Wilkes-Barre, PA — The all-time winningest driver at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, George Napolitano Jr., reclaimed the seasonal lead in the driving dash derby with six winners on the Tuesday (April 8) program at the mountain oval, include three amidst the eight $15,000 divisions of the first preliminary of the Game Of Claiming Trotting Series for horses tagged at $20,000.
Two of Napolitano’s wins came in successive races in 1:55.4, both with horses he had already guided to victory in the young meet: Altus Hanover, for trainer Peter Pellegrino and Room4040 LLC Stables; with Vegas Ticket, who had been claimed in his previous start and returned immediate dividends for trainer Brandon Presto and owner Rocco Stebbins.
Napolitano’s other Game Of Claims win came in the only series race decided by a photo finish: newcomer Erin caught pacesetting MacMorris Hanover by a head in 1:56.3 for the meet’s leading trainer, Ron Burke, and owners Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, FAC Racing and Yannick Gingras. The top two finishers were both claimed out of the race; in all, 11 Game Of Claims horses were haltered for $229,000; and on the entire card, 14 horses, a 2025 high, changed hands for $271,500, just below March 1’s total of $275,000.
The only winner to go faster than the pair of 1:55.4 winners mentioned above was In My Dreams, who has found his form in two straight first-over wins, this one in 1:55.3 for driver Anthony Napolitano (who had three wins on the card), trainer Lou Peña and P T Stables. In My Dreams, at 9-1, was one of only two Game Of Claims horses who paid better than 5-2 in the generally formful competition; the other was 10-1 shot Papa Doc, roaring home from the clouds to win his seasonal debut in 1:57.1 for driver Simon Allard, trainer Mark Ford, and owners George and Rose Bonomo.
Besides Erin, two other first-leg winners were purchased from their races. One was Golden Compass, who went down the road in 1:56.1 for driver Mark Herschberger, trainer Travis Alexander, and the partnership of Joe P Racing LLC and Oldford Racing LLC. The other was Brave By Design, who won in in 1:57.1 for driver Braxten Boyd, trainer Jill Wine, and Wine Stable, and having the distinction of changing barns both before and after the race.
Three-time Pocono driving champion Matt Kakaley rallied Keystone Apache to the other series win of the day, winning off cover in 1:56.4 for trainer Frank Calcagni and RBH Ventures Inc.
Racing at The Downs resumes on Saturday (April 12) at 1 p.m., highlighted by Bobby Weiss Series action for 3-year-old pacers of both sexes racing for $20,000 a contest: three divisions of both the Weiss third preliminary round for male horses and the second prelim for females. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.