from the PHHA/Pocono

Wilkes-Barre, PA — The Cantab Hall filly Hot Mess Hanover looked anything but a mess at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono Tuesday night (April 4), taking the fastest of the three $15,000 divisions of the first leg of the Bobby Weiss Series for trotting distaffs in 1:56.3.

Curtis Salonick photo

Hot Mess Hanover was a 1:56.3 winner on Tuesday.

Andrew McCarthy re-tucked his charge in the pocket around a gapper in the third quarter, then set her sights on pacesetting The Muscle Touch, and gradually Hot Mess Hanover reeled in the leader in the lane, along by a neck while reducing her mark by almost three seconds for trainer Joe Pavia Jr. and the partnership of the Edmund Smith Estate, David Smith, and James and Daniel Giannuzzi.

The Kadabra mare Sunrise Avenue was just a tick behind the clocking of Hot Mess Hanover in taking another Weiss cut. Eric Carlson moved the winner, now over $50,000 in career earnings, to the lead past the quarter, then drew off in the stretch to have a 3-1/2 length margin at the finish for trainer Gilbert Garcia-Herrera and J M F Racing LLC.

In the other Weiss cut, Abbie’s Celticlass brushed to the lead in front of the stands, then held off a late bid from Winning Princess to take a half-length decision in 1:58. Jim Morrill Jr. handled sulky duties for trainer Ken Hess Jr. and Stop The Jade Farm LLC.

On Sunday night, it was driver Matt Kakaley, starting a six-winner night, who guided home longshot Threeupthreedown at a $119.20 mutuel; Tuesday night it was the meet’s leading driver, Simon Allard, who broke a few toteboard bulbs when he and Explosive Yankee passed horse after horse in the latter part of the race and just got a nose up on the wire, returning $117.20 to his scattered backers.

Allard also handled the feature pace winner, the Badlands Hanover mare Live Odds, who had an eight length lead at the stretch call of the $16,000 contest, then coasted home, yet still lowered her lifetime mark over two seconds to 1:51.3 for trainer Ty Pena and owner Kristin Taft.

The next racing card at Pocono is on Saturday (April 8), and that day’s action will mark the establishment of the track’s Saturday through Tuesday basic seasonal schedule, as Monday racing rejoins the lineup on April 10.