by PHHA/Pocono

Wilkes-Barre PA — All Bets Off enjoyed a perfect pocket trip behind dueling contestants for the lead, then went to the Pocono Pike and went by the stubborn pacesetting Major Uptrend to post a 1:51.1 sloppy track victory in the $25,000 featured pace at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono Saturday night (May 13).

Curtis Salonick photo

All Bets Off wins his second consecutive race by holding off Major Uptrend in the Pocono feature on Saturday evening.

Dojea Solo, a 70-1 shot, was fastest off the gate from the outside post seven and soon cleared everybody, with 4-5 favorite All Bets Off never ducking inside from post two and proceeding on to the lead nearing the :27.1 quarter.

Major Uptrend, the 2-1 second choice, was going for his sixth straight victory and ninth in his last 10 trips to the gate. He followed All Bets Off through the first panel, then soon brushed up to take over the lead, with Orillia Joe coming at him towards the :56 half.

Major Uptrend and Orillia Joe went at each other down the back with a ferocious :26.4 third quarter to light the board at 1:22.4. In the stretch All Bets Off made the famous left-hand turn into the Pocono Pike; Major Uptrend was his usual gritty self, but All Bets Off had enough in reserve to wear down Major Uptrend by a neck. Dojea Solo rallied despite his long odds to take third in a picture over Orillia Joe.

The Ron Burke trainee has now won two straight races and with this victory he boosted his lifetime bankroll to $2,260,503 for Burke Racing Stbale LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Frank Baldachino and The Panhellenic Stable Corporation.

Matt Kakaley, who steered All Bets Off, won four races on the card, with two of them being for Burke.