WILKES-BARRE PA – A passing storm cell which twice delayed the Tuesday twilight card at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono resulted in a sloppy track by the time the card’s features, a pair of $15,000 trots, went to post.
In one trot headliner, the Cantab Hall four-year-old stallion Captain Morgan fulfilled the intermittent promise he had shown in just eleven starts at two and three combined, winning wire-to-wire in 1:54.1 in the muck for a lifetime best. Christian Lind and Captain Morgan sped to the quarter in 26.4, rebuffed midrace challenges from first the second choice Fraulein Blucher and then the favored Spectre, and finally held off inside-charging 107-1 shot P L Ketchup by half a length.
A stakes winner at two and three despite his paucity of races, Captain Morgan may be one to keep an eye on as he continues for trainer Staffan Lind and the ownership of Lind Racing Stable LLC, Bender Sweden Inc., Roy Holth, and KemppiSuojalampiStable.
Top pace was a $14,000 contest for females, which produced a three-way photo won by Empress Deo in 1:52.1. Marcus Miller yielded early with the 9-5 victorious daughter of Rocknroll Hanover to 6-5 favorite Queen Lostris N, then sat behind her to headstretch, when she moved out. Last Flight In N, third on the rail throughout, went to the Pocono Pike and joined the two favorites in a furious battle to the wire, which went to Empress Deo by a nose over the “Queen,” with Last Flight In N just a neck back in third. Empress Deo, a winner of $648,265, is trained by Wayne Givens for Legacy Racing Of DE Inc.