Gilbert Garcia-Herrera won his first training title at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono in 2021, and was honoured in ceremonies before Saturday's (Oct. 30) final card of the local season. Also honoured was evergreen leading driver George Napolitano Jr., as has become local custom.
Napolitano won his 300th race of the Pocono season on the final day, giving him his 15th local dash-winning title and 10th in a row. He finished the season with a .352 UDR, giving him his 13th crown in that category, including the last eight seasons. He also was the winningest trainer five times here.
Garcia-Herrera harnessed 91 winners during the campaign in taking his initial Pocono title. He has trained 3,610 winners in his career and currently sits as the ninth-winningest trainer for all of North America in 2021.
In the closing day $21,500 featured pace, the American Ideal gelding Covered Bridge rushed out of fourth for Matt Kakaley late in the backstretch and kept on going, moving right to the lead and then winning by 2-1/2 lengths, with the mile in 1:50.2 on a cool day with the track rated "good +1." Ron Burke trains the winner of $390,870 for Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver-Bruscemi LLC, J&T Silva- Purnel & Libby, and Mortgage Boys Stable.
The American Harness Drivers Club visited Pocono on closing day, and amateur driver Anthony Verruso guided the Uncle Peter gelding Slated To Win to a wire-to-wire victory in 1:58, defeating Zooming by a head to give Verruso his fifth local victory in the AHDC. Symon Spicer trains the winning horse for owner George Beck.
The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono will be annoucing its 2022 schedule in short order.
(PHHA / Pocono)