Wilkes-Barre, PA – Paul Minore and Tony Ciuffetelli both found the winner’s circle – one at short odds, one at high odds – in the pair of $10,000 divisions for the American Harness Drivers Club (AHDC) Trot at Mohegan Pennsylvania’s Pocono Downs on Sunday night (June 22).
Minore rallied from second-over in the first division of the AHDC Trot to deliver as the 3-1 second choice with Hunters Gal in 1:57.1. Landing in fourth to a :28 first quarter, Minore waited at the pylons until he flushed cover from 3-5 favorite Lionhead (driven by Yogi Sheridan) after a :58.1 half to make a move towards leader All Rise (Tony Beltrami). Lionhead stalled on the rim while All Rise coasted to three-quarters in 1:27.2, but Minore tipped Hunters Gal off a helmet spinning for home. His charge easily lifted forward to overhaul the leader late and win by 1-1/4 lengths with Lionhead in third and pocket-sitter Keystone Thunder (Ciuffetelli) chasing in fourth.
William Clark Jr. trains Hunters Gal, a 7-year-old mare by CR Power Glide, for owner Mary Cuerbo. She paid $8.20 to win.
Ciuffetelli found the winner’s circle by way of disqualification with 18-1 shot Town Victor in a 1:56 mile. Ciuffetelli settled into fifth through an aggressive shuffle to a :27.3 first quarter, which had the field of six covered by less than three lengths moving towards the grandstand first time. Town Victor stayed steady while pushed to last through middle fractions of :56.2 and 1:25.2 and emerged through the fray to grab second in the stretch. He finished two lengths behind tempo-setter and 3-5 favorite Papa Doc (Beltrami), who broke stride in the stretch and stayed on a gallop crossing the line and was disqualified to sixth for violating the breaking rule. Pocket-sitter Eddie L (Rob Hechkoff) took third while Mamy Wata (Minore) inherited fourth through double disqualification and Gatsby (Steven Reisenweaver) took fourth from a third-place finish for interference to Mamy Wata in the final turn.
Brandon Mongiello trains Town Victor, an 8-year-old gelding by Winning Mister, for owner P T Stable. He paid $38 to win.
Earlier in the day, Sheridan bagged a victory in the lone $7,500 dash for the AHDC Pace at Harrah’s Philadelphia when guiding Farmers Beach to a 1:54.3 romp. Sheridan sat in fifth with the 1-5 favorite while Drinkin Again (Vincent Gargano) battled with Western Bayama (Anthony Verruso) through a :26.4 first quarter and to a :55.3 half. Once Western Bayama tired on the backstretch, Sheridan launched Farmers Beach off the pegs and reeled in the pacesetter through three-quarters in 1:25 before spurting clear in the last quarter of a mile. Farmers Beach widened his lead to the finish, crossing the beam 6-3/4 lengths better than A Stud Named Sam (Raymond Burt) grabbing second. Pacing Major N (Michael Dailey) took third and Fred’s Night (Neil Glasser) tired off a pocket trip for fourth.
Dylan George trains Farmers Beach, a 4-year-old gelding by Sunshine Beach, for owner Gretchen Smith. He paid $2.40 to win.
AHDC action continues next Sunday (June 29) with pacing divisions at Harrah’s Philadelphia and trotting divisions at Pocono Downs. First-race post time at Harrah’s Philadelphia is 12:40 p.m. (EDT) and 6 p.m. (EDT) at Pocono Downs.