Wilkes-Barre, PA — Three $15,000 featured events topped the bill of fare at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on Tuesday afternoon (Sept. 3).
Two of the headliners were for up-and-coming class-climbers: one for trotters and the other for pacing distaffs.
After nine straight favorites failed to deliver, the 3-year-old Readly Express gelding Edvard Palema S restored some order with the easiest of victories in 1:55.2 in the trot for developing horses, his second straight success. Sarah Svanstedt, driving for trainer Åke Svanstedt (whose Åke Svanstedt Inc. shares ownership with Bender Sweden Inc. and Flygind Gaard Inc.), brushed the talented youngster to the lead towards the half and kept control the rest of the way, with Edward Palema S storming home in :28.2 to defeat Loranga by four lengths.
In the pacing event for females, the Captaintreacherous sophomore Bellucci, a $200,000 yearling who did not race at 2, now has won four of her last six starts after lowering her mark to 1:52 on Tuesday. Driver Anthony Napolitano waited until late on the backstretch to move the filly outside and challenge, and she methodically made up the distance to win by a length over Fight Not Flight for trainer Joe Bongiorno and the ownership of One Legend Stable Inc. and Howard Taylor.
The other feature was for high-priced claiming trotters, taken by I Da Princess in 1:55.4. The Il Sogno Dream mare got underway last upon coming back to Pocono from Tioga, but Jim Pantaleano hustled her into a good second-over trip. Her cover, Allsummerlong AS, swept to the lead in the lane, but I Da Princess had the better kick late and won by 1-1/4 lengths. Kevin Reynolds Jr. trains the winner and co-owns her with Kevin Reynolds.
Braxten Boyd won three times to top all drivers on the afternoon.
Racing at Pocono is currently conducted on Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday afternoons at 1 p.m. Next Monday (Sept. 9), Pocono will host the $1.2 million Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Championship card for the Keystone State’s best 3-year-olds, with $252,000 finals for each combination of gait and sex complemented by $50,000 consolation races. Free Pocono programs are or will be available at www.phha.org.