Wilkes-Barren PA — The He’s Watching mare Kat was watching favored pacesetter Dresden from the catbird’s seat of the two-hole through most of the $14,500 fast-class pace for mares Monday afternoon (Oct. 31) at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, and then she rallied in the famed Pocono Pike to take a length decision and lower her mark to 1:50.4.

Kat rallied in the famed Pocono Pike to take a length decision and lower her mark to 1:50.4. Curtis Salonick photo.

Driver Simon Allard (who shared sulky honors with Matt Kakaley with three winners) left strongly from the rail with Kat, taking some sting out of the chalk by keeping her out until the :26.2 quarter, then yielding for the pocket. Dresden carried on strongly with fractions of :55.2 and 1:22.4, but the adversary on her tail proved fresher late; Bettorb Chevron N sat third-in and held third, another length behind.

Kat has now gone four-for-five since crossing the border from Canada and joining the powerful partnership of Burke Racing Stable and Weaver Bruscemi. Trainer Ron Burke had three successes on the card as he solidified his lead in trying to win his second training title in three years here.

In the next race, the 2-year-old E L Titan trotting colt Tillio’s Action defeated older foes in a new mark of 1:55.3 as he picked up his third win in his last four starts. Jim Pantaleano drove the talented freshman for trainer John Grasso and his John Grasso Stable Inc.

And in the race after that, Bottle Rocket, a son of Rock N Roll Heaven, was last at the quarter, gained up the rail throughout the last half, then kept coming deep in the Pocono Pike to take a new record of 1:52 while paying the highest win price of the season at Pocono, $146.00. Michael Whelan sprung the upset for trainer/father Walter Whelan, the latter co-owner with Christopher Nicol.

Pocono races Tuesday at 1:30 p.m.; goes its fall schedule on Saturday–Monday–Tuesday at 1:30 for the two weeks after that; and then closes out its racing season on Saturday (Nov. 19). Program pages for all Pocono races are or will be available at the PHHA website.