from the PHHA/Pocono

Wilkes-Barre, PA — The Western Ideal mare Healthy Gain, a winner at a $49.60 mutuel in conditioned company at The Meadows in her previous start, shipped northeast to The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono and won again in the same class Tuesday (Sept. 19), victorious in the $16,000 featured pace for fillies and mares while taking a new lifetime mark of 1:51.4 — and returning only $6.60 as the favorite of the crowd.

Leading driver George Napolitano Jr. (five wins on the night) made every pole a winning one with the invader and the pair had an easy time of it, winning by four lengths. Trainer Gary Johnston shares ownership of the in-form 4-year-old with Tracy Chropek.

The win with Healthy Gain was Napolitano’s third win of the night; he later added a fourth by scoring in the $14,000 co-featured pace for distaffs, with Marlee B also passing every pole in front en route to a 1:51.1 victory.

The winning Mach Three mare had a harder time in getting to Victory Lane, however, as she was used to get command from the outside post eight, held off the first-up bid of favored Graceful Vision, then needed to dig in to fend off potential pocket rocket UF’s Dragon Queen by a nose, with Graceful Vision only another half-length off at the wire.

Hunter Oakes trains the winner of $431,870 lifetime for Synerco Ventures Inc.