Kaddari, a Walner filly who started her career with victories in the last two prelims of the Bobby Weiss Series for three-year-old trotting fillies, added the $50,000 Weiss Championship to her rapidly-growing resume on Tuesday afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania. She stopped the timer in 1:56 on a cool day with a strong stretch headwind.
Mattias Melander got away second with Kaddari, then moved nearing the :28 quarter and stepped around A Good Chardonnay, keeping Quite Fast parked in the two-wide lane through fractions of :57 and 1:26.1. Into the wind, driver Melander asked his filly for more and she responded to be 2-1/2 lengths clear of Over Board, who circled five-wide in the stretch and passed many horses. But Over Board didn’t get past Kaddari, who was purchased as a yearling for $375,000 and is trained by Mattias’s brother Marcus Melander for owner Courant Inc.
The $20,000 Weiss Consolation went to the Muscle Hill filly Im Amused in a lifetime best of 1:57. Simon Allard popped the pocket with the sophomore down the backstretch and opened a big lead that could not be threatened through the stretch. Deborah Daguet trains the improving winner for D Racing Stable Inc., Kapildeo Singh and Earl Hill Jr.
Marcus Miller led all Pocono drivers on Tuesday with three sulky successes.
The Downs will not present a live program this Saturday, Kentucky Derby Day. Racing returns on Sunday at 6 p.m. with the first stakes action of the year at Pocono, four $30,000 divisions of a Pennsylvania All-Stars event for three-year-old pacing fillies, a group which will include recent Weiss Series sweeper C Is For Cookie.
(With files from PHHA/Pocono)