Wilkes-Barre, PA — The Greenshoe filly Duicinea Hanover added a feature race overnight victory to a resume that had triumphs in the Pennsylvania All-Stars and the Pennsylvania Stallion Series just before it, capturing Tuesday’s (June 2) $15,000 feature for developing trotters at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania in a lifetime best 1:54.4.
Duicinea Hanover was wide early then tucked third before a :28.3 opener under the direction of Niko Kärnä, who moved her to the first-over path just before a :57.3 half. The favorite tackled second choice pacesetter Night Phantom from mid-backstretch, with the leader still on top at the three-quarters in 1:27 but unable to withstand a vicious :27.3 late kick that saw Duicinea Hanover win by 3 lengths for trainer Noel Daley and the partnership of Harbor Racing Stable LLC, Joe Sbrocco & JAF Racing, James McGovern and Vincent Urciuoli.
Co-featured was a $15,000 claiming handicap trot, which was won by Abruzzo, who was just second in the Game Of Claims Trotting Series final after being haltered for $30,000 by trainer/owner Mark Akins in his start before the series final. The Walner gelding got on the winning track with a 1:53.2 victory as Simon Allard worked him to the lead shortly off the first turn, and even when second choice Water Torpedo posed an uncovered bid, Abruzzo appeared in charge throughout, winning by three-quarters of a length.
Fast times were the order of the day under beautiful conditions: speedy 3-year-old winners in “non-winners of two” company were trotting filly R Perfect Goo (Googoo Gaagaa) in a new mark of 1:54.4 and pacing gelding Sea Bistro Hanover (Captaintreacherous) in a lifetime best 1:50.4, while the Papi Rob Hanover sophomore pacing gelding Callmebigpapi broke his maiden in 1:51.1.
Mike Watson, a member of the Michigan Harness Racing Hall of Fame, has decided to retire from training at age 65 after racking up (according to USTA records going back to 1991) over 2,800 victories (including nine years with triple-figure triumphs), earnings just shy of $20 million, and 14 seasons with a UTR of .300 or better. He sent out his last horse, Vali Hanover, who was the favorite in a claiming handicap trot, and he had an arsenal of Michiganders in his corner: longtime owner Clifford Grundy and driver Braxten Boyd.
Vali Hanover had to go first-over and tried hard to write the storybook ending, but he narrowly missed pacesetter Perron, driven by Pocono’s leading driver, Tyler Buter.
Buter posted a driving triple to give him 11 victories during the four-day Pocono week; doubles were turned in by Simon Allard, Brad Chisholm, Niko Karna, and Anthony Napolitano. Trainers with a pair of victories included Noel Daley (both driven by Kärnä) and Brett Pelling (both driven by Chisholm).
Pennsylvania-sired 3-year-old trotting males come to town for Pocono’s Saturday (June 6) 1 p.m. card, with over $160,000 on the line in two divisions of the Sire Stakes and three sections of the Stallion Series. There will also be a $568.55 carryover into the High-5, offered in the final race. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.