Wilkes-Barre, PA – Kierkegaard K won his second straight start Monday (Oct. 5) afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, taking a $21,000 fast-class trotting feature in 1:52.4.
Driver Simon Allard, who seemed to have every horse he drove in a winning position at crunch time (visiting Victory Lane five times during the card), had the son of Chapter Seven in second-over position after favored Sir Pinocchio set fractions of :27, :55.2, and 1:23.2. 20-1 longshot High Speed Swan looked like a potential pocket rocket in the Pocono Pike, but Kierkegaard K had the most trot late to win by 1-1/4 lengths over High Speed Swan, with Sir Pinocchio settling for third. Åke Svanstedt conditions the winner of $459,999 for Knutsson Trotting Inc.
The subfeature of the fast class governed two $16,000 races, one for trotters and one for pacing mares. The trotting group was also led by a son of Chapter Seven, as You Got It swept to the lead at the three-quarter pole and then resisted Breezy Hall by two lengths in 1:53.3. George Napolitano Jr. had driving duty for trainer Joe Pavia Jr. and the partnership of Vincent Ferriero Jr., Jeffrey Hess, and Pint Size Racing LLC.
The American Ideal sophomore filly Lenna made the trip up the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike from Philly worthwhile for trainer Deborah Daguet and owner Forrest Bartlett (of Horse of the Year Forrest Skipper fame some forty years ago), taking the pacing event in 1:51.3 by 1-3/4 lengths over Please Be You. Anthony Napolitano had Lenna on top at every pole as she recorded her seventh victory of the year.
A $15,500 race for developing trotters was won by the Captain Corey three-year-old gelding Mr Penner, who succeeded in 1:54.4 despite not having raced in 86 days. Team Allard/Svanstedt also enjoyed success in the getaway race with the sophomore, a PA All-Stars winner here earlier this season, for Åke Svanstedt Inc., Knutsson Trotting Inc., and Little E LLC.
Fast clockings were not the order of the day at Pocono Monday, which makes the 1:51.4 clocking of the International Moni gelding Scudo Hanover – in the third-lowest trotting class at the track and after making breaks in three of his last five outings – even the more startling. But “Scudo” certainly had his “A” game today while lowering his mark by two seconds for driver Ridge Warren and trainer Robert Baggitt Jr., who is co-owner with Christine Baggitt and J L Sadowsky LLC.
In addition to Simon Allard’s five victories, the brothers Napolitano also had five victories – George Jr. with three and Anthony with two. Joining Svanstedt with two training successes was Tom Cancelliere.
Tuesday’s 1 p.m. card at Pocono will have a $16,000 two-year-old for each of the combinations of sex and gait, and a carryover into the first race Pick 4. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.