Wilkes-Barre, PA – You don’t often see the words “Pocono Downs,” “February” and “1:49.2” in the same sentence; then again, you seldom can find the first two concepts and “57 degrees” in one sentence, either.
Reaching that impressive time on Saturday (Feb. 28), just a tick off the fastest mile anywhere in North America in 2026, was the Sweet Lou gelding Lou Hill, winning Pocono’s $27,500 pacing feature by a neck over Catalpa Rescue A in a second consecutive 1-2 finish.
Last time Lou Hill set the pace and resisted the late pocket thrust of his Aussie foe; this week “Lou” again made early command then pushed Catalpa Rescue A past a :27 quarter before sitting in the golden chair behind midsplits of :54.4 and 1:22. Simon Allard popped Lou Hill, now a winner at a 36% clip in his career, out for the drive and gradually wore down the pacesetting chalk for trainer Per Engblom and owner Tom Hill.
The horse who had the North American 1:49.1 “speediest” distinction (at post time at least) was Rockin Jukebox; he came to Pocono off that Meadowlands mile and set the pace in the $20,000 pacing co-feature but could not hold the advantage. That event went to the Somebeachsomewhere gelding South Beach Star (himself no slouch at success with a 34% lifetime ratio), who had to overcome an uncovered journey as the chalk but still held off the sweeper Vici by a neck in 1:51.2. Braxten Boyd had sulky duties for trainer Mark Silva and All Star Racing Inc.
A $27,500 handicap contest for fast-class trotters was won by the Resolve gelding Resolve To Win (30% career win rate) and driver George Napolitano Jr. in 1:53.1. He equaled his own Pocono seasonal trot mark while catching his stablemate Super Duper Cooper by a neck after tripping out in the two-hole behind his barn mate. Enrico Robinson trains and Pollack Racing LLC owns both of the 1-2 diamond gaiters.
The top-notch card also featured four $17,000 divisions of the Game Of Claims Pacing Series, which this week found the entrants base-tagged for $30,000. Two of the winners recorded a second victory in the GOC Series, and those two will change barns after being among the six horses who were claimed just before next Saturday’s (March 7) $35,000 Championship.
Greatest Ending, who posted the co-fastest time of 1:51 and was the only series winner not to take a mark Saturday, will be coming out of a new barn for the third time in four starts, while Rum N Raisins (1:51.3) will be racing for his fourth straight set of new connections. Also successful in the last prelim, and not getting claimed, were Twiggs Pub (1:51) and Up The Creek (1:51.2); the latter will be hard-pressed to make the final as this was his initial series start.
Horsemen who posted doubles in the exciting Saturday action were trainers Joe Bongiorno and Cote Keim and drivers Brett Beckwith, Colin Kelly, and the Napolitano brothers, Anthony and George Jr.
A fine field of female pacers have been gathered together for the $27,500 handicap feature at The Downs on Monday afternoon (March 2), when post time will be 1 p.m. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.