Wilkes-Barre, PA — Despite having been off for over six months, Incommunicado tied the fastest trotting time of the year at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, 1:52.2, in winning Saturday’s (May 21) co-featured $17,500 high-level trot.

The 4-year-old Chapter Seven gelding, a winner of over $200,000 at both two and three, was sent right to the front by George Napolitano Jr. in a :27 opener, resting to the half in :56.3, and then speeding up to hit three-quarters in 1:24.3. Dee’s Red Delicous gave valiant chase from the pocket, but Incommunicado still had a :27.4 kicker in him to win by a half length for trainer Åke Svanstedt and the partnership of Knutsson Trotting Inc., Little E LLC, Arthur Geiger and David Stolz.

Incommunicado equaled the fastest trotting time of the year at Pocono, 1:52.2, in winning one of Saturday’s co-featured events. Curtis Salonick photo.

In the $17,500 pacing headliner, odds-on favorite Tito Rocks split War-N-Munn to his left and Rogerthat Bluechip through a :26.4 quarter before taking command. Jason Bartlett let Rogerthat Bluechip go on to the lead, but was quick to reclaim the front with Tito Rocks, putting up middle splits of :55.3 and 1:22.4 without too much pressure. Into the stretch, Tito Rocks was looking good, but the Sweet Lou gelding needed late Bartlett rocking to hold off an inside rally from War-N-Munn by a length in 1:51.1 and run his earnings to $308,152 for trainer Robert Cleary and Royal Wire Products Inc.

Go West Go Fast again tied the record for the highest-priced claim in Pocono history when, for a fourth straight race, he was taken for a $40,000 claiming price. On Saturday, Go West Go Fast posted his seventh win in his last eight starts, but in a new way: he dead-heated for the win with Play The Field in 1:50.1. The day’s theme of “you have to be close to the front to have a good chance” held, even in the dead heat, as Go West Go Fast was the pacesetter and Play The Field was in the pocket.

Braxten Boyd, Tyler Buter and Napolitano all had three winners on the Pocono Saturday card.

Sunday’s (May 22) 5 p.m. twilight card at Pocono will find Hambletonian-caliber trotters looking to solidify their stakes credentials in three $30,000 divisions of a Pennsylvania All-Stars event for 3-year-old male trotters. Program pages are available on the PHHA website.