by PHHA/Pocono

Wilkes-Barre, PA — The 2018 racing season opened on Saturday night (March 17) at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono in “balmy” 42-degree temperatures and nary a sign of the winter white stuff.

Curtis Salonick photo

Good Living establishes a new lifetime mark of 1:50.3 on Saturday evening.

A pair of $17,000 matchups for developing younger horses were the spotlight races on the Pocono 2018 initial card. First up was the trot, with six-time Pocono defending driving champion George Napolitano Jr. using the famed Pocono Pike in rallying Winneress to a 1:56 triumph. The son of Credit Winner closed into a :56.4 back half in taking the victory for trainer/owner Gilbert Garcia-Herrera.

Pacing honors went to the author of the fastest mile of the evening, the 1:50.3 winner Good Living. Royally-bred – he’s a Western Ideal with Delinquent Account, Artiscape, and Western Shore on his maternal side – Good Living appears to have achieved career form early in 2018 for trainer Thomas Cancelliere and owner John Cancelliere, streaking to the top for driver Anthony Napolitano, forcing major danger Art Scene to take a seat nearing the :26.1 quarter, then staying strong to the wire in taking a new lifetime mark.

There was a $14,000 conditioned event on both gaits for fast-class older horses. In the trot, 2017 Pocono Trotter of the Year Uptown Billy again showed his affection for the red clay surface, racing strongly on the lead and coming home in :56.3 for a 1:54.3 victory for driver Anthony Napolitano and trainer Mark Ford, the latter co-owner with Up Front Racing.

It was the 50th career victory for the gelded son of Andover Hall, who now has earnings of $832,172.

Napolitano, the early-season leader in wins at The Meadowlands, had five driving wins on the card, one more than Jim Morrill Jr., a three-time UDR champion both for North America and at Pocono.

On the pace, the hot brother team of trainer Rene Allard and driver Simon Allard had Somewhere Fancy sharp, with the son of Somebeachsomewhere making a lightning brush past the half and coming home in :55.1 to stop the timer in 1:51. Owned by John Mehlenbacher, Somewhere Fancy now sports a career tally of $473,394.