Drop Red won a thrilling stretch duel with Fred And Ginger to take the featured Winners Over Pace on Saturday night at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs
. The race carried a purse of $25,000.
Leaving from post position No. 4 in a field of seven as the 2-1 second betting choice, Drop Red, trained by Robert Horowitz, fought for the early lead before backing off at the quarter and allowing Fred And Ginger by. They stayed in the first and second spots all the way around from that point until the stretch, when driver Jim Morrill Jr. tipped Drop Red to the outside to get up and nip Fred And Ginger by a neck in 1:50, the fastest time so far in the two-week old Pocono meet. Sand Summerfield finished third.
Drop Red, a six-year-old stallion sired by Red River Hanover, won for the second time in seven tries this season. It was his 27th career victory, and he now has lifetime earnings of $646,240.
On the trotting side, Sand Top Gun avenged a loss last week to Cassis by beating him by a half-length in a winners of over $25,000 group for a purse of $25,000. Morrill Jr. did the driving for trainer Tyler Raymer, as Sand Top Gun matched his career-best with a winning time of 1:54. Keystone Thomas finished third.
Morrill Jr. ended the card with a driving grand slam while George Napolitano Jr. won six races.
(With files from Pocono Downs)