 Photos: Curtis Salonck |  |
By: Jerry Connors, Jr.
WILKES-BARRE PA – The best race of the Saturday afternoon card at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania was the first race, with Dandy Ideal, who was just photoed out by Twisted Destiny in the Messenger Pace Final in his last race, overcoming post eight to win in 1:48.2 – within two-fifths of a second of the track record for sophomore pacing geldings set by two of the best horses of the previous decade: Lucan Hanover (2013) and Wiggle It Jiggleit (2015).
Dandy Ideal was extremely wide early and took a midpack tuck for driver Jason Bartlett as Lou Grant (a four-year-old), who’s developed rapidly in recent weeks, was parked well past a :26.1 quarter for command, hitting the half in :54. Dandy Ideal (by American Ideal) moved uncovered at that point and fought bitterly with Lou Grant, even getting a brief small advantage just past the 1:21.1 three-quarters.
But Lou Grant is a determined customer, and reclaimed a short lead early in the stretch. The two talented pacers went right at each other through the lane, and it was only in the last strides that Dandy Ideal gained the lead for good, winning by a neck after a memorable battle while lowering his mark for trainer Hunter Oakes and the ownership of Susan Oakes, Thaddeus Wier, and Alan Johnston.
That race went for $17,000 on the pace; in the co-featured trot for the same class of horses, the winner was the E L Titan gelding Super Duper Cooper, who sat in the pocket behind favored Ordained as that one went through the rain to post splits of :27.2, :57, and 1:25.1. Jason Bartlett, sweeping the two features, moved Super Duper Cooper, now a winner of $368,147, to the outside entering the stretch and gradually had him get by the leader by three quarters of a length at the wire for trainer Jeff Cullipher and Pollack Racing LLC.
In the $16,500 fast-class pace, the Always A Virgin gelding Virgo, who thrives on the lead, won his second straight race, but Kentucky invader Congressional gave him all he wanted in a 1:49.1 mile. Virgo was two-high to gain command by a :25.4 quarter; Congressional was three-deep most of that distance, then powered right on to the top, but Virgo and driver Simon Allard reclaimed the top spot by the :54 half and then reached the three-quarters in 1:21.2. Congressional came back for more in the Pocono Pike, but Virgo held him off by a half length for trainer Darren Taneyhill and owners Mark Jakubik and Jason Darling while stretching his career winnings to $574,487.
Also turning in a swift victory was Da Delightful, proving a pocket rocket in 1:49.4. Three trotters clicked for miles of 1:52.4: Cassius Hanover, P L Notsonice, and Mississippi Storm. Of accomplishment on the driving side were Braxten Boyd and George Napolitano Jr., each bringing home three winners.
During the racecard there was a trackside ceremony for longtime Pocono fixture Greg Wasiluk, who has had almost every job at the track imaginable, including driver, trainer, judge, and now horsemen’s representative. The universally-admired Wasiluk was given the Unsung Hero Award by the Keystone Chapter of the U.S. Harness Writers Association.
Sunday’s 6 p.m. twilight card at Pocono will feature three $30,000 divisions of a Pennsylvania All-Stars event for promising two-year-old pacing fillies; there will also be a carryover into the first race Superfecta pool and the last race High 5 wager. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.
WILKES-BARRE PA – The best race of the Saturday afternoon card at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania was the first race, with Dandy Ideal, who was just photoed out by Twisted Destiny in the Messenger Pace Final in his last race, overcoming post eight to win in 1:48.2 – within two-fifths of a second of the track record for sophomore pacing geldings set by two of the best horses of the previous decade: Lucan Hanover (2013) and Wiggle It Jiggleit (2015).
Dandy Ideal was extremely wide early and took a midpack tuck for driver Jason Bartlett as Lou Grant (a four-year-old), who’s developed rapidly in recent weeks, was parked well past a :26.1 quarter for command, hitting the half in :54. Dandy Ideal (by American Ideal) moved uncovered at that point and fought bitterly with Lou Grant, even getting a brief small advantage just past the 1:21.1 three-quarters.
But Lou Grant is a determined customer, and reclaimed a short lead early in the stretch. The two talented pacers went right at each other through the lane, and it was only in the last strides that Dandy Ideal gained the lead for good, winning by a neck after a memorable battle while lowering his mark for trainer Hunter Oakes and the ownership of Susan Oakes, Thaddeus Wier, and Alan Johnston.
That race went for $17,000 on the pace; in the co-featured trot for the same class of horses, the winner was the E L Titan gelding Super Duper Cooper, who sat in the pocket behind favored Ordained as that one went through the rain to post splits of :27.2, :57, and 1:25.1. Jason Bartlett, sweeping the two features, moved Super Duper Cooper, now a winner of $368,147, to the outside entering the stretch and gradually had him get by the leader by three quarters of a length at the wire for trainer Jeff Cullipher and Pollack Racing LLC.
In the $16,500 fast-class pace, the Always A Virgin gelding Virgo, who thrives on the lead, won his second straight race, but Kentucky invader Congressional gave him all he wanted in a 1:49.1 mile. Virgo was two-high to gain command by a :25.4 quarter; Congressional was three-deep most of that distance, then powered right on to the top, but Virgo and driver Simon Allard reclaimed the top spot by the :54 half and then reached the three-quarters in 1:21.2. Congressional came back for more in the Pocono Pike, but Virgo held him off by a half length for trainer Darren Taneyhill and owners Mark Jakubik and Jason Darling while stretching his career winnings to $574,487.
Also turning in a swift victory was Da Delightful, proving a pocket rocket in 1:49.4. Three trotters clicked for miles of 1:52.4: Cassius Hanover, P L Notsonice, and Mississippi Storm. Of accomplishment on the driving side were Braxten Boyd and George Napolitano Jr., each bringing home three winners.
During the racecard there was a trackside ceremony for longtime Pocono fixture Greg Wasiluk, who has had almost every job at the track imaginable, including driver, trainer, judge, and now horsemen’s representative. The universally-admired Wasiluk was given the Unsung Hero Award by the Keystone Chapter of the U.S. Harness Writers Association.
Sunday’s 6 p.m. twilight card at Pocono will feature three $30,000 divisions of a Pennsylvania All-Stars event for promising two-year-old pacing fillies; there will also be a carryover into the first race Superfecta pool and the last race High 5 wager. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.
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