WILKES-BARRE PA – The temperature danced on either side of the 50 degree mark Saturday night at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, but driver Eric Carlson again proved to have the hot hands with the longshots, as he guided Somwherenbrookln N ($87.80) to a 1:51.3 victory in the $17,500 featured pace Saturday night at the northeast Pennsylvania oval.
Carlson kept the Somebeachsomewhere gelding well off a torrid contested early pace, then swung him three-wide late on the backstretch, with Funknwaffles right on his back. These two circled tired horses and proved to be the main factors to the wire, as Somwherenbrookln N maintained a ¾ length lead to the finish for owner/trainer Gilberto Garcia-Herrera.
Although absent from the local scene since July 13 as he focused on the New York Sire Stakes circuit from his western New York base, driver Jim Morrill Jr. showed no “Pocono rust” as he won four races on the card, including with the Bettor’s Delight gelding Keystone Steam in a $16,000 co-featured claiming handicap pace. Keystone Steam made no fewer than three different moves in the race, yet still had enough to defeat Ron Bakardi by a neck in 1:51.3 for trainer Katie Remmerswaal and owners Doug and Leslie Berkeley, who enjoyed their one-week stay with Keystone Steam – they claimed the horse last week, lost him via claim for the same price tonight, and made $8000 minus the week’s training fees.