from the PHHA/Pocono

Wilkes-Barre, PA — The Western Terror gelding Dash Of Danger — and his driver Matt Kakaley — emerged with top honors during the opening night of the 2017 Bobby Weiss Series at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono on Sunday (April 2), with Dash Of Danger winning in 1:51.4 to knock a tick off his lifetime best, set last week.

The Ron Burke-conditioned 4-year-old, owned by the partnership of Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi and Marc Reynolds, had to overcome the tough tuck-then-first-over trip, but he had more than enough power in the lane in winning by 2-3/4 lengths.

Dash Of Danger’s driver, Matt Kakaley, was the human star of the night, as he posted six winners. He had gotten the card off to a spectacular start by reining home the longest shot on the board, Threeupthreedown, to a $119.20 payoff in the Early Double opener, then came right back with another of Burke’s three winning charges on the night, Migrate Blue Chip, to complete a very rare 9-9 Double worth $501.80.

Curtis Salonick photo

Highalator now has six wins in a row after a 1:54.4 engine effort for driver Victor Kirby.

Other male Weiss winners in their first round preliminary divisions, like the ladies worth $15,000 each, were Highalator and My Three Sons.

Highalator, a Somebeachsomewhere colt out of the $900,000-winning world champion Higher And Higher, now has six wins in a row after a 1:54.4–:56.3–:28.1 engine effort for driver Victor Kirby and trainer Jenny Bier, who also co-owns the promising sophomore with co-breeder Charles Dombeck.

Kakaley was originally listed to drive the Real Desire 4-year-old gelding My Three Sons, but he stuck with another Burke trainee, Art N Music, and settled for third, just a neck off, behind the 1:53.2 winner, who came from third-over to edge Dakota Jack by a nose for driver David Miller and owner/trainer Anette Lorentzon.

In the three Weiss cuts for distaffs, Miss Jones was impressive in what looked like the most competitive section, taking a new mark of 1:53.4 in front of Corey Callahan for trainer Joe Holloway and the ownership of Crawford Farms Racing, Val D’Or Farms, and Ted Gewertz. The Bettor’s Delight filly opened a big lead, then had more than enough to withstand previously-unbeaten Chat Snap by a length on the money.

The brothers Allard, driver Simon and trainer Rene, posted five victories on Saturday’s Pocono card and came back Sunday with four triumphs, one of them with the American Ideal mare I Deal In Kisses. The winner moved to the lead past the quarter and went on to equal her lifetime mark of 1:53.3 for Allard Racing Inc.

Driver Victor Kirby took another trip to the Pocono winner’s circle after guiding the Dragon Again filly Rewind Again to victory in 1:54.1, earning her a new speed badge by two-fifths of a second. Rewind Again, an easy wire-to-wire winner, ran her record to three-for-four this year and five-for-eight lifetime for trainer Gary Simpson, co-owner with Eric Good.

Pocono’s next program will be on Tuesday night, when three divisions of trotting females will open up their Weiss Series preliminary action.