Wilkes-Barre, PA — Trainer Lou Pena and the Todd’s Auto Stable of Todd Cerenza came to Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on Tuesday (April 22) afternoon with newly-acquired trotters Altus Hanover and Golden Compass, each horse looking to complete a sweep of the Game Of Claims Series’ three preliminary rounds.
The horses accomplished their mission – but Pena and Cerenza left Pocono without either horse, as both were claimed out of their $17,000 races for a $30,000 claiming price.
Altus Hanover (Anthony Napolitano), won the fastest Game of Claims split – indeed, he posted the fastest trotting mile of the year at Pocono, 1:52.3, in edging out Macmorris Hanover (George Napolitano), by a neck. Macmorris Hanover (who was claimed out of all three legs, where he had a win and two seconds) drew just inside “Altus” and forced his main rival in behind him through splits of :27, :56.3, and 1:24.2, but Altus Hanover came out of the hole a little bit fresher and won the photo decision while also setting a lifetime mark.
“Anthony Nap” also had the seat behind Golden Compass, another horse claimed out of all three legs, and they surmounted post seven on the engine to win by 2-1/4 lengths in 1:54. So Joe’s Auto / Pena made $5,000 on this week’s upgrade in claiming price, plus today’s $8,500 winners share of the purse, thus profiting $13,500 minus expenses on each horse in a week’s time. But neither horse will be going in their name next Monday in the $35,000 Game Of Claims Final.
In My Dreams (Braxten Boyd), who was unclaimed in all three legs, had a chance to join in the Prelim Sweepers Club, but after going first-over and providing good cover to 2025 debutant Max, he could not hold that one safe in a 1:54.3 battle to the wire. Max, who won by a length, was driven by George Napolitano Jr. for red-hot trainer Nicholas Devita and the Queen Of Hearts Stable.
Winning his second straight start in Game of Claims competition was Do It Again IT (Tyler Buter), an Italian-bred who went uncovered and then bettered 85-1 shot Beach Dreamzzz (Boyd) by a neck to take a new mark of 1:54.2 for driver Buter, trainer Hunter Oakes, and the partnership of Flying A Racing Stable and H O Racing Inc. But Do It Again IT won’t be in the final because Game of Claims rules require starting in all three prelims, and the foreign-bred did not go in the first leg.
And if a horse coming off two wins but not getting to the Championship seems hard, imagine the feelings of Chapolier (George Napolitano Jr.), who is undefeated in seven starts this season at Pocono. But he had worked his way to success (despite the outermost draw in his last three outings) while in for prices from $25,000 to $30,000, and since the first two prelims went for a lower base price, Chapolier’s connections – trainer Dean Eckley, co-owner with William Hartt – kept him out of the first two legs, thus making him Final-ineligible.
Chapolier picked up a 1:54.3 win Tuesday by a half-length over Cantkeepmiasecret, with George Napolitano Jr. matching the two series wins on the day of his brother Anthony (who drove Cantkeepmiasecret, and who topped all drivers Monday with four total successes). And Chapolier was claimed as well – for the fifth time at the meet, with $138,000 in checks exchanged on him alone. (Eckley / Hartt made $16,500 in purses since taking the horse two races back.)
The final Game of Claims winner was Wabanaki (Boyd), who greatly helped his chances of making the final (after 5-2 finishes) by quarter-moving then holding off Gabby’s Wild Child by a neck while lowering his mark to 1:55 for driver Braxten Boyd, trainer Per Engblom, and VIP Internet Stable LLC.
Racing resumes at 1 p.m. at Pocono on Saturday, with four $20,000 divisions of the third and final prelim of the Bobby Weiss Series for sophomore pacing fillies, containing three double winners in the Weiss to date – but only two could emerge as sweepers, since one prelim matches two “doublers.” A solid $25,000 fast-class pace also adds to the Saturday Pocono program. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.