from the PHHA/Pocono

Wilkes-Barre PA — Trotting males and pacing females were featured in first leg action of their divisions of the Bobby Weiss Series on Tuesday night (March 24) at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, with two $15,000 sections for each group contested.

In the first trotting cut Two Hip Dip set the pace, then blasted home in 1:55.4 for driver David Miller and trainer/owner Nick Salenetri. The son of Glidemaster was the slight favorite in a race where two horses were sent off at 4-5 — his co-“odds-on” rival Bourbon Bay was outfooted late for second by Raise The Curtain.

Curtis Salonick photo

Life Is A Beach was a narrow winner in her Weiss series division.

The other division also went to driver David Miller, again on the engine, this time with Walk The Walk. The winner trotted about five lengths better than anyone else in the field until the shadow of the wire, where he made a break, but was not in violation of the breaking rules. The son of Muscle Hill, owned by trainer Chris Ryder in partnership with Sidney Korn, Robert Mondillo and Max Wernick, posted a new personal speed badge of 1:55.1 despite the bobble.

Miller and Ryder again teamed in a division of the female Weiss action, using “pocket rocket” tactics into a :28 kicker with the Rocknroll Hanover filly Crescent City to get a nose up in a new mark of 1:54 for Diamond Creek Racing. This event also featured an unusual betting pattern, with three horses at less than 2-1 — the winner was 7-5, place horse Hollyrocker was 9-5 and first-over Caviart Shelly (fourth) was 3-2.

The other distaff division also saw a nose separate the top two, as a daughter of Somebeachsomewhere, Life Is A Beach, maintained an early brush to command to the wire over The Beach Nextdoor in a personal best 1:53.1. Matt Kakaley had sulky duty for trainer Ron Burke and the omnipresent Burke Racing/Weaver Bruscemi partnership.

Miller and Kakaley had three wins on the card; doubles were recorded by George Napolitano Jr. and, on his birthday, Mike Simons, with the latter win for “The Trot Man” the appropriately-gaited Magnum Kosmos.

As opposed to opening night this past Saturday, where the average win mutuel was more than $21, seven of 13 chalks clicked this evening.