Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania featured five $16,500 races for Standardbreds of all types on Saturday afternoon (July 1).
The fast-class pace produced the quickest mile of the day, taken by the Roll With Joe gelding Joesstar Of Mia A (pictured above) in 1:49.1. Matt Kakaley hustled the veteran right to the top and went right along quickly, proving best by three-quarters of a length over Ilikemebettor A, who was narrowing from the pocket. Gareth Dowse conditions the winner for his own Dowse Racing Inc.
In the fast-class event for trotters, the Cantab Hall mare Kenziesky Hanover moved to the lead in front of the stands, drew clear of her opposition on the turn, then was an easy 1-3/4-length winner over favoured first-over Donato Patriot K in 1:53. George Napolitano Jr. drove the mare for trainer Jeff Cullipher, co-owner with Pollack Racing LLC.
Three of the features were for high-priced claiming horses. The division for older horses saw the Cams Card Shark gelding Urban Renewal come on after scalding fractions to take a new lifetime mark of 1:50.2 at age 10 – his third win in his last four starts in this class, all at 11-1 or more. Ridge Warren engineered the upset for trainer Mike Watson and Friendship Stables LLC. That race also saw Elwell, a 15-time winner in 2022-23, claimed for $40,000, believed to tie the track record for highest-priced claim.
There were two claiming divisions for younger horses. The JK Endofanera gelding Gentle Giant won one despite using tactics that were polar opposite from those of Urban Renewal – Tyler Buter (a four-time winner on the day) sent this horse to the front and fought off three separate challenges to also record a time of 1:50.2. Jason Brewer is trainer and co-owner with Kirk Nichols and Thomas Gillis.
The other younger claimer event fell to Dance Partner, a son of A Rocknroll Dance who turned into a pocket rocket late to run down favoured leader JK Objection in 1:51.4 for driver Anthony Napolitano and owners Alma Iafelice, Vincent Ali Jr., and Lawrence Miller. This win was one of three on the day for trainer Bill MacKenzie, with the other two success stories in 1:50 or less – 2019 Little Brown Jug winner Southwind Ozzi (1:49.4) and Captain Fancy (1:50).
There will be racing at Pocono at 6 p.m. (EDT) on the holiday Sunday, July 2; at 1 p.m. Monday on a card that features Pennsylvania All-Stars action for two-year-old trotting colts; and on the Fourth of July itself, the Tuesday card also starting at 1 p.m.
(PHHA / Pocono)