Wilkes-Barre, PA — Elegant Dulupin FR took full advantage of the rail in Tuesday’s (April 25) $40,000 Game Of Claims Series championship for $25,000 claiming trotters at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, going wire-to-wire for driver Mark MacDonald while taking a new mark of 1:55.

Let go at 11-1 despite two preliminary wins, Elegant Dulupin FR left strongly and caused a “lineup,” setting fractions of :27.1, :56.2 and 1:25.3. Many of the field made what looked like threatening moves on the far turn, but the Jasmin De Flore gelding Elegant Dulupin FR, who had lost 14 straight races on both sides of the Atlantic before hitting his current sharp four-of-seven form, trotted clear of his opposition for trainer John McDermott and the ownership of Jonathan Klee Racing, Justin Bolasci and Hurrikane Racing LLC.

Elegant Dulupin FR dug in nearing the wire to win the Game Of Claims trotting championship. Paul Bracey photo.

No one came up with a preliminary sweep in the Weiss Series for 3-year-old trotting fillies but four came within one of perfection: Kaddari, A Good Chardonnay and Quite Fast won two prelims, and sire Walner fathered the winner of seven of the eight prelims during the three legs, including the winners of Tuesday’s two $20,000 preliminaries.

Kaddari, a $375,000 yearling purchase, started only twice in the Weiss but she has shown no weaknesses yet, winning in 1:56.3 with a strong inside burst after a pocket trip for driver Mattias Melander, trainer Marcus Melander, and Courant Inc.

Kaddari’s main challenger in the divisional final may be Baby Oil, who broke her maiden on Tuesday with a 1:56.1 clocking after finishing second twice in earlier legs. Baby Oil used the engine and won safely for driver Andy Miller, trainer Julie Miller, and the partnership of Jason and Douglas Allen.

The first of the four $50,000 Bobby Weiss Series Championships for 3-year-olds will headline the card when racing resumes at Pocono Saturday (April 29) at 1 p.m. Pacing colts will be first in the spotlight, with trotting colts, pacing fillies, and trotting fillies following in the remaining three days of the Pocono week.