Wilkes-Barre, PA – Horses on their way up the class ladder via the “nw 7 races” rung were in the spotlight on the Saturday afternoon (Oct. 4) card at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, with one $17,500 event at each gait.
Kierkegaard K, who had been battling tough company most of his career and had amassed $413,294, had won only six races and so was eligible for this race, and the son of Chapter Seven put his “class” edge to good use with an overwhelming 1:52.1 victory to start off the day’s racing. Johnathan Ahle scooted him away to command long before the :26.2 quarter, rated the half in :56.1, then picked up the pace, reaching the three-quarters in 1:24.3 before tacking on a :27.3 last panel for trainer Åke Svanstedt and owner Knutsson Trotting Inc.
The Soho Lanakai gelding Captain Moore A clocked his fastest victory since coming to North America when he won the pacing division of the feature class, restricted to males, in 1:50.3. Brett Beckwith had to get the horse to work until just past the finish line the first time to make the lead, but after fractions of :27, :55.1, and 1:23.1 the Aussie had enough spring in his step to ward off several late challenges for trainer Scott Blackler and owner Chad Kowal. Captain Moore A does like to win – he’s now captured half of his 24 career starts (he fit this condition because of the AE money limit).
In a $15,500 subfeature for developing male pacers, the Captaintreacherous sophomore colt Captain Fear followed the good cover of heavily favored Go Grasshopper, then eased wide of that one and was able to get by the chalk by a neck while taking a new mark of 1:51.1. George Napolitano Jr. guided four winners on the day including this one, who has all three of his career victories at Pocono, for trainer Tom Fanning and the ownership of Howard Taylor and Falcon Racing LLC.
Racing at Pocono continues with Monday (Oct. 6) and Tuesday (Oct. 7) programs set for a 1 p.m. start, with developing trotters contesting a feature race on each day. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.