By: Jerry Connors, Jr.
WILKES-BARRE PA – Braxten Boyd, the young driver becoming known for his ability to get the most out of longshots, guided 10-1 shot Dire Straits to a 1:52.4 victory in the $25,000 fast-class handicap trot Sunday night at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania.
Two of the sextet of featured horses lost gait as the field came off the turn before the start, and favored Ferretti took back, but the inner three vied for early command, with Dire Straits finally making the front after a :27 opener. Boyd got him a breather to a :56.1 half, then picked up the tempo to 1:24.2 as an outer tier made gains.
Ferretti was second-over and swung wide at headstretch, but Dire Straits was just too far away to be overhauled, coming home in :28.2 in notching a 1¼ length triumph. Ed Hart trains the son of Muscle Hill, now a winner of $383,000, for owners Richard Gutnick, Thomas Pontone, and Gary Cocco.
Belmont Major N had won two of his last three starts against the top claiming handicap pacers at Pocono, but he still was dismissed at 9-1 in the Sunday $16,000 co-feature. But Anthony Napolitano (the leading driver on the card with four victories) did not let the outside post eight deter him, sending the Art Major gelding right to command and rolling on to fractions of :26.3, :55.2, and 1:22.4, then holding off the favored pocketsitter Lunar by a half length in 1:50.1. Lou Pena conditions the razor-sharp pacer for Todd’s Auto.
A three-year-old trotting colt making his second start of the year five weeks before the Hambletonian might seem a dicey proposition for glory … but if your parents are Walner and Check Me Out … and if you are trained by Lucas Wallin … and if you lure Tim Tetrick up to Pocono for a single drive … well, the chances against The Rogue Prince, a $350,000 yearling purchase, don’t seem so high. And when he came first-over, trotting his back fractions in :55.3 - :27.2, to win in a lifetime best 1:53.4 by 5½ lengths, the odds are surely not as steep as first thought for The Rogue Prince and Wallin Racing Stable Inc., Karin Wallert-Mommert, Arden Homestead Stable and Solfrid Myhre.
The first local stakes action of the season for two-year-olds comes Monday, with four $30,000 divisions of a Pennsylvania All-Stars event for trotting fillies; that card will also feature a $25,000 fast-class contest for distaff pacers. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.
WILKES-BARRE PA – Braxten Boyd, the young driver becoming known for his ability to get the most out of longshots, guided 10-1 shot Dire Straits to a 1:52.4 victory in the $25,000 fast-class handicap trot Sunday night at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania.
Two of the sextet of featured horses lost gait as the field came off the turn before the start, and favored Ferretti took back, but the inner three vied for early command, with Dire Straits finally making the front after a :27 opener. Boyd got him a breather to a :56.1 half, then picked up the tempo to 1:24.2 as an outer tier made gains.
Ferretti was second-over and swung wide at headstretch, but Dire Straits was just too far away to be overhauled, coming home in :28.2 in notching a 1¼ length triumph. Ed Hart trains the son of Muscle Hill, now a winner of $383,000, for owners Richard Gutnick, Thomas Pontone, and Gary Cocco.
Belmont Major N had won two of his last three starts against the top claiming handicap pacers at Pocono, but he still was dismissed at 9-1 in the Sunday $16,000 co-feature. But Anthony Napolitano (the leading driver on the card with four victories) did not let the outside post eight deter him, sending the Art Major gelding right to command and rolling on to fractions of :26.3, :55.2, and 1:22.4, then holding off the favored pocketsitter Lunar by a half length in 1:50.1. Lou Pena conditions the razor-sharp pacer for Todd’s Auto.
A three-year-old trotting colt making his second start of the year five weeks before the Hambletonian might seem a dicey proposition for glory … but if your parents are Walner and Check Me Out … and if you are trained by Lucas Wallin … and if you lure Tim Tetrick up to Pocono for a single drive … well, the chances against The Rogue Prince, a $350,000 yearling purchase, don’t seem so high. And when he came first-over, trotting his back fractions in :55.3 - :27.2, to win in a lifetime best 1:53.4 by 5½ lengths, the odds are surely not as steep as first thought for The Rogue Prince and Wallin Racing Stable Inc., Karin Wallert-Mommert, Arden Homestead Stable and Solfrid Myhre.
The first local stakes action of the season for two-year-olds comes Monday, with four $30,000 divisions of a Pennsylvania All-Stars event for trotting fillies; that card will also feature a $25,000 fast-class contest for distaff pacers. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.
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