by James Beviglia for Pocono Downs

Muscles To Spare romped to a 6-3/4length win in the final of the Wyoming Valley Trot late closer series at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs on Friday afternoon, pocketing the winner’s share of the $28,500 purse.

Muscles To Spare, a 5-year-old stallion sired by Muscles Yankee, left from the #2 post in a field of 9 as the 6-5 favorite. He settled in third around the first turn while One Fine Day N set the early pace, reaching the quarter-mile mark in 27.3. Driver Tim Tetrick sent Muscles To Spare to the outside first-over as they headed around the turn to the back-stretch. One Fine Day N held the lead still at the half-mile in 57.1.

On the back-stretch, Muscles To Spare, trained by Chuck Sylvester, began to take the measure of One Fine Day N and made the lead as they passed the 3/4 mark in 1:25.1. From there, the favorite trotted away from the rest of the field, crossing the line in 1:53.2, just one-fifth of a second off the Pocono track record for his age group. L D Spur finished best of the rest in second with NF Jazz picking up third.

It was the 4th win in 5 starts this year for Muscles To Spare, whose only loss this year came after an early break of stride. Owned by Chuck Sylvester, Neal Goldman, Troy Sylvester, and Amy Stoltzfus of New Jersey, the stallion pushed his career earnings over $69,000 with the win, the fifth of his career.