from the PHHA/Pocono

Wilkes-Barre, PA — The first stakes event of the year for 2-year-olds, raced as five $30,000 divisions of the Pennsylvania All-Stars for pacing colts on Sunday (July 1) at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, saw all five divisions beat 1:55 with winners making their betting bow, and had no winner starting from inside post six.

Curtis Salonick photo

De Los Cielos Deo held off Captain Malicious by a half-length in 1:53.

The fastest 2-year-old of 2018 is De Los Cielos Deo, who won at Gaitway in 1:52.3, his own last three-quarters in an incredible 1:21.3. And he wasn’t even the favorite in his All-Stars race, as he and another son of Captaintreacherous, Captain Malicious, were both sent off at 1-1, the latter the slight choice, perhaps because he had post seven in his eight-horse division, and De Los Cielos Deo was starting to his right.

But it was the last-named colt who won, as De Los Cielos Deo added the five-eighths-mile track season’s record to his already-impressive resume, winning in 1:53. The winner was mid-pack outside at the quarter in :27.4, with Captain Malicious third and frontward-bound; after he made the top, Yannick Gingras got the front with De Los Cielos Deo, reaching the half in :57 and the three-quarters in 1:26.

It was then that the serious pacing got started, and De Los Cielos Deo had a last quarter of :27 in him to hold off Captain Malicious by a half-length in 1:53, which gave the winner a second seasonal best. Ron Burke conditions the precocious Lisjune freshman for Burke Racing Stable, Lawrence Karr, J&T Silva-Purnel & Libby, and Weaver Bruscemi.

The former season’s record-holder for freshman colts at 1:53.4, Lyons Night Hawk, also won a division from post eight as well and in 1:53.3, his fastest time. The son of Sweet Lou–Weapons Against, who sat the pocket behind pacesetting favorite Semi Tough, then caught him by a neck, would have rewritten his own (at the time) seasonal best for driver Tim Tetrick, trainer Gareth Dowse, and owner Geoffrey Lyons Mound if another Tetrick/Dowse horse, the Well Said–Stolly Up Bluechip colt Lyons Johnnyjnr, had not 22 minutes earlier won in wire-to-wire fashion from post six in 1:53.2, putting him temporarily at the top of the hill. The clocking was also a mark for Lyons Johnnyjnr, who is owned by Joseph-Lyons Mound.

Proof made the lead past the quarter from post six in his division and set the pace, blistering home in :54.1 to lower his best clocking to 1:53.4 while withstanding a pocket rally from Captain Victorious by a neck. The son of A Rocknroll Dance–Ginger And Fred was driven by David Miller for trainer Brian Brown and Diamond Creek Racing.

Sire Sweet Lou got a second stakes credit and another winner from post eight, and Diamond Creek Racing had a consecutive owning double, when Blood Money came home in :27.1 to win in 1:54.3 for driver Yannick Gingras and trainer Jimmy Takter. Out of the mare Blood Diamond, Blood Money had previously won a Meadowlands a.m. session in 1:53.4.

Tim Tetrick drove a third winner in a $30,000 Sunday Pocono race when he got a ferocious late rally from the Bettor’s Delight mare Diva’s Image, who won a blanket finish in a Great Northeast Open Series race for pacing mares in 1:49, a new mark and a season’s record. Tetrick was locked in much of the mile with the Jennifer Bongiorno trainee, then found room in front of a gapper late on the turn, swung widest, and thundered past everybody nearing the wire. The points leader in her Great Northeast division, Diva’s Image is owned by Joseph Bongiorno, Howard Taylor, Thomas Lazzaro, and J&T Silva Stables.