Photo: Curtis Salonick
By: Jerry Connors, Jr.
WILKES-BARRE PA – In last week’s first preliminary of the Game Of Claims Trotting Series at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, there were four divisions – but five winners, as there was a dead-heat for first. One of the “DH1” horses, Pisces Rising, on Tuesday became the only two-time winner to date in the trotting series with a 1:55 victory in one of five $16,000 divisions, with the base claiming tag this week raised to $25,000.
An altered son of Father Patrick haltered for $20,000 out of the first leg by owner Guy Gemore and trainer Richard Johnson, Pisces Rising paid immediate dividends, coming on the grind just off the second turn, trotting his own back half in :56.3 under the guidance of Todd McCarthy to ward off the horse on his back, second-over Songs In The Wind (another first-round winner) by a neck. Pisces Rising went back to his own stall after the race as well, as only two horses, neither of them winners, changed hands this week, although the total transfer amount was a hefty $56,250.
Todd McCarthy won another division of the GOCTS with the Wishing Stone gelding Epos Ostervang DK, who didn’t race in the first leg and thus could be considered “undefeated in the series” (though that claim won’t help him make the final if total points become close). “Epos” is conditioned by the meet’s leading trainer, Per Engblom, and he trotted the fastest of Tuesday’s divisions, a lifetime best 1:54 for Engblom Farm LLC. Also skipping the first prelim but winning in the second was the Mister Anson gelding Sir Maverick, coming from Ohio and winning his second straight for owner Anastasia Meshkova; he was driven by Anthony Napolitano for new trainer Frank Calcagni.
Rounding out the success stories in the second series leg were Abruzzo, a Walner gelding second in the first leg and here a 1:54.2 winner for driver Jim Pantaleano and trainer-owner David Hoover, and The American Eagle, a son of Trixton who got the job done in 1:55.4 while a nose to the good of 32-1 shot Dusty Dungarees for driver Tyler Buter, trainer Herbert Lux III, and owners William Mullin and Howard Taylor. The series’ final prelim will be held in seven days time, with the $50,000 Championship seven days after that.
Todd McCarthy and Anthony Napolitano recorded triples on the Tuesday card, while Braxten Boyd, meet leader Tyler Buter, and Ridge Warren notched doubles. Fourteen different trainers sent out winners on the fourteen-race card.
Saturday promises to be a very big day at Pocono, with the 1 p.m. card spotlighting the glamour division three-year-old pacing male set in $231,270 of action spread over three Pennsylvania Sire Stakes divisions and six Stallion Series sections. It figured that trainer Ron Burke would have a big hand in this division this year, and indeed he has four of the prime contenders – it is only a surprise that Another C Note, undefeated in five starts this year, would be the barn’s current “big horse” over Frantic Hanover, Al Papi, and Melillo, who have earned $1,366,911 already in their careers. Respect must be accorded as well to Sneaky Squeaky, who like Another C Note is undefeated in five seasonal starts and who like “C Note” won his first round PaSS prelim.
Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.
WILKES-BARRE PA – In last week’s first preliminary of the Game Of Claims Trotting Series at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, there were four divisions – but five winners, as there was a dead-heat for first. One of the “DH1” horses, Pisces Rising, on Tuesday became the only two-time winner to date in the trotting series with a 1:55 victory in one of five $16,000 divisions, with the base claiming tag this week raised to $25,000.
An altered son of Father Patrick haltered for $20,000 out of the first leg by owner Guy Gemore and trainer Richard Johnson, Pisces Rising paid immediate dividends, coming on the grind just off the second turn, trotting his own back half in :56.3 under the guidance of Todd McCarthy to ward off the horse on his back, second-over Songs In The Wind (another first-round winner) by a neck. Pisces Rising went back to his own stall after the race as well, as only two horses, neither of them winners, changed hands this week, although the total transfer amount was a hefty $56,250.
Todd McCarthy won another division of the GOCTS with the Wishing Stone gelding Epos Ostervang DK, who didn’t race in the first leg and thus could be considered “undefeated in the series” (though that claim won’t help him make the final if total points become close). “Epos” is conditioned by the meet’s leading trainer, Per Engblom, and he trotted the fastest of Tuesday’s divisions, a lifetime best 1:54 for Engblom Farm LLC. Also skipping the first prelim but winning in the second was the Mister Anson gelding Sir Maverick, coming from Ohio and winning his second straight for owner Anastasia Meshkova; he was driven by Anthony Napolitano for new trainer Frank Calcagni.
Rounding out the success stories in the second series leg were Abruzzo, a Walner gelding second in the first leg and here a 1:54.2 winner for driver Jim Pantaleano and trainer-owner David Hoover, and The American Eagle, a son of Trixton who got the job done in 1:55.4 while a nose to the good of 32-1 shot Dusty Dungarees for driver Tyler Buter, trainer Herbert Lux III, and owners William Mullin and Howard Taylor. The series’ final prelim will be held in seven days time, with the $50,000 Championship seven days after that.
Todd McCarthy and Anthony Napolitano recorded triples on the Tuesday card, while Braxten Boyd, meet leader Tyler Buter, and Ridge Warren notched doubles. Fourteen different trainers sent out winners on the fourteen-race card.
Saturday promises to be a very big day at Pocono, with the 1 p.m. card spotlighting the glamour division three-year-old pacing male set in $231,270 of action spread over three Pennsylvania Sire Stakes divisions and six Stallion Series sections. It figured that trainer Ron Burke would have a big hand in this division this year, and indeed he has four of the prime contenders – it is only a surprise that Another C Note, undefeated in five starts this year, would be the barn’s current “big horse” over Frantic Hanover, Al Papi, and Melillo, who have earned $1,366,911 already in their careers. Respect must be accorded as well to Sneaky Squeaky, who like Another C Note is undefeated in five seasonal starts and who like “C Note” won his first round PaSS prelim.
Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.
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