Wilkes-Barre, PA – Two-year-old trotters are not regarded by many as the safest of bets, but all three favorites in the $30,000 divisions of the first freshman stake of the year Saturday (July 4) at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania All-Stars for male babies, got the job done impressively.
The Father Patrick – Me Too Baby colt Dream Shaq was the quickest of the three winners – and he also was the narrowest of winners, defeating pacesetter Celebrity Hunter by a head in 1:55.4 in his pari-mutuel bow. Dream Shaq was content to sit third as the leader put up fractions of :28.2,:57.4, and 1:27.2, moving out on the final turn and trotting his own last split in :28 in defeating Celebrity Hunter in a long ding-dong stretch duel for trainer Marcus Melander and the ownership of Brixton Medical Inc. and Hatfield Stables.
Dream Shaq was driven by Dexter Dunn, and if we say that this drive was a cameo appearance at the mountain oval for him, we must give the context that Dexter’s sulky day started at 8 a.m. at The Meadowlands, where he drove in eight baby races, and that his sulky will end nearing 11 p.m., as he left Pocono to go right back to the Jersey oval to drive in eleven stakes race. (The glamorous life …)
The International Moni – Dancin On The Wall gelding Lindy On The Wall now has four program lines – two qualifiers followed by two purse races – and they all end in a “1.” Andrew McCarthy got the fleet freshman to the top mid-first turn and put up fractions of :29.2, :59.1, and 1:28.2, then tacked on a :28.1 kicker to lower his mark to 1:56.3. Eddie Dennis trains the winner for E&K Stable Inc., William Mears, and Roy Parker Jr.
Red Storm Hanover opened the stakes action by leading for every step in his cut, with the timer reading:29.2, :59.2, 1:28.2, and 1:57.1 for a maiden mark. Yannick Gingras drove the Captain Corey – Ready Any Time colt for trainer Ake Svanstedt, whose Ake Svanstedt Inc. co-owns the winner with M Biasuzzi Stable Inc.
The “Happy Birthday, America” distaff open handicap pace, with a purse of $27,500, was taken by Sweetnikkilou A after two moves in 1:49.4. The meet’s top driver Tyler Buter spotted the daughter of Sweet Lou early, then moved with cover, swung wide off it, then decisioned Pocono Piker Rocket Deo by a neck, with pacesetter Millwood Bliss N (:26.2, :55, 1:22.2) another three quarters of a length behind. Nifty Norman conditions the game pacer for his Enzed Racing Stable Inc.
Driving doublers were Buter, Anthony Napolitano, and Tim Tetrick.
Two-year-old trotting fillies will have their PA All-Stars event on Tuesday ( July 14); on the Sunday (July 5) 5 p.m. twilight card, the hopefuls will have a final opportunity to develop before their stake in a $16,000 feature. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.