WILKES-BARRE PA – Rich And Miserable, the 2019 Trotter of the Year at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, moved even closer to $500,000 in career earnings with a 1:54.2 victory in the $11,200 featured event on the Sunday twilight card.
Driver Tyler Buter spotted the Explosive Matter gelding third from the outside post seven before the :28 quarter, then brushed him to command and put up middle splits of :57 and 1:26. Blenheim made a good charge in the stretch, but the :28.2 last split put up by Rich And Miserable was enough to keep him 1½ lengths ahead of that rival.
Aflame Hanover, relishing getting away from Borgata Series company, completed a wire-to-wire 1:51 victory with a :26.3 last quarter under no urging from driver Marcus Miller, who along with Matt Kakaley had three wins on the card. The victory was the first of the year for the altered son of Russell Hanover, who now has career earnings $379,624 for trainer Linda Schadel, co-owner with husband Tony Schadel.
The fillies will see their first Bobby Weiss Series action on Monday afternoon, with four $17,500 divisions of the first preliminary leg for sophomore pacers in consecutive events, races ten through thirteen. First post on Monday afternoon is 12:30 p.m.; program pages will be available at https://www.phha.org/downsmsppps.html.