Wilkes-Barre, PA — The tri-features on Sunday (May 12) evening at Pocono Downs at Mohegan, Pennsylvania, were $15,000 paces for high-priced claiming horses. Despite the hefty investment, two of the three winners were claimed—but the one who wasn’t, took the fastest division.

Wise Thinking closed well to be the fastest winner in the tri-features at Pocono on Sunday night. Curtis Salonick Photo.

The Thinking Out Loud gelding Wise Thinking (Tyler Buter) made a late move reminiscent of his father’s North America Cup win to win the very first race on the card in a lifetime best of 1:51.3. Buter handled the driving assignment for trainer Jennifer Bongiorno and Ely Stable.

The other two top claiming winners, Tuxedo Bay (driver Marcus Miller, 1:52.3) and Winbak Willy T (George Napolitano Jr., 1:53.2) were both coming off of victories, so that is perhaps why they attracted the claiming attention, with $20,000 given for each horse to change hands.

Skydiver (Mattisas Melander) also notched his second straight win, in a $14,000 trot, but when he changed hands as a yearling, it took a bid of $350,000 to take home the Muscle Hill-Ariana G colt. The sophomore won here in 1:56, with back fractions of :56.2 – :28, while winning for the brother team of driver Mattias and trainer Marcus Melander, with the developing youngster owned by Brixton Medical Inc. Marvin Katz, and Hatfield Stables.

Matt Kakaley guided three horses’ home first to lead all drivers on the night and solidify his position atop the local sulky sitters colony.

Pocono will be racing on Monday and Tuesday afternoons, with the cards starting on each day at 1 p.m.; Monday’s program has a double carryover of $2066.55 on the Pick-5 wager, which begins in race five. Free Pocono programs are available at www.phha.org.