Wilkes-Barre, PA – The Creatine gelding Creatarma got some racing luck in the $15,000 featured trot at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono Monday (July 11) afternoon, but he knew how to maximize his fortune, winning in 1:57.4.

Creatarma closes strongly to win the Monday featured trot at Pocono. Curtis Salonick photo.

The race’s complexion changed into the first turn when even money favorite Black Hawk Down made a break just as he was clearing to the lead, leaving the filly Matter Of Trust to set the pace. Creatarma, leaving from the outside post eight, was hustled up by driver Jim Pantaleano to get to second-over position behind first-up Argento, avoiding other breakers and stragglers, and when Pantaleano tipped her wide for the stretch drive, she summoned the most kick to defeat Argento by three-quarters of a length, with Matter Of Trust another neck back in third.

Austin Brubacker trains and owns the winner, who has now won two of his last three races – one from the inside starting spot and one from the outside.

Creatarma was the middle horse in an 8-8-8 Pick-3 bet that paid at the rate of $2,195.80 for a $2 wager. In all there were four horses who on Monday overcame starting behind the 8-ball, which had yielded only a 5.5% success rate for the Pocono meet.

Anthony Napolitano and Pantaleano each had three winners on the Monday card.

The racing week concludes at Pocono tomorrow (July 12) at 1:30 p.m.; the current schedule at The Downs is racing on Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday at 1:30, and Sunday at 5 p.m. Program pages are or will be available at https://www.phha.org/downsmsppps.html.