Wilkes-Barre, PA – The Bettor’s Wish filly Miss Jum Jabber continued to push her way into national consideration by notching her fifth straight victory, equaling her mark of 1:51.1 in one of three $30,000 divisions of her Pennsylvania All-Stars event on Monday (May 11) at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania.
Owned by trainer Brett Pelling’s Pelling Racing LLC, Miss Jum Jabber got away midpack behind early fractions of :27.4 and :57. But pacing her own back half in :53.2 while uncovered doesn’t seem to bother this filly, as Andrew McCarthy got straightened away and made the lead coming into the stretch, winning by an easy 1-3/4 lengths over Kissin In The Dark. The latter filly had the distinction of being a 49-1 shot to complete a $5.20 exacta return for $2, as Miss Jum Jabber created a sizable minus pool across the board.
Andrew McCarthy won a second division of the All-Stars by coming from sixth at the stretch call with the Papi Rob Hanover distaff Say Goodnight to be along by a neck over Carolina in a new mark of 1:51.2. Contested fractions of :27.2, :56, and 1:23.3 helped set up the late charge of the winner for trainer Nicholas Devita and owners David Hamm and Glenn Phillips. The winner returned a $34.40 win mutuel – mere peanuts against the $135.60 Say Goodnight paid in winning her Sire Stakes Championship at two.
The third All-Stars section was the fastest of the three at 1:51, as the Captaintreacherous filly Darlin’s Angel continued a good All-Stars form run for her sire, who got three credits in Saturday’s action for the equivalent division of males. Darlin’s Angel, undefeated in three starts this campaign, was quarter-mover #2 by the :27.3 opening pole, cut middle fractions of :56.2 and 1:24.2, then blitzed home in :26.3 to win by 2½ lengths over Tall Dark Tequila for driver Lauren Tritton, trainer Juan Cano, and Hot Lead Farm.
The Pennsylvania All-Stars series next pops up at Pocono a week from Monday (May 18), with Hambletonian hopefuls trying to build a solid case for going onto the Grand Circuit in the All-Stars three-year-old male trot.
Highlight among Monday’s overnight races was a $20,000 fast-class trot, won by Blackhawk Zette while posting a lifetime best of 1:53 for driver George Napolitano Jr., trainer Robert Baggitt Jr., and owner J L Sadowsky LLC. The son of Cantab Hall had to make two moves to overcome the outermost starting position but still defeated Southwind Arturo by a length.
George Napolitano Jr. won the first race and the last two races to lead all drivers with a sulky triple; Braxten Boyd and Andrew McCarthy each had two wins. Meet leader Tyler Buter had only one win on the card, but He’s Gone Hanover was a huge overlay at a $63.00 mutuel, giving Buter four $50+ “bombers” at the meet while only one other driver has more than one. Among trainers, Linda Toscano harnessed a pair of winners.
The last card of this racing week takes place Tuesday (May 12) at 1 p.m., with five $16,000 divisions of the Game Of Claims Trotting Series’ second preliminary, with this week the horses carrying a base tag of $25,000. After that, the glamour division three-year-old male pacers will contest their Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and Stallion Series second round preliminaries on Saturday, with $231,270 on the line among three divisions of Sire Stakes and six Stallion Series sections.
Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.