WILKES-BARRE PA – Alta Madeira N, close without winning since shipping in to The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, finally made her local breakthrough during the Sunday twilight card, taking a new mark of 1:52.2 in winning the $17,000 featured distaff pace.
Driver Jim Marohn Jr. moved the daughter of Alta Christiano N from third at the :27 quarter, taking the lead away from odds-on favorite Beach Crazy; the winner got a cheap half of :56.4, then increased the tempo to hit the three-quarters in 1:24.2. Through the stretch Beach Crazy had her shot up the Pocono Pike, and Milieu Hanover was closing well in her 2022 debut, but Alta Madeira N prevailed to the line by three-quarters of a length over Milieu Hanover for trainer Rob Harmon and owner Michael Spaccarelli.
Monday’s 1:30 card will feature two $50,000 Championships in the Bobby Weiss Series for three-year-old fillies. Silent Crossing was the only pacer to win in all three of her preliminary races, while on the trot Mimi Ocean Hanover has bounced back from a first-round break to be much the best in her last two starts. There will also be $20,000 consolation for each Weiss group. Program pages are available at https://www.phha.org/downsmsppps.html.