WILKES-BARRE PA – Unless someone tied him at some point during Tuesday, the Dover Dan gelding Hand Dover Dan became the winningest three-year-old male trotter in North America, capturing the $15,000 trotting feature at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono in a career best 1:55.3 for his eleventh victory in 2022.
Anthony Napolitano sent the sophomore right to the front and had little trouble, putting up fractions of :28.4, :59.1, and 1:27.3 en route to a 3¼ length victory over pocketsitting 43-1 shot TNT Blue Chip. Purchased on September 1 by owner William Hartt after doing very nicely in Indiana stakes competition, Hand Dover Dan is now two-for-three under the care of trainer Lance Hudson.
When Yannick Gingras shows up at your track on a regular Tuesday afternoon for just one drive, you sit up and pay attention – and the trip proved very worthwhile for Gingras. Celebrity Bambino, a $120,000 yearling and now a two-year-old colt by Muscle Hill – Celebrity Ruth, sat in the pocket as Some Kinda Crazy set fractions of :28, :57.2, and 1:26.1, then came out for the stretch and powered by his fellow talented freshman by 2¼ lengths in 1:54.2 in a $13,000 event. The Ron Burke trainee, already a winner of $110,057, looks like he could be a major factor in the late-season stakes for Burke Racing Stable, J&T Silva Stables. Knox Services, and Phil Collura.
The meet’s leading driver Matt Kakaley tied with Marcus Miller in bringing home three winners on the card, tops among all sulkysmiths.
Action resumes at Pocono on Saturday as the mountain oval continues to follow it fall basic schedule of Saturday – Monday – Tuesday, with first post at 1:30 p.m. Program pages for all Pocono races are or will be available at https://www.phha.org/downsmsppps.html.