WILKES-BARRE PA – The return of the fast-class pacer Hickfromfrenchlink, plus sharp outings from Casie Coleman Herlihy three-year-olds, were the highlights on a Wednesday morning qualifying session at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono conducted over a “sloppy +1” oval.
Hickfromfrenchlick, a son of So Surreal named after the NBA all-timer Larry Bird, was a good two-year-old who went on to win over half a million dollars at three, taking his mark of 1:48.4 in the Empire Breeders Classic final. He qualified three times at age four, twice at Goshen and then posting a 1:49.4 “Q” win at The Meadowlands, but he had been absent from the racetrack between that outing on June 5 of last year and today, when he went down the road in 1:51.2 for trainer/driver Ray Schnittker, also co-owner with Nolamaura Racing LLC and Thomas Spatorico.
The trainer/driver combo also won with the Captaintreacherous gelding Captainofrocknroll, a 1:53.1 winner at two who won Wednesday in 1:55.3 - :55.4 - :27.3 for owner Robert Hamather. Coleman Herlihy also sent out with Kakaley Dean B Hanover, a Betting Line gelding who won in 1:52.1 at two, and who was beaten only 1½ lengths and thus race-timed in 1:52 behind Hickfromfrenchlick.