A trio of $15,000 races for oncoming “non-winners of four races lifetime” horses topped the Sunday afternoon (Feb. 19) card at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, with the mountain temperatures very non-winterish at about 50 degrees all day.
Most impressive in victory was the Whataworkout gelding Cantstop Yankee, who went a huge mile to lower his mark to 1:54.3 in the headline trotting division. Tyler Buter did not back off despite being caught three-wide early, with Cantstop Yankee taking over just past the :28.1 quarter and posting midsplits of :57.2 and 1:25.2, then leaving Dover Dan (his nearest opposition after several lost stride and/or were bothered) 13 lengths behind under a hold. The Deborah Daguet trainee, sharp in a qualifier earlier in the week after being away for almost three months, showed he may be able to handle better right now for owner Kapildeo Singh.
Also posting a lifetime best was the Always B Miki gelding Always Better, who defeated a good field of pacing males in 1:52. C Bet Hanover made the early top and refused to yield in fractions of :27.3, :56.3 and 1:23.4. Always Better decided to race in the pocket for driver Matt Kakaley, then had room up the inside in the lane and paced by the pacesetter by 1-1/2 lengths. Travis Alexander conditions the fast winner for Lucid Racing.
In the filly and mare pacing feature, the Artspeak mare Speak Your Mind settle into the two-hole behind pacesetter Fear Her Touch, then use a back half of :56.1 to go past that one to an easy 2-3/4-length victory in 1:55.3. Marcus Miller drove the winner for trainer Ivan Llopez and owners Michael Calderone and Frank Cannon.
Tyler Buter and Anthony Napolitano each visited Victory Lane three times during the Sunday card.
The Downs will have another Saturday – Sunday schedule this coming week, with both cards starting at 1 p.m. Program pages for all Pocono races will be available on the PHHA website.
(With files from PHHA/Pocono)