Photo: Curtis Salonick
By: Jerry Connors, Jr.
WILKES-BARRE PA –On a day not favorable to front-end horses at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, the International Moni sophomore gelding Sainthood came first-over, ducked to the inside, then moved up in the famous Pocono Pike to catch pacesetting favorite Royal Emeralds in 1:54.4 in the $15,000 featured trot.
Favored Royal Emeralds, going for her third straight win, went right to the lead and put out fractions of :27.3, :57, and 1:25.2, having a clear advantage most of the race. The Joe Pavia Jr.-trained winner, who equaled his mark for Bay Pond Racing Stable, moved up to get into striking position, then caught the leader to win by three-quarters of a length, with a late-charging Wish List only another neck back.
George Napolitano Jr. drove Sainthood, and watching George battle with Matt Kakaley for the top rung on the Pocono drivers’ victory ladder is like watching a heavyweight prizefight. Bam – George wins four on Saturday. Boom – Matt comes back with three on Sunday. On Monday’s card, Napolitano had four wins and Kakaley two, leaving Matt with a 185-184 lead over George – at least at this very moment.
After Tuesday racing at 1 p.m., it will be time for the biggest day of the Pocono racing year this Saturday, with $2,300,000 to be distributed on Sun Stakes Saturday, with the top three-year-old and Invitational horses in North America, such as Legendary Hanover and Jiggy Jog S, coming to the mountain oval to add to their reputations during a 14-race card that begins at 2:30 p.m. Free Pocono programs are or will be available at www.phha.org.
WILKES-BARRE PA –On a day not favorable to front-end horses at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, the International Moni sophomore gelding Sainthood came first-over, ducked to the inside, then moved up in the famous Pocono Pike to catch pacesetting favorite Royal Emeralds in 1:54.4 in the $15,000 featured trot.
Favored Royal Emeralds, going for her third straight win, went right to the lead and put out fractions of :27.3, :57, and 1:25.2, having a clear advantage most of the race. The Joe Pavia Jr.-trained winner, who equaled his mark for Bay Pond Racing Stable, moved up to get into striking position, then caught the leader to win by three-quarters of a length, with a late-charging Wish List only another neck back.
George Napolitano Jr. drove Sainthood, and watching George battle with Matt Kakaley for the top rung on the Pocono drivers’ victory ladder is like watching a heavyweight prizefight. Bam – George wins four on Saturday. Boom – Matt comes back with three on Sunday. On Monday’s card, Napolitano had four wins and Kakaley two, leaving Matt with a 185-184 lead over George – at least at this very moment.
After Tuesday racing at 1 p.m., it will be time for the biggest day of the Pocono racing year this Saturday, with $2,300,000 to be distributed on Sun Stakes Saturday, with the top three-year-old and Invitational horses in North America, such as Legendary Hanover and Jiggy Jog S, coming to the mountain oval to add to their reputations during a 14-race card that begins at 2:30 p.m. Free Pocono programs are or will be available at www.phha.org.
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