Bigtown Hero, who already has two appearances on the sport's all-time list of 'horse who have hit the three-quarters in 1:20 or better,' missed by a tick becoming the only horse ever with three such appearances, winning the $24,000 featured pace at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono on Saturday night.
Bigtown Hero, an altered son of American Ideal, certainly didn't have it easy, either -- he was outside with cover until favoured Bandolito cleared Bushwacker past a :26 opener, then rolled up raw to grab the top early on the second turn, en route to hitting the half in :53.1.
Driver Simon Allard, sulky-sitting for trainer/brother/Pocono leader Rene, opened up lengths on Bandolito down the backstretch, with Bushwacker taking other crack outside, but both were well-behind when the timer tripped at 1:20.1 with a quarter to ago. Bandolito ate fractionally into the winner's lead late, but was still shy of him by three-quarters of a length at the 1:48.2 finish, with Quick Jolt coming from the clouds for third, a half-length behind Bandolito and a length ahead of Bushwacker.
Allard Racing Inc. and Yves Sarrazin own the speed merchant, who hit the three-quarters in 1:19.4 last September 20 at Pocono en route to taking his mark of 1:47.3, and then on November 8 posted the fastest half (:52.2) and three-quarters (1:19.1) in five-eighth-mile track history before tiring in a race where Mach It So beat State Treasurer in 1:48. Both of these miles were also at Pocono.
Also at Pocono Saturday were a pair of $24,000 trots. Wind Of The North, an altered son of Cantab Hall who equalled a division world record of 1:51 at Pocono last year, needed only 1:53.3 Saturday to report home first for trainer Daryl Bier, co-owner with Joann Dombeck.
In the other division, the Andover Hall filly Sistas, three-for-three in Stallion Series competition, handled a big class rise, a predominantly male field, and a predominantly older field in 1:55 for driver George Napolitano Jr., trainer Chris Oakes, and owners Albert and Michelle Crawford. (Napolitano, who had 100 wins in July, won three times at Pocono on Saturday to put him at 98 for August, with sessions at both Philly and Pocono tomorrow possibly letting him achieve a rare "consecutive double century" of winners; the win with Sistas was also his 500th in 2015.)
The Sunday, August 30 card is the last Sunday action for the year at The Downs. Next Saturday night, Pocono will be hosting the $1.7 million Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Championship Night, with $350,000 Championship races for the four classes of sophomores, plus consolations and other features.
(Pocono / PHHA)