The stretch drive of the $68,493 Bobby Weiss Series Championship for three-year-old pacing fillies on Saturday, April 27 at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania came down to two battlers unbeaten in the prelims, with Whassup Hanover edging Beautiful Roz by a nose in 1:53.
In the companion event for males, 14-1 shot Reggie The Fourth kicked home 2-1/2 lengths to the good in 1:50.4, joining the distaff champ in taking a new lifetime mark.
The Captaintreacherous filly Whassup Hanover, who won in the first two prelims and then took off last week, was second choice to Beautiful Roz, a prelim sweeper over the three legs. 'Whassup' and driver Jason Bartlett (North American leader among money-winning drivers) sat third as “Roz” put up early fractions of :27, :56.4 and 1:25.1, racing up uncovered from before the third station the rest of the way. The fight to the finish through the :27.4 last quarter was a classic, with Whassup Hanover proving a shade more photogenic for trainer Eric Ell, also co-owner with Lisa Ell.
The $27,397 Weiss Consolation for the fillies went to the Betting Line filly Showboat Hanover, the Pennsylvania Fair Sire Stakes champion of 2023 and continuing her form in 2024 while lowering her record to 1:51.4 for trainer/driver Todd Schadel, also co-owner with Christine Schadel and Caitlin Solt.
Pocono’s top driver Matt Kakaley sent the Huntsville gelding Reggie The Fourth away like a shot to grab the racetrack early in the championship for males, then yielded to favoured Captain Caveman and sat in the garden spot during splits of :26.2, :55.2 and 1:22.3. Reggie The Fourth darted out of the hole when clearance materialized late on the far turn, and through the lane the issue was never in doubt for the Travis Alexander trainee, who is owned by Fiddler’s Creek Stables LLC.
The Captaintreacherous colt Port Royal Hanover picked an opportune time to break his maiden, being directed to the top in front of the stands by driver Marcus Miller and then keeping two-holer Dream Bird a half length away at the 1:51.2 finish for trainer Erv Miller and owner Douglas Overhiser.
The weather featured a coolish (57 degrees), windy day at the mountain oval, yet the local season’s standard of 1:51 was beaten three times. Besides Reggie The Fourth, the 1:50.4 clocking was reached in the last race by Aflame Hanover, who recently matched the 1:52.1 all-age standard at Woodstock. But the fastest mile of the year was recorded at the other end of Saturday’s card, with the first race taken in 1:50.2 by Tam Major A, winning for the fourth straight week and going to a different barn afterwards for the fourth straight race after being claimed again for $41,056.
Jason Bartlett, Braxten Boyd and George Napolitano Jr. each had three driving successes on the card; two of Bartlett’s were for trainer Per Engblom, the only conditioner to have a double.
Monday’s 1 p.m. card will feature the $50,000 USD Weiss Championship for sophomore trotting colts, with prelim sweepers Blackhawk Zette and Victor Laszlo the two early favourites on the morning line. That program will also have carryover money in the Pick-4 (race one), Pick-3 (race four) and Pick-5 (race five), as five favourites even money or less were defeated on Saturday.
Tuesday’s 1 p.m. card will be headlined by a wide-open $50,000 Weiss Championship for three-year-old trotting fillies. The following week will see an alteration in the schedule: there will be no live racing on Kentucky Derby Saturday, but then Sunday racing returns the next night with a 6 p.m. post throughout the late spring and summer.
(PHHA / Pocono)