Photo: Curtis Salonick
By: Jerry Connors, Jr.
WILKES-BARRE PA – Dandy Ideal, winner of the Hempt Pace last summer here at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania in the midst of a $900G+ sophomore series battling top horses, made his 2026 debut a winning one on Saturday afternoon, winning the $27,500 top fast-class event by a length against a nemesis from last year, Twisted Destiny, in 1:49.4.
Matt Kakaley maneuvered the American Ideal gelding, coming off a 1:50.2 qualifying win at Pocono, to the lead by the :27.1 quarter, then reached the next two poles in a moderate-for-this-group :55 and 1:22.4. Twisted Destiny had to travel the uncovered route and raced well, but he couldn’t reach the Hunter Oakes-trained winner, who now has career earnings of $1,088,007 for Susan Oakes and Alan Johnston.
Ruthless Hanover, still the fastest horse ever on a five-eighth mile track with his 1:46.3 win at Philly in 2023, posted the fastest clocking of the year at Pocono, 1:49.1, in winning the $20,000 fast-class subfeature. The altered son of Somebeachsomewhere reached the top in the vicinity of a :27 quarter, then froze the timer at :54 and 1:22, before the latter station gaining from the pocket horse breaking and causing confusion.
George Napolitano Jr., driving for Team Cancelliere, trainer Tom and owner-brother John, gave only mile vocal encouragement through the lane and Ruthless Hanover won handily. It’s hard to believe that Ruthless Hanover is now yet a millionaire at age nine, but that will be taken care of shortly, and his career bankroll is now $994,089.
There were three $17,500 contests for developing horses, one on the pace and two on the trot. Among the trotting events, the Fiftydallarbill gelding Fiftyshadesofblu won their faster division, reducing his mark to 1:54.1 while passing every split on top for George Napolitano Jr., trainer Britney Dillon, and Joseph Musser Trust. The other diagonally-gaited winner was the Father Patrick gelding Non Disclosure, who lost his cover to a break early in the backstretch but continued raw and left his field behind in 1:54.3; Ridge Warren was in the sulky for trainer David Wisser, co-owner with Rebecca Callen.
In the pacing section, the Papi Rob Hanover gelding Papi’s Rocket eclipsed the half-million dollar lifetime mark, racing on the engine and then withstanding an onrushing Heaven Needs Me by a neck in for Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Knox Services Inc. and Slaughter Racing Stable LLC.
Papi’s Rocket was one of three winners for the combination of defending driving champion Tyler Buter and Ron Burke, top trainer here five of the last six years. George Napolitano Jr. (with 15 Pocono driving win crowns to his credits) also had a triple; Ridge Warren visited Victory Lane twice.
Nine consecutive Sunday 5 p.m. twilight cards begin with the next Pocono card (May 31), with a feature fast-class trot, the return of the American Harness Driving Club of amateur sulkysmiths, and carryovers into the fifth race Pick 5 and the tenth and last race High 5. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.
WILKES-BARRE PA – Dandy Ideal, winner of the Hempt Pace last summer here at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania in the midst of a $900G+ sophomore series battling top horses, made his 2026 debut a winning one on Saturday afternoon, winning the $27,500 top fast-class event by a length against a nemesis from last year, Twisted Destiny, in 1:49.4.
Matt Kakaley maneuvered the American Ideal gelding, coming off a 1:50.2 qualifying win at Pocono, to the lead by the :27.1 quarter, then reached the next two poles in a moderate-for-this-group :55 and 1:22.4. Twisted Destiny had to travel the uncovered route and raced well, but he couldn’t reach the Hunter Oakes-trained winner, who now has career earnings of $1,088,007 for Susan Oakes and Alan Johnston.
Ruthless Hanover, still the fastest horse ever on a five-eighth mile track with his 1:46.3 win at Philly in 2023, posted the fastest clocking of the year at Pocono, 1:49.1, in winning the $20,000 fast-class subfeature. The altered son of Somebeachsomewhere reached the top in the vicinity of a :27 quarter, then froze the timer at :54 and 1:22, before the latter station gaining from the pocket horse breaking and causing confusion.
George Napolitano Jr., driving for Team Cancelliere, trainer Tom and owner-brother John, gave only mile vocal encouragement through the lane and Ruthless Hanover won handily. It’s hard to believe that Ruthless Hanover is now yet a millionaire at age nine, but that will be taken care of shortly, and his career bankroll is now $994,089.
There were three $17,500 contests for developing horses, one on the pace and two on the trot. Among the trotting events, the Fiftydallarbill gelding Fiftyshadesofblu won their faster division, reducing his mark to 1:54.1 while passing every split on top for George Napolitano Jr., trainer Britney Dillon, and Joseph Musser Trust. The other diagonally-gaited winner was the Father Patrick gelding Non Disclosure, who lost his cover to a break early in the backstretch but continued raw and left his field behind in 1:54.3; Ridge Warren was in the sulky for trainer David Wisser, co-owner with Rebecca Callen.
In the pacing section, the Papi Rob Hanover gelding Papi’s Rocket eclipsed the half-million dollar lifetime mark, racing on the engine and then withstanding an onrushing Heaven Needs Me by a neck in for Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Knox Services Inc. and Slaughter Racing Stable LLC.
Papi’s Rocket was one of three winners for the combination of defending driving champion Tyler Buter and Ron Burke, top trainer here five of the last six years. George Napolitano Jr. (with 15 Pocono driving win crowns to his credits) also had a triple; Ridge Warren visited Victory Lane twice.
Nine consecutive Sunday 5 p.m. twilight cards begin with the next Pocono card (May 31), with a feature fast-class trot, the return of the American Harness Driving Club of amateur sulkysmiths, and carryovers into the fifth race Pick 5 and the tenth and last race High 5. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.
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