Wilkes-Barre, PA — Favorites Joemikiyoursofine and Proud Mary emerged victorious in their respective $16,000 featured paces at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on Tuesday afternoon (July 18).
Joemikiyoursofine certainly earned his victory after settling fourth late on the first turn by driver George Napolitano Jr. The 3-year-old Always B Miki gelding advanced without cover up the backstretch to contend for command before out-sprinting pocket rival Lousain Bolt to the line by a half length in 1:51.4. Chris Choate trains the winner for Anthony Ruggeri and Richard Tosies.
Proud Mary posted her second straight win in the distaff feature, coming home first in 1:52.2. Matt Kakaley moved the sophomore Sweet Lou filly to the lead in front of the stands and maintained control to the wire, with My Hungry Girl shooting up the inside but coming up three-quarters of a length short. Chris Ryder trains the winner, third in her Pennsylvania Sire Stakes final last year, for Let It Ride Stables Inc. and Bottom Line Racing LLC.
There was a double carryover going into Tuesday’s Pick-5 (races 8-12), and despite that fact, four of the eight entrants in the sequence’s final race would have caused yet another carryover had they won. Favorite Keystone Apache came through in the last leg, though, prompting a $1,202.48 payoff on a 20-cent ticket.
Racing returns to the mountain oval on Saturday (July 22) at 1 p.m. Sunday’s (July 23) 6 p.m. card features $35,000 Pennsylvania All-Stars events for 2-year-old filly pacers, with 2-time Sire Stakes winner Lyons Legend among the entrants. Program pages for all Pocono races are or will be available on the PHHA website.