Hemi Seelster trotted to a new mark of 1:52.2 in the $20,000 feature at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono on Sunday night (November 6), earning his third straight tally since joining the barn of Tom Milici.
The Holiday Road gelding, handled by Jason Bartlett in an infrequent Pocono appearance, brushed to the front past the quarter and won by four and a half lengths for owners Richard Lombardo, Carl Atley, and Robert Leblanc. Hemi Seelster certainly doesn’t need to carry his racetrack with him – his top five lines show Harrington, Monticello (a scratch), Saratoga, Yonkers, and now Pocono.
Two driving streaks continued during the card, but one ended. The leading local horsemen, driver George Napolitano Jr. and trainer Chris Oakes, won the first race on Saturday and then Sunday for the second straight weekend combination – the two have had 11 wins together in Pocono’s last six cards. (“George Nap” had five in total on Sunday at Pocono.) And Eric Carlson, who guided Windsun Steson to a $72.20 victory last week, continued his membership in the Bomber Squad with a $50.80 tally behind Yankeroo on Sunday.
On the other side, Jim Marohn Jr. has nothing to feel bad about although losing a string of nine straight Pocono cards where he’s had multiple winners – after all, he’s only had his picture taken after 63 races since October 1, 41 times at Pocono!
(With files from PHHA/Pocono)