There were decidedly mixed results in $27,027 first round preliminaries of the Bobby Weiss Series for three-year-old pacers on a cool Saturday, April 6 at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania. In the three dashes for fillies, two favourites and a second choice won, but in action for the sophomore males the chalk met its Waterloo, with four second choices, a third choice and a 36-1 prospect winning.
The fastest winner among the males went off at 90 cents on the dollar, and he was not even the favourite in his grouping. But Bonaparte, a gelded son of Bettors Delight out of top mare Treacherous Reign, raced like a sure thing, heading right down the road for George Napolitano Jr. and winning over pocket-sitting Supplemental Fee by three-quarters of a length while taking a new mark of 1:51.3 for trainer Richard Johnson and owner Guy Gemore.
Bonaparte was one of four winners on the afternoon for driver George Napolitano Jr.; matching him at that figure was sulky-sitting leader Matt Kakaley, who was the only driver to win twice in Weiss competition, even mixing the sexes. Kakaley put maiden marks on two 2024 male debutantes: the American Ideal gelding Howlenthehills, home in 1:53.3 for trainer Travis Alexander and Symmetry Stables LLC, and Lillbliss, a striking white colt (like his sire White Bliss), who led throughout in 1:54.1 for trainer Äke Svanstedt and Knutsson Trotting Inc.
The biggest-priced winner in the favourite-blanking parade among the males was the Courtly Choice colt Spring Blake, picking up his first lifetime win in 1:52.2 and paying $75.60, for driver Mark MacDonald and trainer Blake MacIntosh, the latter co-owner with Hutt Racing Stable, Ozzie Mackay and Robert MacNeil. Fastest last quarter was the :26.4 turned in by the Captaintreacherous gelding Captain Caveman, a pocket rocket who lowered his mark to 1:53 for driver Tyler Buter, trainer Robert Cleary and owner Robert Corrigan.
The only winner in the Weiss races for males who did not lower his mark was last year’s Pennsylvania Fair Sire Stakes champion Ante Up Hanover, a Betting Line gelding who led throughout in 1:53.4 for trainer/driver Todd Schadel, co-owner with Christine Schadel.
Quickest of the Weiss female winners was Whassup Hanover, a Captaintreacherous filly who ran her 2024 record to 6-4-2-0 while also earning a speed badge of 1:54.2 for driver Jason Bartlett and trainer Eric Ell, the latter co-owner with Lisa Ell. The other successful filly favourite in the Weiss was Beautiful Roz, who brought $351,351 as a yearling as a daughter of Always B Miki out of a full sister to Precocious Beauty, and she is now fulfilling that promise by winning her second straight, here in 1:55.3 for driver Jack Pelling, trainer/father Brett and the partnership of Kentuckiana Racing Stables, Melvin Segal and Bud Hatfield.
Spoiling a chalk sweep in the filly ranks was the Roll With Joe distaff Petrol Queen, who was ready in her seasonal bow to reduce her mark to 1:55.1 for driver Braxten Boyd, trainer Jacob Hartline and Anatolia Racing LLC.
The series action continues full-tilt at Pocono on Monday and Tuesday cards starting at 1 p.m. Monday features four $20,000 USD divisions of Weiss trotting colts and seven $9,000 USD cuts in a Game Of Claims Series for pacers base-tagged at $12,500 USD. Tuesday will find six divisions each of Weiss trotting fillies going for $20,000 USD and $27,500 USD base-claiming price trotters contesting $17,500 USD Game Of Claims sections. Free Pocono programs will be available at phha.org.
(With files from PHHA/Pocono)