from the PHHA/Pocono

Wilkes-Barre, PA — The Courage Under Fire mare Ambro Courage N, often close but not successful against slightly-better at Yonkers recently, found the change to the mountain air just the tonic on Tuesday night (May 1) at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, taking the $17,500 distaff pacing feature and reducing her lifetime mark to 1:51.3.

Trainer Travis Alexander tapped Austin Siegelman to handle the winner, and they never looked back, with the Kiwi import winning by two lengths for owner Eric Prevost.

There were three $15,000 non-winners of six races co-features on the Tuesday card, two of them on the trot.

In the first event, Break Free gave the punters a shock lesson in “what have you done for me lately?” mentality, as the Explosive Matter gelding, who was 4-5 in his last start but made a break, was let go at 39-1 on Tuesday and trotted his back three-quarters in 1:25.3 to lower his mark by more than three seconds to 1:56.1. Trainer Bill Mullin, a double three-time champion at Pocono (UDR and training wins), patiently got his charge to the lead and maintained control to the finish for owners Howard Taylor, Bradley Grant, Dennis Lane, and Dr. Patrick Graham.

There was another longshot lesson in the other trot: “Åke usually has them ready right away.” Åke Svanstedt, the handler of Sebastian K, brought the sophomore Muscle Hill filly Lima Charisma back to the races after a nearly six month layoff, and won at first asking, overhauling Lucky Matter to win by a neck while lowering her mark to 1:55.1 and paying $31.20 to her scattered backers. Svanstedt also co-owns the filly, now a winner in half her eight career starts, in partnership with Little E.

On the pace, Jupiter Johnny got over recent camera shyness to wire his field, snapping the three-race win streak of Shattered Glass by withstanding him by three-quarters of a length while equaling his own best of 1:53.2. After posting a 32-1-6-9 record over the last two years going into the race, the son of Bettor’s Delight may have gained confidence in the victory for trainer Amber Buter and driver Tyler Buter, the latter co-owner with Gene Oldford Farms and Oldford Racing.

The next day of racing at Pocono is Saturday, with a doubleheader of racing starting at 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Kentucky Derby Day. On the evening card are two $50,000 divisions of the Van Rose Memorial Pace and four $30,000 Bobby Weiss Series championships.