(And, by gosh, that almost looked like a smile on the poker-faced-driving Kakaley as he went under the finish line!)
Celebrity Eventsy earned a new lifetime mark of 1:52.2 after taking full advantage of a pocket journey in winning the $25,000 winners-over trot. Jim Marohn Jr. hustled the four-year-old daughter of Manofmanymissions to the lead before the 27.2 quarter, then yielded to Centurion ATM and sat in the golden chair through middle splits of 56 and 1:24. But Centurion ATM had no answer for the pocket rocket late as Celebrity Eventsy blasted on by to win by 2¾ lengths. Staffan Lind conditions the winner of $551,060 for Celebrity Farms.
The Majestic Son gelding Golden Son notched his ninth victory of the season, and third in his last four starts, while equaling his lifetime best of 1:53.2 in the $20,000 co-feature trot. Driver George Napolitano Jr. sent the four-year-old to the lead past the quarter and remained in control from there, although Golden Son had to stay sharp to hold off the big late bid of third-over Infiniti As by a half-length. Jenny Melander trains the winner, who has earned $138,767 already this year, for owners John Devito and Rocco Manniello.
The Downs will now celebrate its annual “early” Oktoberfest, with a break in racing until a week from Monday, the 18th, when post time will be at 4:30 p.m.