Wilkes-Barre, PA — Three $15,000 featured events — two for developing horses, one for high-dollar claiming trotters — shared the Tuesday (Sept. 24) spotlight at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania.
In the event for developing pacers, Mike Whelan the Sweet Lou gelding Yankee Clout was right to the lead and went coast-to-coast, fending off the late-charging and pocket-sitting favorite Captain Caveman by a neck. Yankee Clout reduced his mark three full seconds to 1:52.2 with the triumph for trainer Walter Whelan and owner Christopher Nicol.
In the conditioned trotting feature, the Chapter Seven gelding It Wasn’t Me, fresh off a triumph in the New York Excelsior final, made a quick mid-race move to the top and stayed in control from there, with long shot pocket sitter Shiny New Penny doing well to stay within a length at the wire in the 1:55 mile. Matt Kakaley drove the winner for trainer Michelle Warner and owner Big Sky Ranch.
The other feature was for high-priced claiming trotters in a handicap event. The winner, the Triumphant Caviar mare Allsummerlong AS, overcame a tuck-then-first-over trip, andher determination carried her past the pacesetting Jive Ninety Five by a half length in 1:56. Braxten Boyd drove the Jenny Melander-trained winner for owner Jose Cervantes.
Back-to-back long shots Space Cadebt ($71.60) and Barn Credit ($75.20) both overcame post eight. In fact, post eight, normally with a win rate of 7.9%, generated a rate of 50% today, as five of the 10 starters from the outermost spot were successful (and another was second). In contrast, the chalk normally clicks at 44.5% at the mountain oval, but today the three favored winners represented only a 21.4% success ratio.
Anthony Napolitano and Jim Pantaleano recorded driving triples Tuesday.
Racing at Pocono resumes Saturday (Sept. 28) with a solid card from top to bottom, with the featured $18,500 fast-class handicap pace seeing four of the eight entrants coming off of wins below 1:50 in their last start. Free Pocono programs are or will be available at www.phha.org.