Wilkes-Barre, PA — The male trotters got their first crack at Weiss Series action Sunday evening (April 7) at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono. There were three $15,000 first round preliminaries and the fastest winner was the Conway Hall gelding Hammer Creek, who nipped the heavy favorite Dover Dony in a personal best 1:55.1.

Hammer Creek nipped the heavy favorite Dover Dony in a personal best 1:55.1. Curtis Salonick photo.

Dover Dony had quarter-moved after a :27.2 opener and went on to post nice middle splits of :56.2 and 1:25.1. Driver Mike Simons bided his time with Hammer Creek, then moved out just before the three-quarters and aimed right at the leader.

Dover Dony held gamely and still was ahead in deep stretch, but his foe was relentless in pursuit and got the decision by the shortest possible margin. Kenneth Hess Jr. trains the winner, who dropped three seconds off his mark, for owner Richard Ciesielski.

Although his time of 1:57 may not quite match up to 1:55.1, My Lindy Winner was also quite impressive in victory, remaining undefeated after four 2019 starts. Jim Morrill Jr., who teamed with trainer Rob Harmon for a pair of winners on the card, took his time with the son of Credit Winner in getting the lead, but once on top the issue seemed little in doubt, with My Lindy Winner six lengths clear after a :57.3 last half for the ownership of Vincent Laurenzo, Howard Taylor, and Thomas Lazzaro.

The Explosive Matter gelding Higgs Boson doubled his lifetime win total when he won his Weiss division while taking a lifetime mark of 1:57.2. Driver Fern Paquet Jr. sent Higgs Boson on an uncovered mission nearing the five-eighths and the winner proved more than equal to the challenge for trainer Dave Wiest, co-owner with Paul Britcher Jr.

Co-featured were a pair of $17,000 events for developing horses, many of whom should be a good bit higher on the class ladder in short order.

First up were the pacers and the winner was the Rock And Roll Heaven gelding Rebel Rouser, who had established a four-race win streak at Yonkers and The Meadowlands, then made it five in a row with a 1:51.3 victory. The lightly-raced but successful pacer (12 for 24 lifetime now at age five) was three-wide a good part of a :27.2 opener, made the lead just after that station , then yielded to a tough opponent in Shadow Cat, who took the field past the half in :55.4 and the three-quarters in 1:24.

Driver Andrew McCarthy roused Rebel Rouser out of the two-hole past the middle turn, went up to the leader and then asserted himself with strong stretch steps, finishing under a hold while three-quarters of a length to the good of Shadow Cat, who took second over inside-rallying Ideal Wheel. Robert Cleary is the conditioner of the promising pacer, who is owned by W. J. Donovan and Donal Murphy.

Andrew McCarthy also accounted for the trotting co-feature, taking advantage of a perfect pocket trip with the Kadabra gelding Mr Houdini and then holding off longshot closers by three-quarters of a length while posting a clocking of 1:56.4. The combine of trainer Ron Burke and owners Burke Racing Stable and Weaver Bruscemi campaign the winner.