Wilkes-Barre, PA – The Captaintreacherous sophomore filly Jordanna Hanover again kicked home strongly to win her second straight race, here lowering her mark by a tick to 1:53 in taking the $16,000 distaff pacing feature Monday afternoon (May 19) at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania.
Patrick Ryder had Jordanna Hanover on the back of the first-over Selina’s Choice, who went up after favored pacesetter Big City Daisy, who made two moves in fractions of :27.3, :56.1, and 1:24.4. Selina’s Choice corralled the favorite, but Ryder still had a fresh horse in front of him turning for home, and the pair won by 2-1/2 lengths over the first-over horse, with second choice Shangri La Hanover, caught behind the tiring pacesetter, salvaging the show. Tom Fanning trains the developing filly for Fanning Racing LLC, which consists of him and his wife Moira.
The Tactical Landing gelding four-year-old Reggianito turned some heads when he won by a country mile in one of two $15,000 co-featured trots while posting a new mark of 1:53.4. Reggianito moved out behind cover down the backstretch, looped that horse and soon circled to grab the lead, then stormed home in :27.3. Tyler Buter drove the Ohio invader for trainer John Butenschoen and Berg Brothers Racing LLC.
In the other co-featured trot, second choice Wapiti Blue Chip followed the cover of favored One More Volo the last half, then had the most late to catch that rival by three-quarters of a length in 1:55. Braxten Boyd drove the 3-year-old altered son of International Moni, who won his first race in three seasonal starts, for trainer Mahlon Martin and the ownership of Ashley Burslem, Steven Muller, and Gregory Garton.
Tyler Buter and Anthony Napolitano shared the day’s driving honors with three victories apiece. Buter, the track’s leading driver, now has 36 wins in the 11 days of May racing at the northeast Pennsylvania oval.
The racing week concludes on Tuesday (May 20), with first post at 1 p.m. The featured performer will be Chapolier, the winningest trotter in North America this season, as he goes for his eleventh straight victory, all of them this year at the mountain oval, in the $16,000 tenth race feature (and Buter is listed to drive). Stakes action will return to Pocono next Monday (May 26) with Pennsylvania All-Stars competition for three-year-old trotting fillies. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.