by John Zimich, publicity director, Pocono Downs

Wilkes-Barre, PA — Mike Simons, a former driving champion at Pocono Downs and last year’s runner-up to record-setting George Napolitano, Jr., has gotten his 2005 harness racing season at the Northeastern Pennsylvania racetrack off to a fast start.

Simons collected four wins on Tuesday night (April 5) after winning three races on opening night (April 2) at Pocono Downs.

Two of those wins came with Richard Gillock-trained horses. Simons won the opening race, a division of the Spring Training Trot for starters with a base- claiming price of $7,500 or less. Pure Cadillac, owned by Roger C. Bartley of Reynoldsburg, Ohio and trained by Gillock, trotted the mile 1:59.1.

In a division of the Spring Training Pace, a late closer for fillies and mares that have started for a base claiming tag of $6,000 or less, Simons piloted You Buy I’ll Fly to a 1:58.2 victory. Gillock also trains You Buy I’ll Fly and is part owner along with Bartley.

Another of Simons’ wins came with the maiden three-year-old filly Camcarol, who was making her first lifetime start. The pacer, one of the favorites in the race trained by Charles Johnston and owned by Saddle Rock Stables of Monroe, New Jersey, got parked the entire mile. However, Camcarol still had enough stamina to win in 1:58.3 in outlasting the field of eight.

Stribbles, a four-year-old Rustler Hanover mare driven and trained by Jim Raymer, produced the fastest time of the first leg of the Spring Training Pace for the fillies and mares. Owned by Trillium Racing Stable of New Holland, Pennsylvania, Stribbles went wire-to-wire from the one post in winning in 1:54.4. Raymer parked 1-5 favorite Courtney Beth (Simons) after the latter attempted to get to the front following the opening panel. This was the first win in seven starts this season for Stribbles.

Cut The Bull (Simons) produced the fastest time in the opening leg of the Spring Training Trot. Owned and trained by Bill Mullin of Plains Township, Pennsylvania, he stopped the timer in 1:58.4 for his third win in nine starts this season.