The Western Ideal mare Vegas In Style was acquired by owner/trainer Gilbert Garcia-Herrera after a race 35 days ago – and since then she has posted three wins and two seconds in five starts, earning $30,500, after her victory in the $16,000 distaff pacing feature Tuesday night at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
Eric Carlson had the red-hot mare sitting in the pocket behind strong fractions of :26.4, :55.2, and 1:23.4 set by Someomensomewhere, then moved her outside head stretch and ran down the front-runner relatively easily, although the half-length margin may not indicate that.
Vegas In Style was one of eight winners paying $4.40 or less in the first nine races, with the track’s leading driver George Napolitano, Jr. guiding five of them – but the ninth winner, Barbara Nell, individually jumped the average price from $3.78 to $11.16 when she rallied from last at the half to post a $71.80 upset for driver Simon Allard and owner/trainer Owen Eiler, Jr.
The average win price went up after race ten, the $14,000 distaff co-featured pace, as the Somebeachsomewhere mare Carobbean Pacetry rallied from second-over to defeat Tipitina by a half-length for driver Andrew McCarthy at a $32.60 mutuel, raising the average price to that point to $13.30 herself.
Owner/trainer Meir Geller had certainly had far-below-average luck with the winner in her last three scheduled purse starts – broken equipment and two scratches – but fortune was with Carobbean Pacetry this evening.
(PHHA/Pocono)