Wilkes-Barre, PA — Bettors Donttell, who looked to be the worst-placed of the four main contenders in Saturday (July 8) afternoon’s $18,500 pacing feature at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, showed great gameness to go on to a 1:49.4 victory.

Bettors Donttell dug in late to win on Saturday. Curtis Salonick Photo.

Traceur Hanover (Braxten Boyd) yielded to RIP Wheeler (Jim Pantaleano) before an opening quarter of :26.1; that one then reached the half in :54.3. Bettors Donttell started up first-over headed down the backstretch, with favored Backstreet Shadow (Matt Kakaley) in good second-over position. Those positions didn’t change by the 1:21.3 three-quarters, and they didn’t change as the field turned for home.

RIP Wheeler couldn’t maintain his advantage, and Backstreet Shadow, couldn’t take advantage of the cover trip after swinging wide. 20-1 Traceur Hanover raced well in the pocket, but Bettors Donttell, who was not the smoothest-gaited of the foursome, showed the most heart to take the top event by a half length over Traceur Hanover.

Simon Allard guided the winner to victory for the meet’s leading trainer, Ron Burke, and the Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC partnership.

There was an $18,000 trot for the highest level of developing younger horse before they go on to fast-class racing (“NW 11 races life”), with Speed Away (Kakaley), who had won against older horses in his last start, making it two straight with a 1:53.4 triumph. The gelded son of Father Patrick was kept just behind Diehard Seelster (Boyd) and College Tuition (George Napolitano Jr.) as they argued through early fractions of :27.3 and :56.1. Speed Away entered the battle going to the 1:24.3 three-quarters then had to beat those two contenders but was capable of that task, winning for trainer Jonas Czernyson and Consus Racing Stable Inc.

Kakaley, the meet’s top driver, ran his victory total on the day to six with the fastest mile of the hot afternoon, a 1:49 jaunt with Gentle Giant. The altered son of JK Endofanera posted fractions of :26.4, :54.4, and 1:21.2 en route to an overwhelming win and a lifetime mark for trainer Jason Brewer, also co-owner with Kirk Nichols and Thomas Gillis.

Sunday’s 6 p.m. card at Pocono will feature a $20,000 trot for the fast-class set, and it will be followed on Monday and Tuesday at 1 p.m. by Pennsylvania All-Stars contests for stakes two-year-olds; pacing colts on Monday and trotting fillies on Tuesday. Program pages for all Pocono races are or will be available at https://www.phha.org/downsmsppps.html.