Wilkes-Barre, PA — The Explosive Matter mare Pat Matters has now won three straight and taken five out of six since joining the Nifty Norman stable after she won the $21,500 featured trot at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono on Sunday evening (Sept. 29).

Pat Matters was a 1:52.2 winner. Curtis Salonick photo.

Pat Matters, owned by the Patricia Stable, was sent right to the top by driver Eric Goodell, and then the second choice yielded to favored Scirocco Rob near the :27.4 quarter. Scirocco Rob, also going for his third straight, put up middle fractions of :56.2 and 1:24.2, but Pat Matters was taken to the outside by Goodell midway on the far turn, and the mare proved full of trot, with fast-closing Whats The Word moving well late but still a neck shy of the winner on the wire. The time of the mile was 1:52.2 — the third straight race Pat Matters has been timed in that clocking, her personal best.

There was a trio of $17,000 co-features. The trot went to the Yankee Glide gelding Max, cutting the pace for Goodell and winning by a half-length over a narrowing-in Trixar in 1:54.3. Ron Burke conditions the late-developing 4-year-old for Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi and Frank Baldachino.

The Napolitano brothers split the pacing co-features. In the event for males, Anthony Napolitano teamed with Twin B Tuffenuff to give trainer Burke a double in the co-features. The son of Rock N Roll Heaven followed Grantmeawish as that one brushed to the lead late on the backstretch, then went by him late for a 1-1/4 length victory in a lifetime mark of 1:50.2 for Burke Racing Stable and Weaver Bruscemi. Anthony Napolitano had five winners on the night — including three winners on the 14-race card that paid more than $10.00 to win.

In the pacing distaff co-feature, Anthony’s brother George sat third-over with the Captaintreacherous filly Demi Hill behind a contested pace, then rallied her briskly through the final quarter to prevail by 1-1/4 lengths over the leader Coral Bella in 1:53. Demi Hill has now won eight of 17 seasonal starts for trainer Chris Oakes and owner Tom Hill.