from the PHHA/Pocono

Wilkes-Barre, PA — Skippin By, forced to go a fast first half by Yes You Can, held off that foe by three-quarters of a length at the wire to emerge triumphant in the $16,500 featured mares pace Tuesday night (May 23) at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.

Matt Kakaley got away fourth with the daughter of Shadow Play, then made a quarter-move, which turned out to be an elongated one as Yes You Can also sought the top past the :27 quarter. Yes You Can did make the lead in front of the stands and then yielded to Skippin By, but not before forcing a :54.4 half.

Unusually for Pocono, the third quarter (:28.1) was the slowest in the race, which meant that Skippin By, after reaching the three-quarters in 1:23, still had plenty in the tank, and the favored winner of more than $700,000 career-wise was good enough to thwart the potential pocket rocket in winning in 1:50.3 for trainer Ron Burke and the ownership of Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, Wall Brothers Stable, and Bruce Soulsby.

There were a pair of $16,000 paces for distaffs in the co-featured position. The quicker went to the Rock N Roll Heaven mare Angels Rockn Pink, who quarter-moved for driver Marcus Miller and went on to a 1:52.2 victory by 2-1/2 lengths for trainer John Butenschoen and Crawford Farms Racing.

In the other, the Well Said filly I Wish You Well tied her 1:52.3 lifetime best set last week, rallying from the pocket to catch odds-on Miss Jones by 1-1/4 lengths for trainer/driver Pat Lachance and the ownership of Luc Ouellette Incorporated and Alan Alber.