Wilkes-Barre, PA – Favorites won the three featured races at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on Hambletonian Saturday (Aug. 8) afternoon – but after that, mutuel mayhem was more the order of the day.
Dandy Ideal showed his superiority in taking the $29,500 featured pace Saturday at Pocono. Allan Siani photo.
Dandy Ideal and Ruthless Hanover were the two horses handicapped to the outside posts in the $29,500 fast-class featured pace – with the scratch of Ruthless Hanover, Dandy Ideal became the overwhelming favorite, and he proved himself worthy of the faith with a 1:49.1 victory. Tyler Buter sent the American Ideal gelding to the lead nearing the :26.1 quarter, then got a breather to the :55.1 half. The pace picked up with a tailwind at the three quarters to a 1:21.4 fraction into the turn, and then Buter could get a :27.2 last quarter out of him into the breeze, fastest of the day (the average last quarter of the other races on the day was :29).
The game Congressional, as quick a gateleaver as anyone, went out and sat the pocket, but he was 1-1/4 lengths behind Dandy Ideal, who now has career earnings of $1,19,007 from 20 victories in 35 starts. Hunter Oakes trains the winner for Susan Oakes and Alan Johnston.
The Betting Line gelding Goliath Hanover had to overcome the rough tuck then first-over journey in the $16,000 fast-class pace subfeature, but the pacer proved equal to the tough task, grinding to the wire first ahead of pacesetter Be Dazzle Lou A (:26.3, :56, 1:23.1) to win by the smallest possible margin in 1:51. Jack Pelling got the giant effort out of the winner for trainer Darren Taneyhill and P T Stable.
A $17,500 trot for up-and-coming horses saw the Walner gelding Night Phantom go wire-to-wire in his debut for trainer Lily Cimino, leading past the poles in :26.2, :55.4, and 1:23.4 en route to a three length win in 1:53.3. Anthony Napolitano had the sulky duty behind the winner of four of his last five for owner Jaypaul Hoover.
The other side of “the chalk line” is reflected by the fact that there were three winners who paid $50.00 or more to win – the first time that event has happened at Pocono since April 29, 2024. Nvrfearlloydishere was the top payer at $115.40, and Tyler Buter was also a part of the longshot lunacy with Imaginary Line despite post eight at $62.00. Of course, it figured that Buter would be somewhere in the big-number mix – in addition to having the most overall victories for the meet, Buter also has the most $50+ winners with five (one ahead of Anthony Napolitano, who is second to him in the seasonal standings!).
Buter had four winners overall Saturday to earn himself another distinction; Simon Allard doubled. Trainers with two wins include Hunter Oakes and Darren Taneyhill, with Buter driving both of the former’s and one of the latter’s.
The Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and Stallion Series come to town for their third preliminary leg on Monday (Aug. 10) card beginning at 1 p.m., with $191,292 up for grabs among two Sire Stakes divisions and four Stallion Series sections. And of course just around the corner is the $2.4 million SUN STAKES SATURDAY supercard – more details as the August 22 card firms up. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.