Sapphire Breeze came in off the stakes trail and promptly earned herself a new speed badge of 1:52.1 in taking the $16,000 distaff pacing feature Tuesday night at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
The sophomore daughter of Well Said was given a second-over trip by driver Matt Kakaley and was still fifth at the stretch call, but she had enough rally in her to reach the wire a length ahead of two-move leader Gigi From Fiji.
Ron Burke conditions Sapphire Breeze for Burke Racing Stable LLC, Phillip Collura, Michelle Yanek, and Weaver Bruscemi LLC.
In the $14,000 co-featured distaff pace, the Rock N Roll Heaven mare Rock Me Baby continued to enjoy her local campaign at The Downs, running her Pocono record to 3-2-1-0 since shipping back in with a 1:51 victory. Marcus Miller moved the sharp winner of $230,258 to the lead past the quarter, then held off the charge of Quebec champion YS Tallia by 1-1/4 lengths for trainer Heidi Rohr and owner Scott Dillon.
Anthony Napolitano, 2017’s ‘King Of The Longshots’ at Pocono, reined in his ninth $50+ horse of the meet (no other driver has more than four) when he rallied the Majestic Son gelding Sibson to a $68.80 nose victory over odds-on favourite Flagstaff in a conditioned trot for trainer Jody Riedel and Super Mile LLC.
(PHHA/Pocono)