WILKES-BARRE PA – Favorites Spectre and Mass Fortune K both parlayed front-end trips into a victory in a $15,000 featured trot during the Tuesday twilight card at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
The Holiday Road gelding Spectre went to the lead before the :27.3 quarter for driver Anthony Napolitano, could back off the half to :57, picked up the pace to the 1:25.2 three-quarters, then held off a threat from pocketsitting P L Ketchup to take a two length victory. Rob Harmon trains the late-developing five-year-old for Adv Racing Stable LLC.
After facing the likes of Greenshoe and Green Manalishi S in his last few starts, the Muscle Massive colt Mass Fortune K responded well to the change in company, taking a new lifetime mark of 1:55 for driver Pat Berry after making two early moves and putting up fractions of :28.2, :57.2, and 1:25.4. Mass Fortune K won by 8½ lengths in posting his first seasonal score after a six-figure campaign at two for trainer Charlie Norris and owner Robert Key.
In a $14,000 distaff pace, Vorst was also a favored frontstepping winner, but her path to the winners circle was much harder. The Four Starzzz Shark mare, owned and trained by Gilbert Garcia-Herrera, was parked past a :26.3 opener and went on to a :55.2 half, only to have second choice Attention Hanover come up to challenge and require a 1:22.2 three-quarters clocking. Vorst received constant last quarter urging from driver George Napolitano Jr., who had four wins on the card, and the mare responded even after being passed by pocketsitting Summer Charm in midstretch, surging back to take a half-length victory over Attention Hanover, who photoed out Summer Charm for second.