By: Jerry Connors, Jr.
WILKES-BARRE PA – Trainer Hunter Oakes came out firing during the Wednesday morning (into early afternoon) qualifying session at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, sending out five winners, including two who now have two victories. Both were driven by Tyler Buter, Pocono’s leading driver, who was the top sulkysitter during the baby races with four victories.
Oakes sent out two winning males on each gait, including the fastest colt, Celebrity Dubai (Chapter Seven – Pennies From Above), who closed in :57.3 from the pocket for a 1:59.3 win for driver Jason Bartlett and the ownership of Flying A Racing Stable and Celebrity Farms. Oakes’s repeat winner, driven by Buter, was the colt Celebrity Hunter (Captain Corey – Are You Ready), also part-owned by Celebrity Farms, in 2:00.4.
Fastest trotter overall was another offspring of Captain Corey, the filly Cabaletta Hanover (dam Caviart Jenny), who blitzed home in :28.1 from the pocket to be up in 1:58.3 for driver Matt Kakaley and trainer Emily Bost, co-owner with Steve Salerno. Trainer-driver Åke Svanstedt continued sending out power performers with two filly winners, Sip Away (Ecurie D DK – Amazing Tilly S) in 2:01 and Woke Up Winning (Walner - Morning Glow) in 2:03.
As mentioned, Oakes had a double in the pacing male ranks, but here he was outdone by trainer Travis Alexander, who had the other three winners in this section. Quickest was Primary Section, a colt by American Ideal – Preeminence, who came his last half in :57 to stop the timer in 1:57.1 for driver Matt Kakaley and the partnership of Alexander Racing Stable LLC, C M T Farms, EVM Racing LLC, and James Scarpias.
Kakaley also partnered with Alexander on the colt Harbaugh (Downbytheseaside – Hometown Blues), who won in 1:57.4 - :56.4 - :28.1 from the pocket. Ridge Warren piloted the other successful member of Team Alexander, the Heston Blue Chip – Counterparty Risk colt Current Events (also co-owned by Alexander Racing) in 1:59.4 - :58.1 - :29.
Oakes’s duo among the pacing colts were Dapper Station (Captain Crunch – Dandy’s Sweetness) in 1:57.2 - :57.2 - :28.2 for Buter, and Babylon Blue Chip (Huntsville – Onassis Blue Chip), triumphant in 1:58.3 - :57 - :28.2 for Bartlett.
Buter drove the repeat winner among the pacing fillies, Wine Down Wensday (Huntsville – Tequila Monday), here successful in 2:00 while coming home in :56.2 despite broken equipment for Oakes. The fastest in this group was Huntrix (Huntsville – Ubettergo Go), wire-to-wire in 1:57.2 - :56.1 for driver Ridge Warren, trainer Joe Pavia Jr., and the ownership of Steven Held, Vincent Ferriero Jr., Todd Frocione, and Pint Size Racing LLC.
With ten babies (including three trotters) winning in sub-2:00 and the stakes season fast approaching, this report or next week’s will be the last summary before the youngsters go to the pari-mutuel battles. Replays of the Pocono baby qualifiers can be viewed at www.phha.org.
WILKES-BARRE PA – Trainer Hunter Oakes came out firing during the Wednesday morning (into early afternoon) qualifying session at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, sending out five winners, including two who now have two victories. Both were driven by Tyler Buter, Pocono’s leading driver, who was the top sulkysitter during the baby races with four victories.
Oakes sent out two winning males on each gait, including the fastest colt, Celebrity Dubai (Chapter Seven – Pennies From Above), who closed in :57.3 from the pocket for a 1:59.3 win for driver Jason Bartlett and the ownership of Flying A Racing Stable and Celebrity Farms. Oakes’s repeat winner, driven by Buter, was the colt Celebrity Hunter (Captain Corey – Are You Ready), also part-owned by Celebrity Farms, in 2:00.4.
Fastest trotter overall was another offspring of Captain Corey, the filly Cabaletta Hanover (dam Caviart Jenny), who blitzed home in :28.1 from the pocket to be up in 1:58.3 for driver Matt Kakaley and trainer Emily Bost, co-owner with Steve Salerno. Trainer-driver Åke Svanstedt continued sending out power performers with two filly winners, Sip Away (Ecurie D DK – Amazing Tilly S) in 2:01 and Woke Up Winning (Walner - Morning Glow) in 2:03.
As mentioned, Oakes had a double in the pacing male ranks, but here he was outdone by trainer Travis Alexander, who had the other three winners in this section. Quickest was Primary Section, a colt by American Ideal – Preeminence, who came his last half in :57 to stop the timer in 1:57.1 for driver Matt Kakaley and the partnership of Alexander Racing Stable LLC, C M T Farms, EVM Racing LLC, and James Scarpias.
Kakaley also partnered with Alexander on the colt Harbaugh (Downbytheseaside – Hometown Blues), who won in 1:57.4 - :56.4 - :28.1 from the pocket. Ridge Warren piloted the other successful member of Team Alexander, the Heston Blue Chip – Counterparty Risk colt Current Events (also co-owned by Alexander Racing) in 1:59.4 - :58.1 - :29.
Oakes’s duo among the pacing colts were Dapper Station (Captain Crunch – Dandy’s Sweetness) in 1:57.2 - :57.2 - :28.2 for Buter, and Babylon Blue Chip (Huntsville – Onassis Blue Chip), triumphant in 1:58.3 - :57 - :28.2 for Bartlett.
Buter drove the repeat winner among the pacing fillies, Wine Down Wensday (Huntsville – Tequila Monday), here successful in 2:00 while coming home in :56.2 despite broken equipment for Oakes. The fastest in this group was Huntrix (Huntsville – Ubettergo Go), wire-to-wire in 1:57.2 - :56.1 for driver Ridge Warren, trainer Joe Pavia Jr., and the ownership of Steven Held, Vincent Ferriero Jr., Todd Frocione, and Pint Size Racing LLC.
With ten babies (including three trotters) winning in sub-2:00 and the stakes season fast approaching, this report or next week’s will be the last summary before the youngsters go to the pari-mutuel battles. Replays of the Pocono baby qualifiers can be viewed at www.phha.org.
RSS Feed
