In a six-horse featured trot where four of the contestants were with a head at the wire, the Donato Hall gelding Boffin proved most photogenic to take the $21,500 Sunday headliner at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono in 1:53.4.
Anthony Napolitano sent Crazshana around Elysium Lindy and driver Matt Kakaley before the :26.4 quarter, then got a breather to the :56.3 half as Anthony’s brother George started up uncovered with Boffin.
Boffin and Crazshana, both 7-5 choices under the guidance of the Napolitanos, were virtually inseparable from the five-eighths on, through and past the 1:24.2 three-quarters into the stretch, where they were joined by Elysium Lindy and third-in ABC Muscles Boy, both hustling up the inside. At the finish, Boffin got a head up on the next threesome, who were noses apart and gave the judges some work before declaring Elysium Lindy second, Crazshana third, and ABC Muscles Boy fourth.
For Boffin, the win drove his victory rate to 50 per cent for 12 starts this year and gave him his 46th lifetime victory, with career earnings of $532,237. Anette Lorentzon conditions the game trotter, and she co-owns him with ACL Stuteri AB and Kjell Johansson.
(And the other two starters? Tyson was second-over, gapped his cover a bit, then closed to be a half-length off at the wire for fifth; Deep Impact, who got away sixth from the outside post and was last at every call, was beaten two lengths, timed in 1:54.1 – and despite that was no richer re-entering the paddock than when he left it.)
(PHHA/Pocono)