Photo: Curtis Salonick
By: Jerry Connors, Jr.
WILKES-BARRE PA – Trotters were twice in the feature race spotlight Tuesday afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, and that crackling you may have heard wasn’t from the storm that passed through the area, but the tote board straining to handle the big payouts generated by the longshot winners.
The rain started just before the $15,500 featured event on the card, turning the surface from “fast” to “good,” at which it stayed the rest of the day (even though the sun was out by the next post parade). The off going didn’t hinder the Love You sophomore gelding Beaujolais Breeze, who made a powerful move down the backstretch to command and went on to defeat Bizzy Brenda, who was traveling in his wake, by 1¼ lengths while taking a new lifetime best of 1:55.
Beaujolais Breeze, unraced at two, had won three of his first six career starts in eastern Pennsylvania before trying Kentucky stakes company for five starts, earning some checks but never hitting the board. The wagerers saw the mediocre Bluegrass finishes and must have forgotten the early potential he showed, for Beaujolais Breeze was dismissed at 14-1 before winning for the track’s leading driver, Tyler Buter, trainer Nifty Norman, and the ownership of Tom Vassiliou, Deo Volente Farms LLC, Thomas Pontone, and Enzed Racing Stable Inc.
P L Quinella had come to Pocono off two straight successes at Grand River Raceway, made a break in his mountain bow, then fronted a field while setting a new mark of 1:53.4 last time out at 39-1. The stepup in class to the $12,500 co-feature level and post eight must have scared off the handicappers, but P L Quinella was not ruffled at all, winning (pre-rain) in 1:54.4.
Johnathan Ahle got him a pocket trip, waited for the Pocono Pike, then went right on by in hand, paying win backers to the tune of $66.00 (the first time in recent memory that a horse paid $50+ to win two straight weeks at Pocono). The crowd will likely be much more savvy the next time the Kadabra gelding, trained by Anthony Faulkner for owner Jaypaul Hoover, takes to the track.
Driving triples were posted by the two drivers who between them have won the last fifteen Pocono dash crowns – Matt Kakaley and George Napolitano Jr. Kakaley’s three-bagger included a winner for trainer Mike Simons, a former Pocono driving champion who last raced locally on April 1 before spending the spring and summer in Kentucky; Napolitano’s triple included two horses for trainer Linda Toscano, the only conditioner who doubled on the card.
Racing resumes at Pocono on Saturday at 1 p.m., followed by the last Sunday card of 2025 at the northeast Pennsylvania oval, which will start at 6 p.m. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.
WILKES-BARRE PA – Trotters were twice in the feature race spotlight Tuesday afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, and that crackling you may have heard wasn’t from the storm that passed through the area, but the tote board straining to handle the big payouts generated by the longshot winners.
The rain started just before the $15,500 featured event on the card, turning the surface from “fast” to “good,” at which it stayed the rest of the day (even though the sun was out by the next post parade). The off going didn’t hinder the Love You sophomore gelding Beaujolais Breeze, who made a powerful move down the backstretch to command and went on to defeat Bizzy Brenda, who was traveling in his wake, by 1¼ lengths while taking a new lifetime best of 1:55.
Beaujolais Breeze, unraced at two, had won three of his first six career starts in eastern Pennsylvania before trying Kentucky stakes company for five starts, earning some checks but never hitting the board. The wagerers saw the mediocre Bluegrass finishes and must have forgotten the early potential he showed, for Beaujolais Breeze was dismissed at 14-1 before winning for the track’s leading driver, Tyler Buter, trainer Nifty Norman, and the ownership of Tom Vassiliou, Deo Volente Farms LLC, Thomas Pontone, and Enzed Racing Stable Inc.
P L Quinella had come to Pocono off two straight successes at Grand River Raceway, made a break in his mountain bow, then fronted a field while setting a new mark of 1:53.4 last time out at 39-1. The stepup in class to the $12,500 co-feature level and post eight must have scared off the handicappers, but P L Quinella was not ruffled at all, winning (pre-rain) in 1:54.4.
Johnathan Ahle got him a pocket trip, waited for the Pocono Pike, then went right on by in hand, paying win backers to the tune of $66.00 (the first time in recent memory that a horse paid $50+ to win two straight weeks at Pocono). The crowd will likely be much more savvy the next time the Kadabra gelding, trained by Anthony Faulkner for owner Jaypaul Hoover, takes to the track.
Driving triples were posted by the two drivers who between them have won the last fifteen Pocono dash crowns – Matt Kakaley and George Napolitano Jr. Kakaley’s three-bagger included a winner for trainer Mike Simons, a former Pocono driving champion who last raced locally on April 1 before spending the spring and summer in Kentucky; Napolitano’s triple included two horses for trainer Linda Toscano, the only conditioner who doubled on the card.
Racing resumes at Pocono on Saturday at 1 p.m., followed by the last Sunday card of 2025 at the northeast Pennsylvania oval, which will start at 6 p.m. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.
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