Photo: Curtis Salonick
By: Jerry Connors, Jr.
WILKES-BARRE PA – The Greenshoe filly trotter Duicinea Hanover added a feature race overnight victory to a resume that had triumphs in the Pennsylvania All-Stars and the PA Stallion Series just before it, capturing the $15,000 feature for developing diamondgaited horses in a lifetime mark of 1:54.4.
Duicinea Hanover was wide early then tucked third before a :28.3 opener under the direction of Niko Karna, who moved her to the first-over path just before a :57.3 half. The favorite tackled second choice pacesetter Night Phantom from mid-backstretch, with the leader still on top at the three quarters in 1:27 but unable to withstand a vicious :27.3 late kick that saw “Duicinea” win by three lengths for trainer Noel Daley and the partnership of Harbor Racing Stable LLC, Joe Sbrocco & JAF Racing, James Mc Govern, and Vincent Urciuoli.
Co-featured was a $15,000 claiming handicap trot, which was won by Abruzzo, who was just second in the Game Of Claims Trot Final after being haltered for $30,000 by trainer-owner Mark Akins in his start before the series final. The Walner gelding got on the winning track with a 1:53.2 victory as Simon Allard worked the altered son of Walner to the lead shortly off the first turn, and even when second choice Water Torpedo posed an uncovered bid, Abruzzo appeared in charge throughout, with the three quarter length final margin perhaps a trifle deceiving.
Fast times were the order of the day under beautiful conditions: speedy three-year-old winners in “non-winners of two” company were trotting filly R Perfect Goo (Googoo Gaagaa) in a new mark of 1:54.4 and pacing gelding Sea Bistro Hanover (Captaintreacherous) in a lifetime best 1:50.4, while the Papi Rob Hanover sophomore pacing gelding Callmebigpapi broke his maiden in 1:51.1.
Mike Watson, a member of the Michigan Harness Racing Hall of Fame, has decided to retire from training at age 65 after racking up (according to USTA records going back to 1991) over 2800 victories (including nine years with triple-figure triumphs), earnings just shy of $20 million, and fourteen seasons with a UTR of .300 or better. He sent out his last horse, Vali Hanover, who was the favorite in a claiming handicap trot, and he had an arsenal of Michiganders in his corner – longtime owner Clifford Grundy and driver Braxten Boyd, from one of the Wolverine State’s most distinguished families.
Vali Hanover had to go first-over and tried very hard to write the storybook ending, but he missed by a neck catching pacesetter Perron, driven by Pocono’s leading driver, Tyler Buter – who of course is also from one of Michigan’s top harness clans, his father Todd being inducted into the MI Hall of Fame the same year (2019) as Watson!
Tyler Buter posted a driving triple to give him eleven victories during the four-day Pocono week; doubles were turned in by Simon Allard, Brad Chisholm, Niko Karna, and Anthony Napolitano. Trainers with a pair of victories included Noel Daley (both driven by Karna) and Brett Pelling (both driven by Chisholm).
Pennsylvania-sired three-year-old trotting males come to town for Pocono’s Saturday 1 p.m. card, with over $160,000 on the line in two divisions of the Sire Stakes and three sections of the Stallion Series. There will also be a carryover into the final race High 5 wager. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.
WILKES-BARRE PA – The Greenshoe filly trotter Duicinea Hanover added a feature race overnight victory to a resume that had triumphs in the Pennsylvania All-Stars and the PA Stallion Series just before it, capturing the $15,000 feature for developing diamondgaited horses in a lifetime mark of 1:54.4.
Duicinea Hanover was wide early then tucked third before a :28.3 opener under the direction of Niko Karna, who moved her to the first-over path just before a :57.3 half. The favorite tackled second choice pacesetter Night Phantom from mid-backstretch, with the leader still on top at the three quarters in 1:27 but unable to withstand a vicious :27.3 late kick that saw “Duicinea” win by three lengths for trainer Noel Daley and the partnership of Harbor Racing Stable LLC, Joe Sbrocco & JAF Racing, James Mc Govern, and Vincent Urciuoli.
Co-featured was a $15,000 claiming handicap trot, which was won by Abruzzo, who was just second in the Game Of Claims Trot Final after being haltered for $30,000 by trainer-owner Mark Akins in his start before the series final. The Walner gelding got on the winning track with a 1:53.2 victory as Simon Allard worked the altered son of Walner to the lead shortly off the first turn, and even when second choice Water Torpedo posed an uncovered bid, Abruzzo appeared in charge throughout, with the three quarter length final margin perhaps a trifle deceiving.
Fast times were the order of the day under beautiful conditions: speedy three-year-old winners in “non-winners of two” company were trotting filly R Perfect Goo (Googoo Gaagaa) in a new mark of 1:54.4 and pacing gelding Sea Bistro Hanover (Captaintreacherous) in a lifetime best 1:50.4, while the Papi Rob Hanover sophomore pacing gelding Callmebigpapi broke his maiden in 1:51.1.
Mike Watson, a member of the Michigan Harness Racing Hall of Fame, has decided to retire from training at age 65 after racking up (according to USTA records going back to 1991) over 2800 victories (including nine years with triple-figure triumphs), earnings just shy of $20 million, and fourteen seasons with a UTR of .300 or better. He sent out his last horse, Vali Hanover, who was the favorite in a claiming handicap trot, and he had an arsenal of Michiganders in his corner – longtime owner Clifford Grundy and driver Braxten Boyd, from one of the Wolverine State’s most distinguished families.
Vali Hanover had to go first-over and tried very hard to write the storybook ending, but he missed by a neck catching pacesetter Perron, driven by Pocono’s leading driver, Tyler Buter – who of course is also from one of Michigan’s top harness clans, his father Todd being inducted into the MI Hall of Fame the same year (2019) as Watson!
Tyler Buter posted a driving triple to give him eleven victories during the four-day Pocono week; doubles were turned in by Simon Allard, Brad Chisholm, Niko Karna, and Anthony Napolitano. Trainers with a pair of victories included Noel Daley (both driven by Karna) and Brett Pelling (both driven by Chisholm).
Pennsylvania-sired three-year-old trotting males come to town for Pocono’s Saturday 1 p.m. card, with over $160,000 on the line in two divisions of the Sire Stakes and three sections of the Stallion Series. There will also be a carryover into the final race High 5 wager. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.
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