foiled Again in motion on the back stretch and got a break when Rockincam headed out in front of him to provide cover. Bettor Sweet was still on top at three-quarters in 1:22, and driver David Miller had the gelding poised for his first win of the season in the stretch. But Foiled Again had other ideas, spinning off his cover and lunging to beat Bettor Sweet by a nose at the line in 1:49.1. Blatantly Good picked up the show.

Fresh off his win in the Canadian Derby, Foiled Again, the pride of the Ron Burke barn and owned by Burke Racing, Weaver Bruscemi, and JJK Stables, pushed his season earnings to $958,439 and his career earnings to $4,376,994 with the win. He now has 6 victories in 18 races this season and 64 lifetime wins.

— Jim Beviglia

Colonial Downs
Imadragon, Shakey Slim and Go Easy On Me all scored late closer series wins at the 5/8ths mile distance Saturday afternoon at Colonial Downs. In the Horace Martin Memorial’s first leg, both division winners crossed in 1:09.2 in abbreviated fields. Imadragon got his second win of opening week in the first $3500 division. The 10-year-old Dragon Again gelding grabbed an initial pocket trip behind Smokey Lonesome N thru the turn before tangling with eventual runner-up Dynamic Rayzer in deep stretch. Dustin Ingraham guided Imadragon to a three-quarter length victory against four other foes for trainer Cheryl Whitsell. Shakey Slim equaled Imadragon’s finishing time in the second division but Stacy McLenaghan opted for a front-stepping journey versus Ingraham’s pocket trip. The Providence Forge, Virginia resident triggered early fractions of :26.1 and :54.2 before crossing 1-1/2 lengths over Overseer NZ in the modest four horse field. The 7 year old Park Place gelding has 15 “in the money” finishes in 18 starts this year. McLenaghan, who also owns and trains the pacer, got her first driving win of the season. A nine horse field populated the U Gotta Win One Now’s first leg pacing series. Henry Lewis’s Go Easy On Me squeaked out a tight win over Stacy McLenaghan’s Whiting Hanover, though the time was nearly two seconds slower than the first pair. Both “sprinters” met midway down the stretch and battled to the short finish. The winner, an 8-year-old Camtown Fella gelding, clocked in at 1:11.1 while gaining his fourth win of the year. The second leg of both series’ will be contested at the three-quarter mile distance next Saturday.

Tioga Downs
In A Craze (Jim Meittinis) avoided the hot contested pace up front early as Fameous Western (Lewayne Miller) parked out the race favorite Winbak Dimensions (Jim Marohn Jr.). The duo battled through fractions of 26.2 and 54.2 before the backfield began swooping in on the leaders. Mike Simons sent Cheyenne Knight three-wide down the backside to gain control of the field by three quarters in 1:22.3 but was towing In A Craze with him during every step. Down the stretch Meittinis angled In A Craze off of Simons helmet and paced by the leader in deep stretch to win in the $11,500 feature in 1:52.2. It was the sixth win in thirty seasonal starts for the 6-year-old son of Astreos–U Drive Me Crazy for trainer Rob Harmon. The mile equaled the lifetime mark set earlier this year at Tioga Downs and with the win increased his seasonal earnings to more than $51,000. Cheyenne Knight (Mike Simons) hung on for second, while Diamond Star (Corey Braden) shook loose late for third.

Vernon Downs
Pacinello, a former record-holder at Vernon Downs, turned in a hot 1:51.1 pacing performance on a rather chilly (low 60-degree temperatures) Saturday to seize the evening’s $8,400 featured pace. Trainer Rick Plano did the teaming in Saturday’s sixth race as the fleet-footed Pacinello raced like he was the best, and proved it with a front-striding, 2-1/2 length victory over No Monkeys Allowed, the closest of his six competitors. It was the fourth score this season and the 31st all-time for the 6-year-old son of Little Steven-Princess Kiara, who raised his career bankroll to $327,485 for the D&E Racing Stable.

Saratog Harness
Kelly’s Noah returned to his winning ways on Saturday night in Saratoga’s open pace. The 6-year-old pacer went wire to wire in the evening’s $18,500 open with Dan Cappello Jr catch driving for owner-trainer James Harvey. Kelly’s Noah (Dream Away) pocketed favorite Silent Swing (Billy Dobson) and never looked back, stopping the timer in 1:52.4 for his third victory in 11 seasonal tries. Silent Swing was the open’s runner up and Sfumato (Bruce Aldrich Jr) earned the show spot. The win was one of four on the Saturday card for reinsman Dan Cappello Jr.