Pennsylvania Harness Horsemen's Association
  • Home
  • Welcome!
  • About the PHHA
  • Join the PHHA
  • PHHA PAC
  • Philanthrophy
  • PA Harness Week
  • PHHA Blog
Pennsylvania Harness Horsemen's Association

September 27th, 2021

9/27/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Image: Curtis Salonick
By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
​WILKES-BARRE PA – George Napolitano Jr., the perennial leading driver at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono and second in the standings at Harrah’s Philadelphia, drove most of the Sunday afternoon card at Philly, winning two races, but since the Philly races were slightly behind schedule, “George Nap” didn’t see sulky action at The Downs until the seventh race during the twilight card at Pocono. But he quickly made up for lost time, winning the first three races in which he competed, including the $12,500 fast-class distaff pace with Tall Poppy N in 1:52.
 
Napolitano got away third with the Kiwi daughter of Mach Three as Stowaway Hanover bulleted away in :26.1, with Abigail Dawn (favored in the win pool by just $5 over Tall Poppy N) sat the pocket as the leader hit the half in :55.2. Tall Poppy N was moved out of third to challenge and got to the lead just past the 1:23.1 three-quarters, opening up enough distance on Abigail Dawn so that her comeback effort could only net her second. Now a winner of $102,699, Tall Poppy N is trained by the meet’s top trainer, Gilbert Garcia-Herrera, who also owns her with Barbara Arnstine.
​Top purse on the card, a $13,000 contest for developing distaff pacers, was taken by the American Ideal – Palm Beach freshman filly Chillin Bythe Pool, who won her second race in her last three starts, covering the mile in 1:55.1 after an engine jaunt, which included a back half of :56.3. Matt Kakaley was in the sulky for trainer Tom Fanning and the partnership of David Van Wart and Falcon Racing LLC.
 
The American Harness Drivers Club were back for another $11,000 contest in their amateur competition, and it went to driver Tony Beltrami and the veteran Caviar Crown gelding Wilberforce, a pocket rocket in 1:57.3 for trainer Kris Rickert, co-owner with Dale Wareham. Beltrami, who began his amateur career in 2014, has stepped up his participation this year, and the record testifies to it: he has 24 lifetime victories, and 13 of them have come this year.
 
Sunday marked the last card on that day of the week at Pocono in 2021; racing now shifts to a Saturday-Monday-Tuesday schedule at 12:30 until the end of the racing season on Saturday, October 30. There are a host of $13,000 races for up-and-coming younger performers scattered throughout the Monday card; program pages are available at https://www.phha.org/downsmsppps.html.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017

    RSS Feed

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture