Wilkes-Barre, PA – Rocket Deo, one of last season’s top 3-year-old pacing fillies, has continued her fine form into her 4-year-old campaign, with the Captaintreacherous mare winning the $25,000 fast-class pace for distaffs for the second straight week at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, with Monday’s (July 28) time 1:49.2.
Driver Jack Pelling let other foes argue a :26.4 opening quarter, then moved off the first turn to gain control and reach the next two poles in :54.1 and 1:22.2. Others made moves to challenge, but Rocket Deo had all the answers with a :27 last quarter, winning by three lengths. The mare loves to win – she’s won half her ten seasonal starts and half her 32 career outings – and today she ran her lifetime bankroll to $659,454. Jack’s father Brett trains the fleet mare for Morrison Racing Stables and John Fielding.
There were a trio of $15,000 co-features for developing horses, two split by sex on the pace and one on the trot. The winner of the pace for males, the Captain Crunch sophomore gelding Captain Luffy, used tactics similar to Rocket Deo’s – let others argue for early command, make a second quarter move to the top, and pace on from there enroute to a career best of 1:50.1. Captain Luffy withstood a rush from potential pocket rocket No Tresspassing to prevail by a neck for driver Matt Kakaley, trainer Travis Alexander, and Fiddler’s Creek Stables LLC.
In the subfeature distaff pace, the Huntsville sophomore filly Calamity Hour followed the cover of first-over Jordanna Hanover, then despite bearing out a bit late was able to run down that game foe to post a neck victory while also lowering her speed badge to 1:51.1. Anthony Napolitano had the sulky duty for trainer Deborah Daguet, whose Daguet Racing LLC co-owns the winner with Donald Mac Rae.
In this class’s contest for diagonally-gaited horses, the Muscle Hill sophomore filly Jersey Slide took charge early for driver Braxten Boyd, then kicked home in :28.2 to complete a 1:54.2 victory, her second in her last three starts. Chapvious, the pocketsitter, was within three parts of a length at the finish behind the winner, who was driven by Braxten Boyd, top driver on the day at Pocono with four victories, for trainer Jim Campbell and Runthetable Stables.
The Pocono racing week concludes Tuesday (July 29) with a 1 p.m. card; the whole track is preparing for the $2M+ extravaganza known as Sun Stakes Saturday, featuring both top 3-year-olds and free-for-allers, on August 16. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.