Wilkes-Barre, PA — Highalator added to his impressive lifetime record at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono on Saturday afternoon (May 15), as he is now 17-for-28 in his career at the mountain oval after a 1:50.1 victory in the $15,700 conditioned pacing feature.

Highalator again proved too tough for his opposition Saturday at Pocono, winning as the favorite in 1:50.1. Curtis Salonick photo.

Driver Rick Still did not try to outgun the outside leavers with the winning son of Somebeachsomewhere as they raced to a :26.3 quarter; he left him on the outside and gradually got the top before the :54.4 midway clocking. Second-choice Vettel N came up to challenge the leader before the 1:21.4 three-quarters, but Highalator remained his usual game self to run his lifetime totals to 41 wins in 92 starts and earnings of $654,228 for trainer Jenny Bier, who is co-owner with Joann Dombeck and Midsize Construction Inc.

There were also a pair of $13,000 races for the sub-level of fast-class horses. On the trot, the Muscle Massive veteran gelding Two AM won his fourth straight appearance at The Downs, getting away with a slow half and then coming home in :56.4 in completing a 1:55.1 victory. The winner of $530,714 was driven by Tyler Buter for trainer Todd Buter and the ownership of Buter Farm Inc., Lynette Buter, and William and Carol Fuhs. The victory was his 38th in 114 career starts, exactly one-third.

The equivalent pace fell to the Somebeachsomehwere gelding Points North, who came to Pocono from points north such as Woodbine Mohawk Park and The Meadowlands, and promptly won in 1:49.4. The invader did not get things easy, parked past a :26.3 quarter for driver James MacDonald, posting middle fractions of :54.4 and 1:22, and then having to deal in the stretch with the horse who had pressed him early, Aintobettor A, but getting the job done for trainer Carmen Auciello and the ownership of Aaron Waxman and Frank Cirillo.

The meet’s leading driver, George Napolitano Jr., had four wins on the afternoon, three of them for Gilbert Garcia-Herrera, the meet’s leading trainer.

The Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and Stallion Series begin their 2021 local campaigns during the Sunday twilight 5 p.m. card, with 3-year-old pacing colts getting the season off to a fast start. There will be three Sire Stakes and seven Stallion Series races; in the Sire Stakes are last year’s divisional champion, Perfect Sting, making his seasonal debut after going undefeated in 10 starts at two, and Southwind Gendry, already a 1:49.4 winner in the first Sire Stakes preliminary at The Meadows.

Also, there will be a Rainbow Pick-5 carryover of $54,744.54 going into the Sunday card. Program pages will be available at the PHHA website.