Wilkes-Barre, PA — The American Ideal gelding Dandy Ideal finished with an explosive late kick to down fellow millionaires Ken Hanover and Ruthless Hanover in 1:48.3 over a “sloppy” oval while taking the $27,500 fast-class handicap pace Saturday afternoon (June 27) at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania.
Dandy Ideal, Ruthless Hanover and Ken Hanover lined up behind the gate in that order on the right-hand side of the field of six. Dandy Ideal, driven by Braxten Boyd, out-sprinted everybody for early command, with the noted front-runner Ruthless Hanover continuing up to make the lead and Ken Hanover forced to drop in third before the :26 quarter. Ruthless Hanover, an engine winner in his last two starts at Pocono, continued on to middle splits of :54.2 and 1:21.4, with favored Ken Hanover getting into the major action uncovered before the latter station.
Ken Hanover gained on Ruthless Hanover through the far turn, and the millionaires’ three opponents were not able to stay close, so Boyd had a choice of the inner or outer route with his horse, and he chose to back him out and then swing wide early in the stretch. A big last sixteenth enabled Dandy Ideal to gobble up the embattled front two to win by 1-1/2 lengths over Ken Hanover, with Ruthless Hanover another three-quarters of a length behind the runner-up. Hunter Oakes trains the winner of $1,112,507 for Susan Oakes and Alan Johnston.
The $20,000 sub-feature fast-class pace went to the game Always B Miki gelding Congressional, who moved to command in front of the stands and held on to the wire in 1:50.1, with potential pocket rocket American Fling just a half length behind at the finish. Congressional was driven and is trained and owned by Kevin Wallis, one of three (Tim Tetrick, George Napolitano Jr.) on the select list of the top 14 active winningest drivers who raced at Pocono Saturday.
Honolulu Hanover, seventh at the half, moved three-wide late in the backstretch and circled his opposition to win the top trot of the day, worth $17,500. The Bar Hopping gelding came from a very tough spot in the 1:56 victory for Pocono’s top driver and trainer, Tyler Buter and Ron Burke, and the ownership of Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, William Switala and James Martin.
The spoils were well divided on the Saturday card; driver Braxten Boyd and trainer Chelsey Faurot were the only doublers.
Three $16,000 contests for 2-year-olds will be in the spotlight on the Pocono Sunday (June 28) twilight card at 5 p.m., as the stakes season for 2-year-olds starts this coming Saturday (July 4) with a Pennsylvania All-Stars contest for trotting males kicking off the state-sired action. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.