Wilkes-Barre, PA – Pacer Lou’s Starr and trotter Seven Reps were both half-length winners in the twin $17,000 features for developing horses Saturday afternoon (Aug. 23) at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania.
The Sweet Lou 3-year-old colt Lou’s Starr earned a lifetime record of 1:50.4 in winning the pacing headliner. Driver Fern Paquet Jr. left alertly with Lou’s Starr, then yielded after the :27.1 quarter to brushing favorite Gretzky The Great, who led through midrace splits of :55.4 and 1:22.3. Paquet held Lou’s Starr in reserve until late on the far turn then moved him outside, and the talented pacer got by the chalk for trainer Scott Warnick and owner Daniel Chansky.
The trotting feature saw the Muscle Hill gelding Seven Reps press on to the lead at the quarter and maintain command the rest of the way while winning in 1:53.4. Kierkegaard K took advantage of the rail to take some sting out of the winner before yielding at the :27.3 quarter, after which that one rode the two-hole behind Seven Reps through middle splits of :57 and 1:25. Kierkegaard K came on steadily in the Pocono Pike, but Pocono’s leading driver, Tyler Buter, kept Seven Reps to task to maintain control at the wire for trainer Ron Burke and the ownership of Burke Racing Stable LLC, Knox Services Inc., Lawrence Karr, and J&T Silva-Purnel & Libby.
Despite crossing the wire first or second in all five Pocono starts since coming in from Oak Grove, the fans let the Always B Miki gelding Congressional go off at 14-1 in the $16,500 fast-class pace, and he defied their prediction by winning in 1:51. Owned, trained, and driven by Kevin Wallis, Congressional used his handiness to fire out for the lead from post seven, then after the :26.3 quarter was content to yield to favored Santana Hanover and sit behind that one during mid-fractions of :56.2 and 1:23.1 (guess which way the wind was blowing). After the “free ride,” Congressional showed his usual determination and came up the Pocono Pike to catch the leader by three quarters of a length.
Braxten Boyd, Tyler Buter, and Ridge Warren each had driving doubles; two-time winners on the trainers’ side were meet leader Ron Burke (both driven by Buter) and Travis Alexander (one driven by Boyd and one by Warren).
Pocono was scheduled to race Sunday night, but a lack of entries forced the cancellation of that card. Monday and Tuesday will feature 13-race programs that begin at 1 p.m.; Monday’s program will have a carryover into both the fifth race Pick 5 and the last race High 5 pools. The following week, Pocono’s schedule is Saturday at 1 p.m., the last Sunday on the calendar at 6 p.m., and then Monday and Tuesday at 1 p.m.
Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.