Wilkes-Barre, PA – The Walner gelding Abruzzo made the journey back up the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike from Harrah’s Philadelphia to Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, and he promptly regained his winning ways by taking Monday’s (Nov. 9) $18,500 fast-class trot in 1:54.3.
Abruzzo had had much success at Pocono in the high-priced claimers, but while at Philly he had to take on the very best trotters at that track. The drop in class upon returning to the mountain oval seemed to be just the tonic for him on a day that barely got above 50 degrees, as he moved to the lead nearing a :27.1 quarter before putting up midsplits of :56.3 and 1:25.3, with favored Southwind Coors making a big first-over move to reach the leader nearing the far turn.
The pair raced head-to-head much of the last eighth, and it was Abruzzo who stayed strongest to the line, winning by two lengths to raise his lifetime bankroll to $410,593. Anthony Napolitano handled the driving for trainer-owner Mark Akins.
The Winter Is Coming Trotting Series had two $15,000 second- and last-round preliminaries before its $20,000 Championship race next Monday. Kovu As was the only diamondgaiter to score in both his preliminary legs, here riding in the two-hole most of the way before mustering a stretch move that got him past On Golden Pond by a length in 1:55.4 for driver Braxten Boyd, trainer Lily Cimino, and owner Jaypaul Hoover. The other section saw Black Tie Bash grinding to a 1:56.2 score for driver George Napolitano Jr., trainer Dean Eckley, and owner William Hartt.
Multiple victories were the order of the day for a few select horsepeople. Ringing up three winners were Braxten Boyd, George Napolitano Jr., and Anthony Napolitano (the last-named having won twenty times during the last five Pocono cards), while Ridge Warren had a double. Pete Pellegrino had three different drivers behind his trio of winners; doubles were achieved by Lily Cimino and Dean Eckley (both handled by “George Nap”).
On Tuesday’s 1 p.m. card, there will be a single $15,000 division of the Winter Is Coming final preliminary, with Bugaboo Lou hoping to sweep the prelims. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.pha.org.