Wilkes-Barre, PA – Owner and trainer Mark Akins last Tuesday claimed both Nasey and Crazycat out of the top-level claiming handicap trots at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, then got immediate returns as he teamed with regular driver Simon Allard to win both of the $15,500 top trots at the northeast Pennsylvania track on Tuesday (June 13) afternoon.

10-year-old Crazycat trots to a new mark of 1:52 at Pocono Tuesday. Curtis Salonick photo. 

The surprise of the pair was Crazycat, a ten-year-old Crazed gelding who had been doing well but not dominating these ranks, until Tuesday. Allard sent the veteran right to the top and posting amazing splits of :26.3, :56, and 1:23 (backstretch tailwind), then stayed strong to win by 5-½ lengths in 1:52. Not too many horses with a double-digit age lower their lifetime marks by two seconds.

There was little doubt that Akins was getting a speedy horse in Nasey, he had won five times this year, but the Pilgrim’s Chuckie gelding has had behavioral problems, usually heading frontward in the first quarter. But the trotter held together in a tough journey, getting parked well past a :27.4 opener, yielding to regaining favorite Justlikehim before a :57 half. sitting patiently in the pocket past a 1:25.1 three-quarters and to the Pocono Pike, then bursting up the inside to handle the favorite by three-quarters of a length in 1:54.3.

In all Allard won five races on Tuesday, matching the figure he had put up this past Saturday. He has sixteen wins at Pocono in June so far.

Racing resumes at Pocono on Saturday at 1 p.m., with the usual assortment of fast-class performers. Sunday’s 6 p.m. will feature a rematch between sophomore trotting misses Bond and Railee Something in Pennsylvania Sire Stakes competition, in addition to a $30,000 Open trot which contains Hillexotic, who tied the all-time Philly track record of 1:50.2 in winning the Maxie Lee Trot at the end of May. Program pages for all Pocono races are or will be available at https://www.phha.org/downsmsppps.html.