Photo: Curtis Salonick
By: Jerry Connors, Jr.
WILKES-BARRE PA – Driver Tyler Buter won the 2025 dashwinning championship at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania and is again ahead so far in this meet at least partially because he can get his horses to give the last bit of energy and desire they have to take the victory. Buter showed this ability again when, for the second day in a row, he won the Pocono feature by a nose.
In the $15,500 headliner trot on Tuesday, Buter left from the outside post eight with the Captain Corey sophomore gelding Captain Vodka, got a tuck fourth, then went up uncovered down the back, getting the lead on the far turn. Dusty Dungarees had vacated the pocket to follow Captain Vodka, and the two battled the length of the stretch, with the wheels of Dusty Dungarees appearing to be slightly ahead at one point past midstretch. But Captain Vodka fought on and held the slimmest margin tripping the photo finish beam, lowering his mark to 1:55.2 while staying unbeaten in two seasonal starts for trainer Robert Baggitt Jr., who is also co-owner with Christine Baggitt and J L Sadowsky LLC.
Captain Vodka is eligible for the Bobby Weiss Series, Pocono’s annual showcase for developing three-year-olds of all classifications, and with the series starting on Saturday, April 4, three other horses, all males, also stamped themselves as horses to watch. Two of this trio are in Captain Vodka’s trotting male division: Confident Volo, who lowered his mark to 1:55.2 in his seasonal debut; and Nose Jammer, who now has ten career wins entering this “nw 2 p/m races” series because he was a top fair horse last year, and here reduced his mark to 1:57.1. Breaking his maiden was the pacing gelding Sounds So Sweet, who stopped the clock at 1:54.2.
“T. Buter” was the leading driver and the leading trainer on the day with three victories; Tyler was the driver, while horses trained by Todd Buter also found their way home first on three occasions. Todd was the only multi-successful trainer; driving doubles were notched by Simon Allard, Matt Kakaley, and George Napolitano Jr.
Racing resumes at Pocono Downs on Saturday, with a 1 p.m. card offering fourteen races. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.
WILKES-BARRE PA – Driver Tyler Buter won the 2025 dashwinning championship at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania and is again ahead so far in this meet at least partially because he can get his horses to give the last bit of energy and desire they have to take the victory. Buter showed this ability again when, for the second day in a row, he won the Pocono feature by a nose.
In the $15,500 headliner trot on Tuesday, Buter left from the outside post eight with the Captain Corey sophomore gelding Captain Vodka, got a tuck fourth, then went up uncovered down the back, getting the lead on the far turn. Dusty Dungarees had vacated the pocket to follow Captain Vodka, and the two battled the length of the stretch, with the wheels of Dusty Dungarees appearing to be slightly ahead at one point past midstretch. But Captain Vodka fought on and held the slimmest margin tripping the photo finish beam, lowering his mark to 1:55.2 while staying unbeaten in two seasonal starts for trainer Robert Baggitt Jr., who is also co-owner with Christine Baggitt and J L Sadowsky LLC.
Captain Vodka is eligible for the Bobby Weiss Series, Pocono’s annual showcase for developing three-year-olds of all classifications, and with the series starting on Saturday, April 4, three other horses, all males, also stamped themselves as horses to watch. Two of this trio are in Captain Vodka’s trotting male division: Confident Volo, who lowered his mark to 1:55.2 in his seasonal debut; and Nose Jammer, who now has ten career wins entering this “nw 2 p/m races” series because he was a top fair horse last year, and here reduced his mark to 1:57.1. Breaking his maiden was the pacing gelding Sounds So Sweet, who stopped the clock at 1:54.2.
“T. Buter” was the leading driver and the leading trainer on the day with three victories; Tyler was the driver, while horses trained by Todd Buter also found their way home first on three occasions. Todd was the only multi-successful trainer; driving doubles were notched by Simon Allard, Matt Kakaley, and George Napolitano Jr.
Racing resumes at Pocono Downs on Saturday, with a 1 p.m. card offering fourteen races. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.
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