WILKES-BARRE PA –Crossfit minded his manners, controlled the front end from an improved post, and easily won the $12,800 claiming handicap trotting feature on Tuesday afternoon at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
Tyler Buter hustled the Donato Hanover gelding to the lead in front of the stands, rated the half, then got a 56.4 back half out of him to finish out the mile in 1:54.4, with pocketsitting Mr Houdini a non-threatening 1¾ lengths back at the wire. Crossfit can be a chancy proposition – he had run in two of his last three starts, but he won the two before that – and was on top behavior today for trainer Susan Marshall, also co-owner with John Marshall.
Another interestingly-bred horse winning impressively was the Trixton four-year-old Celebrity Rolex, unraced at two and three and now a winner of four out of six starts after a 1:56.2 - :28.1 tally. The $180,000 yearling, whose sire and dam Angelette Hanover can be traced in the near past to “super dam” Amour Angus, was driven by Fern Paquet Jr. for trainer Jennifer Sansone and Celebrity Farms, who purchased the fast trotter just prior to the start of his racing career.
George Napolitano Jr., Pocono’s perennial leading driver, got hot near the end of the card and ended his Tuesday at the mountain oval with five victories.
FINISHING LINES – 100 miles south at Harrah’s Philadelphia, Caviart Ally, getting ready for her Breeders Crown eliminations this Saturday at Hoosier, won a Tuesday morning qualifier in 1:50.4 by 25¼ lengths for driver Andrew McCarthy and trainer Brett Pelling. In the Crown elim, Caviart Ally drew post four, while divisional queenpins Shartin N and Kissin In The Sand drew the outside posts eight and nine, respectively.