from the PHHA/Pocono

Wilkes-Barre, PA — Driver Simon Allard, coming to The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono Sunday night (May 28) one sulky success short of 3,000 for his career, wasted little time getting the milestone triumph, taking the second race at the mountain oval with San Jose Hanover, rallying the pacer from the pocket and giving him a new mark of 1:54.3.

Curtis Salonick photo

Simon Allard celebrated in the winner’s circle with his daughter Amelia after he posted career win number 3,000.

Simon, 35 years old and a native of Quebec now living in nearby Pittston, Pa., started the weekend with 2,993 wins, but a four-bagger at The Downs Saturday night and a double Sunday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia put him on the verge of the notable victory, and fittingly he won with a horse owned and trained by his brother Rene.

Simon is currently second in the Downs standard behind perennial leader George Napolitano Jr., while Rene is atop the trainer colony.

Later in the card Simon started on the road to 4,000 when he won with the trotter Love To Glide.

Two $18,000 non-winners of seven races events, one at each gait, were the feature races Sunday at Pocono.

Jim Marohn Jr., who had six driving victories on the night, teamed with trainer Paul Kelley, he of Obrigado fame, for a double on the card. In the featured trot they scored with Just For Today, with the son of Credit Winner using looping tactics to open a big lead on the far turn and then go on to an easy 1:55.2 win for the Patricia Stable, Joe Sbrocco, and the Hatfield Stables.

The featured pace went to odds-on Ideal Rocky, a Rocknroll Hanover gelding who was sent straight to the front by driver Anthony Napolitano and then came home in :55.2 to complete a 1:52.1 triumph. Steve Salerno handles the local training of the winner for owners Randy Bendis and Thomas Pollack.