Wilkes-Barre, PA — Stellar BB certainly lived up to his name and his recent form, winning one of two $16,000 divisions of the top claiming handicap pace on Saturday afternoon (July 31) at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono in a lifetime best of 1:49.4.

Stellar BB held off Albergo Hanover to win a Saturday feature at Pocono. Curtis Salonick photo.

The Rockin Image 4-year-old gelding was moved outside by driver George Napolitano Jr. past a :26.2 quarter and was made to work to get the top before the :55 half by early leader Albergo Hanover. Stellar BB passed the three-quarters in 1:22.1, but the stubborn Albergo Hanover came back for more in the stretch, but the winner was able to maintain a neck advantage in the battle to the wire.

Stellar BB was claimed for $37,500 out of the race, but shed no tears for trainer Tee Wine and owners P T Stable — they claimed the horse for $27,500 three starts ago and won all three, so they realized a profit of $26,750 minus training expenses during their brief tenure with the horse.

Stellar BB will have a place waiting for him with his new connections, trainer Darren Taneyhill and owner Eric Prevost, as their Benson Boys N won the other division of the big claimer — and himself promptly changed hands for $33,000 via the claiming box.

Anthony Napolitano utilized the front end with Benson Boys N, making that spot in :26.2, backing off the half to :56.1 despite approaching pressure, then scurrying to the three-quarters in 1:23.2 before completing out his mile in 1:50.3. The Art Major gelding posted his second straight win and third in his last four starts.

There were a pair of $13,000 events for the fast-class sort.

On the pace, the Mach Three gelding J M Mandamin continued his high success rate over the local oval with a 1:49.3 victory, a new mark. Jason Bartlett moved the Jenn Bongiorno pupil to the lead after the :27.1 quarter and went on to ring up splits of :55.1 and 1:22.4 before crossing the wire well in control for owner Robert Weinstein.

On the trot, the Deweycheatumnhowe sophomore gelding Dewey Arnold upended the favored veteran Rich And Miserable in 1:52.4, reducing his mark by a tick. After passing the first two stations in :27.2 and :56.3 with driver Jason Bartlett, Dewey Arnold had Rich And Miserable advance steadily on him; his lead was still clear at the 1:24.3 three-quarters and into the stretch, but the chalk kept on grinding, with the sophomore able to retain a neck advantage to the wire. Trainer David Dewhurst co-owns Dewey Arnold with Philip Hale.

A mandatory distribution of the Rainbow Pick-5 pool saw the favorites win in the last four of the bet’s five races, with those holding winning tickets getting a $94.60 payoff.

Starting Sunday, the multi-race betting format at Pocono will look like this: Pick-2 (doubles) on the first two and last two races; two Pick-3s; two or three Pick-4s, depending on the number of races; and a Pick-5. The races involved with the last three bets will depend on the number of races that day.

The last race will feature a Pentafecta, in which the fan tries to pick the first five finishers in the day’s finale.

All Pick-3s, Pick-4s, Pick-5s, and Pentafectas, if they have no winning tickets, will carry over their entire pool to the next instance of the bet, whether that day or the next card afterward.