Wilkes-Barre, PA — Bad To The Bone N, who just missed South Beach Star’s 1:48.2 mile at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania — the fastest mile in North American harness racing this year — last week, had an easier time on Saturday afternoon (May 13) with a 1:50.3 win in the $18,500 pacing co-feature.
Matt Kakaley had the Bettor’s Delight gelding on the top midway on the first turn, and after the :26.4 opening quarter, he coasted through middle splits of :55.2 and 1:24. The Hunter Oakes trainee turned on the jets in the last quarter, sprinting home in :26.3 to defeat Odds On Osiris by 1-1/4 lengths for Elite Harness Racing LLC, who had three winners on the card.
In the $18,500 top-class trot, Dandy showed good early mobility to gain the pocket, then powered clear in the stretch to reduce his mark to 1:52.3 while also notching the fastest trotting mile of the year on the local scene. Robbie Pev set fractions of :27.2, :56.1 and 1:25 but fell 2-3/4 lengths shy of withstanding the hard-trying 4-year-old son of Cantab Hall, who is driven by owner Jacqueline Ingrassia and trained by her husband, Frank.
On the undercard, Park Official ran his current winning streak to double digits and passed $100,000 in seasonal earnings with a 1:52 victory in the $16,500 top-level claiming handicap.
Pocket sitter The Dark Shadow angled out to give Park Official a battle, but the courageous Art Official gelding — now tied for the most 2023 victories among United States pacers — held on for driver Anthony Napolitano by a head in 1:52.1. Owner Debbie Avery and trainer Marta Piotrow claimed Park Official for $30,000 on March 18, and they have since won seven races and $69,500 with him.
There have been four sub-1:50 miles at Pocono this year, and the Luck Be Withyou gelding Luckwithbealex now has three of them after taking a new mark of 1:49.1 in a $17,000 pace. Anthony Napolitano moved the vastly-improved 4-year-old to the lead going by the stands, and they had enough to withstand potential pocket rocket RIP Wheeler by a length for trainer Lance Hudson and owner William Hartt.
Sunday’s (May 14) 6 p.m. program will find Pennsylvania-sired 3-year-old pacing colts making the first of two consecutive Sunday appearances at the mountain oval in three $30,000 Pennsylvania All-Stars divisions, led by Ken Hanover, who enters off a 1:49.4 win in a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes at The Meadows in his last start. Program pages for all Pocono races are or will be available on the PHHA website.