Wilkes-Barre, PA – In the middle of a “five race win streak” at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, driver George Napolitano Jr. won with the Explosive Matter gelding Lindy’s Big Bang in 1:55.2 in taking the faster of two $12,800 claiming handicap trot features.

Lindy’s Big Bang is well-clear at the end of a 1:55.2 mile, the faster of two trotting features on Monday at Pocono. Curtis Salonick photo. 

Napolitano, the track’s perennial leading driver who won the last two races here on Sunday, sent Lindy’s Big Bang to the lead under the wire for the first time and the pair drew away comfortably late in the Monday (May 10) opener for the meet’s leading trainer, Gilbert Garcia-Herrera, who is also the owner. Napolitano then went on to take the second and third races on Monday in winning five consecutive races over two cards at the mountain track.

In the other division of the trotting co-feature, Napolitano was bidding to put a fourth straight win on favored Thisisshe, but an early move towards the top never got her the lead, and after the contention it was Stop Resistin circling wide to take his second straight in 1:56.1. Marcus Miller guided the Muscle Massive gelding and new member of the $100,000 Club for trainer Steven Brabrook and owner Jaypaul Hoover. (As is often the case at Pocono, both winners were claimed out of their races.)

Matching George Napolitano Jr. with three driving victories Monday was Doug McNair, who has been doing very well on his unexpected spring “vacation” from Ontario racing. So far in the U.S. he is a very respectable 15 for 133 against cream-of-the-crop drivers while not always getting to drive top-level horses in any given race, as could be expected for any “newbie.”

The racing week concludes Tuesday (May 11) at Pocono with a trio of strong features, three $15,300 events for the high-flying “nw 8 races” brigade: one for male pacers, one for female pacers, and one for trotters. The distaff pace will find Meadows invader Filly Speaks going for her sixth straight victory after dominating a pair of late-closing series there. There will also be a carryover of $50,127.28 into the track’s Rainbow Pick-5 wagering pool. Tuesday’s action begins at 12:30 p.m.; program pages will be available at https://www.phha.org/downsmsppps.html.