from the PHHA/Pocono
Wilkes-Barre, PA — Eclipse Me N, in career form and perhaps on her way to challenge countrywoman Shartin N at this rate, won the $17,500 mares pacing feature Tuesday night (May 15) at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, crossing the wire in 1:50.1 under a snug Simon Allard hold.
The daughter of Real Desire, two-for-two at The Downs, came last to first in the stretch in her local debut; Tuesday she rocketed to the lead past the half and stormed home in :55–:27.2 with seeming ease. Keystone Riptide was a game second, 1-1/2 lengths behind the winner, who completed a triple for both driver Simon Allard and trainer/brother Rene. Allard Racing Inc., Yves Sarrazin, and Donald Mac Rae own the very promising distaff, who recorded a personal best with the fast victory.
Immediately after the feature came two $14,000 sub-features, the first for trotters and the other for pacing mares.
In the trot, Simon Allard bagged his fourth sulky success of the night, rallying Bucketlist Hanover from the pocket to stretch command, then holding off the late-charging Kandy Korn by a nose while equaling her mark of 1:54.2. Pierre Paradis trains the Cantab Hall gelding for owner Paul Andre Lehoux.
In the race for side-wheeling distaffs, Albany Girl lost a shoe and caused a recall — and may have been the focus of harness racing’s first live shoe repair broadcast on a track’s television system, as an alert TV crew showed the blacksmith working on the mare in the paddock. Albany Girl then went out, and she evidently liked her new footwear, for the Somebeachsomewhere mare stormed to the lead down the backstretch and went on to a 5-1/2 length victory in 1:51.1, her lifetime best. Albany Girl, who missed only a neck to Tuesday’s feature winner Eclipse Me N last week, was driven by Pat Berry for trainer Randy Bendis, who is co-owner with Thomas Pollack.