Wilke-Barre, PA – The Somebeachsomewhere gelding Somebeach Baron continues to exhibit career-best form, winning one of two $16,000 divisions of the top-level claiming handicap pace on Saturday afternoon (July 17) at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.

Somebeach Baron took a new mark of 1:49 while winning on Saturday at Pocono. Curtis Salonick Photo.

Somebeach Baron and driver Anthony Napolitano briefly tucked fourth early in a :26.2 opener, then rushed up to get the lead near a :54 half, hot fractions even on a hot day. But the tempo didn’t faze the winner, as he went :26.4 down the backstretch to get away from his opposition, then finished out in 1:49, a career best by more than a second. Marta Piotrow conditions the winner of three of his last four for A Napolitano Racing Inc.

In the other division of the top claiming group, War-N-Munn was hung out well past a :26 quarter to take over the lead, then went on to post fractions of :54 and 1:22.3 before winning in 1:51.1. Curious Cortez, who had battled the winner early, came back on from the pocket but came up a nose behind the victorious son of Stonebridge Regal, a nine-time winner this year who was driven by Jim Marohn Jr. for trainer Mike Watson and owner Clifford Grundy.

A $15,700 fast-class trot went to the veteran Explosive Matter gelding Scirocco Rob, who made the early lead and slowed the half, then came home with twin :27.4 quarters in a 1:52 triumph. George Napolitano Jr., the meet’s leading driver who had four wins on the day (three of which came for trainer Tee Wine), was in charge of the winner of $595,404 for trainer Mark Silva and owner Kathleen Whitaker.

Sunday’s (July 18) 5 p.m. twilight card at Pocono features two $35,000 divisions of a Pennsylvania All-Stars event for two-year-old trotting fillies. The tenth race division is definitely tougher than the eighth race on paper, as it contains all three winners in the first leg of the PA Sire Stakes – Mimi Ocean Hanover, Vogue, and Dreamonhigh – as well as Stallion Series winner Gumdrop Hanover. Program pages for the Sunday card are available at https://www.phha.org/downsmsppps.html.