Wilkes-Barre, PA – After unseasonably warm temperatures had been the recent norm, the weather at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania Saturday had changed – temperatures didn’t get above the mid-50s; the wind became stronger; earlier rain had caused the track to be rated “good” most of the way; and the handicapping correlative of the track condition, forward early placement almost required for a high finish, was certainly not the case until the moderating tail end of the card.
The overall climate of the day was certainly in place when the $27,500 feature-race handicap pace was conducted. Assigned the outside was Calicojack Hanover, favored as he came off a second in his Breeders Crown final, but there was quite a donnybrook for early command, and he tucked fourth and rode midpack through fractions of :26.3 and :55.1, then came first-over before the 1:22.3 three quarters.
In the outer tier behind the chalk’s cover were the Lazarus N gelding Endostory second-over, with Fifth And Five, the winner of last week’s Pocono feature, right on that one’s bumper. In the stretch drive, those near the front gave some ground, and Endofstory displayed a good stretch move to both take the lead midstretch then hold it to the wire, though only by a nose, over Fifth And Five in a 1:51.1 mile. George Napolitano Jr. guided Endofstory, whose $34.80 win mutuel was the largest of the day, for trainer Doug Dilloian Jr. and owners David Linker, Brian Loman, Robert Venable, and Kyle Warren.
In the $21,000 co-feature fast-class race, the Sweet Lou gelding Jolimont N was in the back half of the field past the three-quarters, but he rolled wide midturn and edged out Pocono Pike threat and favorite Captinhammerhead A by a neck in 1:51.1. A winner in the track’s highest class in early October, Jolimont N found lowering a level the perfect tonic for victory for trainer Lance Hudson and owner William Hartt.
The card also featured three $10,000 divisions of the second preliminary of the Game Of Claims Pacing Series for horses base-tagged at $12,500. Two horses are now two-for-two in the series: Greater Than Aces, claimed out of the first leg and here winning in 1:53.2, ironically over the only two series pacers being claimed Saturday (South Point and Always Rockin); and Jackie Moon, one of the few wire-to-wire winners on the card with a 1:54.2 victory.
The other section saw Doobie Nights coming from the pocket to catch Pompeo Hanover in 1:53.4, but unfortunately even with their bright showings here neither will make the $17,500 GOCPS Championship on Closing Day (November 21), as for each this was their first series start, and the rules require all finalists to start in every prelim.
The four leading drivers at Pocono in 2026 were the quartet of sulkysitters to have multi-win days. Anthony Napolitano had four victories to run his total to seventeen in the last four cards, but even that burst will not threaten meet leader Tyler Buter, who himself checked in first three times (“ANap” and Buter dead-heating for the win in one race). George Napolitano Jr. and Braxten Boyd, third and fourth in the standings respectively, each had two successes. On the training side, the only conditioner who had multiple wins was Darren Taneyhill, who sent out three winners; those successes narrow Ron Burke’s seasonal lead to 78-73, but there are just six days left in the meet.
Racing at Pocono returns Monday (Nov. 9) at 1 p.m. will feature trotters, in an $18,500 fast-class feature and in two $15,000 divisions of the final prelim leg of the Winter Is Coming Trotting Series. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.