Dreams Beachboy uncorked a strong third-quarter move in the feature race on Saturday evening (September 24) at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, cleared to the lead and then opened up a huge margin around the final turn, crossing the wire a safe two and a quarter lengths clear in 1:50.2.
After a strength-sapping :25.4 duel among foes in the opening quarter and nearing the :55 half, driver George Napolitano Jr. sent the victorious altered son of Somebeachsomewhere streaking down the backside, pacing his own third quarter in :27, gaining the lead before the 1:22.4 three-quarters and winning over the two horses who followed but couldn’t quite keep up with his backside brush – second-over Mister Bling A photoed out third-over Clear Vision for second money.
Crawford Farms Racing owns Dreams Beachboy, who was sent off by Pocono punters as the 7-5 favourite and rewarded their confidence with his seventh win in 19 starts this season (37 percent) and his 11th career visit to Victory Lane in 37 starts (30 percent).
The victory was the third on the card for “George Nap,” and his second successful collaboration with trainer Chris Oakes. Those two horsemen are on top of the local standings – Napolitano’s win total of 272 is more than double that of his nearest rival, his brother Anthony (for whom it must be mentioned in fairness that he missed almost two months of racing after a May 31 racing mishap at The Downs), while Oakes has harnessed 76 winners at the current meet to have a slight advantage over Ron Burke (72) and Rene Allard (71) in what should be a three-way battle going all the way to the end of the Pocono meet on November 26.
(PHHA/Pocono)