by PHHA/Pocono

Wilkes-Barre, PA — Favored Rose Run Parker won the $25,000 featured handicap trot in 1:53.1 at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono Sunday (Sept. 4), while in the $25,000 companion class for mares, second choice Not Before Eight upended 1-10 favorite Devil Child in 1:51.

Curtis Salonick photo

Rose Run Parker collects his eighth victory of the season in the featured trotting event at Pocono.

Rose Run Parker continued his winning ways (eight-for-15 this year, 36-for-56 careerwise) despite having to take the “tuck-then-first-over” route. He ground down pacesetter Armor Hanover while going his own last half in :55.2 and winning by a half-length from that rival. The altered son of Jailhouse Jesse boosted his bankroll to $747,990 for driver Matt Kaklaley, trainer Ron Burke, and the powerful partnership of Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC.

The mare Devil Child was accorded overwhelming favoritism despite the outside post seven. This stemmed from coming from tenth at the half to land third behind divisional queenpins Lady Shadow and Solar Sister in the Artiscape at Tioga in her last start. But she found herself three-wide past a :27 quarter to get the lead on Sunday, with Not Before Eight, who left the gate just to her inside, enjoying the two-hole trip.

Despite moderate middle numbers, the hard early work caught up with Devil Child, and Not Before Eight proved to be a pocket rocket, winning by a neck over laterushing Al Raza N, with Devil Child another half-length back in third. Scott Zeron handled the victorious daughter of Bettor’s Delight for trainer Steve Elliott and owner Ernest Hartman.

Driver Bob Hechkoff got the S J’s Photo gelding Trotalot to the lead, rated the half, then sprinted home in :56.3 to take a $10,000 C.K.G. Billings Amateur Driving Series event in 1:57.1.

Trotalot and Hechkoff held off a long, grinding uncovered bid by M T Ur Pockets and 2015 amateur driving champion Hannah Miller, fresh off finishing second in a world amateur driving tournament in Hungary, by a half-length for trainer Kyle Spagnola, also co-owner with R.B.H. Ventures Inc.

The 62-year-old Hechkoff posted his 88th lifetime victory, exactly half of which have come in the last three years, as he is enjoying an “Indian Summer” in his amateur career.

The Sunday action at Pocono, to be followed by a concert and fireworks, started at the twilight time of 4:30 p.m., with Monday’s (Sept. 5) card also to begin at that time – in fact, from here until the end of the season Pocono will serve as a “bridge track” on Mondays using the 4:30 p.m. first post.