from the PHHA/Pocono

Wilkes-Barre, PA — The 2-year-old American Ideal–Shake That Junk colt Shake That House might well have earned himself a spot in his division’s Breeders Crown elimination ten days hence at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, coming within three-fifths of a second of his divisional world record by winning a $15,000 pace Tuesday (Oct. 9) in 1:50.2 over the mountain oval.

Curtis Salonick photo

Shake That House was a 1:50.2 winner on Tuesday at Pocono.

The winner, a three-quarter brother to 2017 Breeders Crown champion Split The House, quarter-moved from third for driver George Napolitano Jr. after another well-bred horse, the sophomore Captain Deo (a Somebeachsomewhere colt out of the $1.9 million-winning Worldly Beauty), smoked the opening panel in :25.3 in the non-winners of four races event. Shake That House went on to post middle splits of :54.3 and 1:22.1, then held off the stretch charge of Captain Deo by a half-length.

It was the seventh lifetime start and third win for Shake That House, who was coming off a 3-3 finish in the Metro eliminations and final, and who previously had won in 1:52.2 at Vernon. Chris Oakes conditions the rapidly-developing freshman for Crawford Farms Racing, Alan Johnston, and Norfolk Racing Stables.

The 1:50.2 clocking was just short of the 1:49.4 world record of Somestarsomewhere set, appropriately enough, in a 2013 Breeders Crown elimination right here at Pocono.

Earlier, Napolitano did something he does not do regularly — drive a horse who paid $50.80 to win. Revelry, who had only one show finish in seven career starts despite often showing good early speed, used off-the-pace tactics on Tuesday to give Napolitano his third $50-plus horse of the meet.

Trainer/driver Fern Paquet Jr. also got in on the Tuesday longshot fun by handling Embassy Seelster as she came home first to the tune of $53.60, giving Pocono its tenth card of the meet during which two winners paid $50-plus.

Napolitano, the track’s leading driver both all-time and this season, had five winners on the Tuesday Pocono card, and his brother Anthony visited Victory Lane three times.