Wilkes-Barre, PA – Beyond The Lens proved picture-perfect in his first start for owner/trainer Arthur Jones, going wire-to-wire in taking the $15,000 trotting feature at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono on Monday (June 6) afternoon.

Beyond The Lens holds on to the wire to take the featured trot at Pocono on Monday. Curtis Salonick photo.

Jim Pantaleano sent the Angus Hall gelding straight to the lead, and after a :27.3 opener they were able to get a breather to the :58 half. Approaching the 1:26.1 three-quarters, favorites By A Hoff Hanover and Muscle Dynasty began to narrow in, but Pantaleano kept his charge alive to the wire, stopping the timer at 1:56, just a fifth short of the horse’s lifetime best, set at Rideau Carleton last year. Muscle Dynasty was second, a neck behind Beyond The Lens and 1-1/4 lengths ahead of By A Hoff Hanover.

Braxten Boyd, Matt Kakaley, Anthony Napolitano, and Åke Svanstedt all posted driving doubles; Svanstedt also trains both of his sucessful steers.

The racing week concludes on Tuesday (June 7) afternoon, a card with a 1:30 p.m. start. Program pages are available at: https://www.phha.org/downsmsppps.html.