Wilkes-Barre, PA – As formful as the proceedings were at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on Sunday evening (eight out of ten favorites winning), they were equally as bizarre on Monday afternoon (Aug. 11), topped by the $25,000 fast-class pace for distaffs, where 43-1 shot Take Your Pick caught 65-1 proposition Turn On The Charm in 1:51.
Rocket Deo, the odds-on favorite after winning twice in this class, was assigned the outside post eight, and she had to work very hard to get to the top beyond a :26 quarter; she then backed the half off to :55.2. Turn On The Charm came roaring up uncovered from midpack, pacing her own third split in :27.1 to reach contention by the 1:23.2 three quarters, and in the battle late on the turn into the stretch, it was the longshot who went in front. Take Your Pick was able to slip out behind the winner and followed her cover, then charged midtrack and was just up by a neck, with two others within a half length at the finish (and Rocket Deo holding OK after that blistering opener; “beaten two lengths” sounds better than “seventh”).
Take Your Pick was one of three winners on the day for meet-leading driver Tyler Buter; the JK Endofanera mare is trained by Jeff Cullipher for Pollack Racing LLC.
The favorite did take the $15,500 co-featured pace, with the Always B Miki gelding Laugh Shop making it three wins in his last four starts. He reduced his mark to 1:49.3 in an engine win for trainer Jill Wine and the partnership of Samuel Abdoo and Wine Stable. But 9-1 shot Imgoingtojackson was eating into his lead late, and Laugh Shop had to produce identical back splits of :27.1 to prevail by a half length.
George Napolitano Jr., the all-time leading driver at Pocono and second to Buter at this year’s meet, took honors for the day with four visits to the winners circle.
Given that eight favorites won Sunday, while eight winners on Monday paid $10.00 or more, it is not surprising that there will be a carryover into the first race Pick 4 pool and the fourth race Pick 3 pool for Tuesday’s card, which begins at 1 p.m. The next program after that will be the outstanding $2.3M Sun Stakes Saturday supercard, which is featured in detail in a separate release. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.