A quartet of $20,270 races for developing stock headed the Tuesday, March 19 afternoon program at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, where despite it being the first day of spring, temperatures stayed very close to 40 degrees.
On the pacing side, the Well Said gelding Tennessee Smooth marked himself as a horse to keep an eye on, setting the pace then withstanding the uncovered move of odds-on favourite Hunters Hero by a half-length in 1:54.3. Braxten Boyd drove the winner of two straight for trainer Brandy Wine and the partnership of Brett Boyd Racing Inc. and Geoffrey Howles.
In the equivalent pace for distaffs, the Always B Miki mare Miss Majesty was kept on the rim for three-eighths of a mile before making the top, yet still having plenty in reserve to stop the timer in 1:55 while taking her seasonal record to 4-1-0 in five starts. Matt Kakaley had the steer behind the Nik Drennan trainee for James Davino and Drennan Stable LLC.
Two trotting sections were won by Kobe B, a Father Patrick gelding who won by a half-length over Lous Lancelot in 1:57.4 while using engine tactics for driver Jim Pantaleano (tops on the day with three victories), trainer Jill Roland and owner Jose Cervantes; and Fashion Ken, a son of Donato Hanover who won by the slimmest possible margin over Bright Expectation in 1:58 for driver Simon Allard, trainer Pierre Bovay and owner Nicole Bovay Gurtner.
When racing resumes at 1 p.m. on Saturday at Pocono, the feature will be the first championship in the Game Of Claims Series events, with a $35,000 USD purse for horses who started the action with a base tag of $25,000 USD. Six of the eight horses will be changing barns since their last preliminary start, including morning line favourite Tam Major A, who had two wins and a second during prelim action that yielded no winner of three straight.
(PHHA / Pocono)