The sister-brother team of trainer Jennifer Bongiorno and driver Joe Bongiorno took the Saturday afternoon (March 13) spotlight at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, combining for three victories, although the Downs’s all-time leading driver, George Napolitano Jr., earned some glory as well with six winning drives.
The Bongiornos combined with the Mach Three gelding J M Mandamin, who went unraced since Dec. 26 and yet was still ready in his 2021 debut to put on a powerful performance, winning in 1:50.3. Robert Weinstein saw his gelding bring his lifetime earnings to six figures with the victory.
Jennifer and Joe also teamed to take two of the three tri-featured $16,000 claiming handicap paces, with Weinstein also the owner of winner A Real Miracle. The son of Real Desire—like his stablemate J M Mandamin—used a big backstretch move in progress to a 1:51.4 victory. The Bongiornos’ other winner, the American Ideal gelding American Rebel, also had the bad luck of a first-up trip, but American Rebel was strong and took a mark of 1:52 while raising his bankroll over $200,000 for owners Evan Katz and Frank Canzone.
The other high-level claiming pace went to George Napolitano Jr., sulkysitting for trainer David Russo and owner Marissa Russo, behind Tullow N. The Mach Three gelding rallied off cover to take a 1:53.2 decision and paying a very un-“George Nap”-like $41.60 to win. Although in his other victory of the year, Tullow N paid $69.80.
Though none of the feature winners were claimed Saturday, 18 more horses are heading to a new barn after their race, with $372,000 spent in search of sharp stock. After 11 days, Pocono has seen 171 claims amalgamating to a figure of $3,142,875.
With her trio of winners, Jennifer Bongiorno joined Dan Maier at the head of the local conditioners’ list with eight successes. George Napolitano Jr. reclaimed his usual spot atop the Downs’s driving colony, though brother Anthony is very close at 32-30.
Sunday’s racing card begins at 5 p.m. (EDT). Monday’s 12:30 p.m. (EDT) program will feature the second Game Of Claims Trotting Series prelim for $15,000 base-price horses. Program pages are available at https://www.phha.org/downsmsppps.html.
(PHHA/Pocono)