Wilkes-Barre, PA — Joe Lee and Bob Hechkoff opened a busy weekend of harness racing for the American Harness Drivers Club (AHDC) with victories in the pair of $10,000 trotting divisions held at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on Saturday (Sept. 19).
Lee zipped off a pocket trip with Masster Blue to win the first division of the AHDC trots in a 1:58.1 mile. He secured a seat behind tempo-setter Ima Standup Guy (Joe Faraldo) and stalked as the leader battled first-over challenger and 9-5 favorite Green Zone (Peter Gerry) through opening splits of :27.3 and :57.1. Green Zone folded from his challenge when heading down the backstretch while Lee steadily drafted behind Ima Standup Guy to three-quarters in 1:27.1. Turning for the finish, Lee darted from the pocket to snatch the lead and win by a length with Ezra (Austin Brubacker) closing from a ground-saving trip for second. Kountry Express (Geovany Hernandez) took third and Ima Standup Guy tired to fourth.
John Novello owns and trains Masster Blue, a 12-year-old gelding by Muscle Mass. He paid $21.80 to win.
Bob Hechkoff went pillar to post a few races later to deliver 5-2 favorite Whiskey Peddler to a 1:55.2 victory in the other AHDC trot. Hechkoff cleared control out of post 7 to a :29 first quarter and faced mild pressure when Remarkable De Vie (Anthony Verruso) pulled out of fourth to race first-over into a :59.2 half. Whiskey Peddler rebuffed the challenge with ease and coasted to three-quarters in 1:26.4 in progress to a 2-1/4-length victory with pocket-sitter Certify (Mike Polansky) giving pursuit for second. Remarkable De Vie held third and Don’t I Wish (William Clark Jr.) closed for fourth.
Frank Calcagni trains Whiskey Peddler, a 5-year-old gelding by Volstead, for owner R. B. H. Ventures Inc. He paid $7.80 to win.
Harrah’s Philadelphia hosted a pair of $8,500 divisions of AHDC paces on Sunday (Sept. 20). Tony Beltrami scored in the first division when rallying from a pylon trip with Always A Way to clinch a 1:56.1 victory.
Beltrami sent his charge forward and secured a seat behind 6-5 chalk Part Time Affair (Cote Keim) coming to a :27.3 first quarter but soon got shuffled as Ladyzar (Yogi Sheridan) loomed forward to brush to the lead. Crunch The Numbers (Anthony Verruso) then lifted from near last as the tempo slowed and rushed up the rim to push past Ladyzar and take the top after a :58 half, shuffling Always A Way into seventh. Beltrami found room to the outside and angled into a third-over position as Phelgon (Geovany Hernandez) pressed uncovered after Crunch The Numbers to three-quarters in 1:26.4. Always A Way fanned widest of all coming for home and barreled over the top of his rivals late to win by 1-3/4 lengths with Crunch The Numbers fighting for second. Rockabilly Charm (Joe Lee) kicked from second-over for third and Phelgon settled for fourth.
Julius Czermann Jr. trains Always A Way, a 6-year-old gelding by Always A Virgin, for owner Joseph Loprete. He paid $6.20 to win.
Yogi Sheridan led every step in the other AHDC pace with odds-on favorite National Sport to post a 1:53.3 victory. Sheridan cruised out of post 5 to the fore through a :27.1 first quarter and hit the brakes to clock a :58 half, prompting Duck Into The Nite (Geovany Hernandez) to launch out of fourth with an uncovered bid. National Sport accelerated up the backstretch to reach three-quarters in 1:25.3 and pulled clear of Duck Into The Nite in the lane to cross the beam a 4-1/2-length winner. Duck Into The Nite held second from pocket-chaser Roma Amor (John Calabrese) and Hold My Tiara (Anthony Verruso) followed from a pylon trip in fourth.
Sheridan owns and trains National Sport, a 9-year-old gelding by Sportswriter. He paid $3.80 to win.
AHDC action resumes with trotting divisions at Pocono Downs on Saturday (Sept. 26) and pacing divisions at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Sunday (Sept. 27). First-race post time at Pocono is 1 p.m. (EDT) and 12:40 p.m. at Harrah’s Philadelphia.