Photo: Curtis Salonick
By: Jerry Connors, Jr.
WILKES-BARRE PA – Spring Inhis Step A, slow to clear after a third-in trip last time, took matters into his own hands in the $25,000 fast-class pace Saturday afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, barreling three-wide to the early lead and then holding off the field to post a 1:51.4 clocking in near-freezing temperatures.
Tyler Buter was pointed frontward with the Somebeachsomewhere gelding from the springing of the gate, limbed out wide to clear before a :27 opener, then backing off the half to :56. He sped up with the wind at his back to hit the three-quarters in 1:23.4, then remained in control to win by two lengths for trainer Jeff Cullipher and Pollack Racing Stable. The double millionaire Charlie May, having to negotiate the outside post in his 2025 bow, found cover entering the final turn then swung wide in the lane, and closed well to take second.
Chase H Hanover made two moves to control the pace in splits of :26.3, :55, and 1:22.2, then continued home strongly in the chill to lower the Pocono 2025 standard to 1:50.2 in a $16,500 event. The Captaintreacherous gelding, a pacing millionaire, was part of a big day for Anthony Napolitano (four driving wins in all, one more than Jason Bartlett), trainer Cory Stratton, and El Dorado Stables and Robert Weinstein.
There were also seven $17,000 divisions of the second prelim of the Game Of Claims Pacing Series for horses with a basic price tag of $27,500 in the second leg. Two horses, Lyons Surfing and Captain Fancy, were both repeat winners and claimed horses this week (though not last). The GOC second legs are tricky at Pocono in that the rules require a horse to start in all three preliminary legs to make the $35,000 Championship of the series, set for March 15 – so these horses seem assured of final spots, but for which barn, as they may be claimed again, for $30,000, next week?
But focusing on Saturday’s races: the GOC division won by Lyons Surfing was probably the most anticipated, as the victorious Stay Hungry gelding was taking on two other first-round winners, Genius Man and Levi. They finished 1-2-3 in the order mentioned, with Lyons Surfing (temporarily) lowering the Pocono seasonal mark from 1:52 to 1:51.3 while closing strongly for driver Anthony Napolitano (who won three series races on the day) and his former (future?) team of trainer Joe Bongiorno and his Joseph Bongiorno LLC, partners with Nicole Dicostanzo and Evans Nation.
The Captaintreacherous gelding Captain Fancy again used speedy tactics for driver Braxten Boyd (a doubler in the GOC), coming home in :55.3 to win in 1:52.4 to remain perfect in the GOC. Darren Taneyhill was in charge of the horse for this contest for LAV Racing Stable Inc.
A third Saturday winner going to a new home is the So Surreal gelding Real Surreal, who lost a five-race win streak spanning two years when photoed as second in the first leg, but here able to make his lead stand to the wire under Jim Pantaleano’s guidance in 1:52.3, leaving trainer Brandon Presto and owner Ameer Major as a winner in his only start for them locally after being claimed out of week one. (The Burke Brigade, who claimed Captain Fancy, finds this winner also joining their barn; in all, ten more horses were claimed in the second prelim, with $275,000 changing hands on the day.)
Anthony Napolitano’s two other Game Of Claims winners were Belmont Major A, an Art Major gelding who was claimed out of the first leg by trainer Lou Pena and Todd’s Auto and won at first asking in 1:52.4 - :55.2, and the Huntsville gelding To The Hunt, off over a month but still able to engineer a 17-1 upset in 1:53 for trainer Deborah Daguet and L T F Racing Stable. Braxten Boyd’s second GOC winner was also a bomber, as the Sweet Lou gelding Jo Pa’s Warrior came from seventh on the far turn to be along in 1:53.4 at 16-1 for trainer Sabrina Shaw and owner Mark Jakubik.
The other series winner bypassed the first leg, finishing second for a $15,000 tag, but the Hypnotic Blue Chip gelding Tru-Blu Hypnotic was ready for today's stepup in class, coming first-over and still prevailing in 1:53.3 for driver George Napolitano Jr., trainer Peter Pellegrino, and owner Kathleen Napolitano.
Racing resumes on Monday at 1 p.m. at Pocono, with a $17,000 featured distaff pace supplemented by eight $12,000 divisions of the Game Of Claims Series designated for $15,000-tagged pacers in their first prelim; there will also be a carryover into the fourth race Pick 3. There will be Tuesday racing at Pocono starting this week, also with a 1 p.m. post time. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.
WILKES-BARRE PA – Spring Inhis Step A, slow to clear after a third-in trip last time, took matters into his own hands in the $25,000 fast-class pace Saturday afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, barreling three-wide to the early lead and then holding off the field to post a 1:51.4 clocking in near-freezing temperatures.
Tyler Buter was pointed frontward with the Somebeachsomewhere gelding from the springing of the gate, limbed out wide to clear before a :27 opener, then backing off the half to :56. He sped up with the wind at his back to hit the three-quarters in 1:23.4, then remained in control to win by two lengths for trainer Jeff Cullipher and Pollack Racing Stable. The double millionaire Charlie May, having to negotiate the outside post in his 2025 bow, found cover entering the final turn then swung wide in the lane, and closed well to take second.
Chase H Hanover made two moves to control the pace in splits of :26.3, :55, and 1:22.2, then continued home strongly in the chill to lower the Pocono 2025 standard to 1:50.2 in a $16,500 event. The Captaintreacherous gelding, a pacing millionaire, was part of a big day for Anthony Napolitano (four driving wins in all, one more than Jason Bartlett), trainer Cory Stratton, and El Dorado Stables and Robert Weinstein.
There were also seven $17,000 divisions of the second prelim of the Game Of Claims Pacing Series for horses with a basic price tag of $27,500 in the second leg. Two horses, Lyons Surfing and Captain Fancy, were both repeat winners and claimed horses this week (though not last). The GOC second legs are tricky at Pocono in that the rules require a horse to start in all three preliminary legs to make the $35,000 Championship of the series, set for March 15 – so these horses seem assured of final spots, but for which barn, as they may be claimed again, for $30,000, next week?
But focusing on Saturday’s races: the GOC division won by Lyons Surfing was probably the most anticipated, as the victorious Stay Hungry gelding was taking on two other first-round winners, Genius Man and Levi. They finished 1-2-3 in the order mentioned, with Lyons Surfing (temporarily) lowering the Pocono seasonal mark from 1:52 to 1:51.3 while closing strongly for driver Anthony Napolitano (who won three series races on the day) and his former (future?) team of trainer Joe Bongiorno and his Joseph Bongiorno LLC, partners with Nicole Dicostanzo and Evans Nation.
The Captaintreacherous gelding Captain Fancy again used speedy tactics for driver Braxten Boyd (a doubler in the GOC), coming home in :55.3 to win in 1:52.4 to remain perfect in the GOC. Darren Taneyhill was in charge of the horse for this contest for LAV Racing Stable Inc.
A third Saturday winner going to a new home is the So Surreal gelding Real Surreal, who lost a five-race win streak spanning two years when photoed as second in the first leg, but here able to make his lead stand to the wire under Jim Pantaleano’s guidance in 1:52.3, leaving trainer Brandon Presto and owner Ameer Major as a winner in his only start for them locally after being claimed out of week one. (The Burke Brigade, who claimed Captain Fancy, finds this winner also joining their barn; in all, ten more horses were claimed in the second prelim, with $275,000 changing hands on the day.)
Anthony Napolitano’s two other Game Of Claims winners were Belmont Major A, an Art Major gelding who was claimed out of the first leg by trainer Lou Pena and Todd’s Auto and won at first asking in 1:52.4 - :55.2, and the Huntsville gelding To The Hunt, off over a month but still able to engineer a 17-1 upset in 1:53 for trainer Deborah Daguet and L T F Racing Stable. Braxten Boyd’s second GOC winner was also a bomber, as the Sweet Lou gelding Jo Pa’s Warrior came from seventh on the far turn to be along in 1:53.4 at 16-1 for trainer Sabrina Shaw and owner Mark Jakubik.
The other series winner bypassed the first leg, finishing second for a $15,000 tag, but the Hypnotic Blue Chip gelding Tru-Blu Hypnotic was ready for today's stepup in class, coming first-over and still prevailing in 1:53.3 for driver George Napolitano Jr., trainer Peter Pellegrino, and owner Kathleen Napolitano.
Racing resumes on Monday at 1 p.m. at Pocono, with a $17,000 featured distaff pace supplemented by eight $12,000 divisions of the Game Of Claims Series designated for $15,000-tagged pacers in their first prelim; there will also be a carryover into the fourth race Pick 3. There will be Tuesday racing at Pocono starting this week, also with a 1 p.m. post time. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.
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