 Photos: Curtis Salonick |  |
By: Jerry Connors, Jr.
WILKES-BARRE PA – Charles Oliveira, a star of the UFC (mixed martial arts) lightweight division, is a longtime Standardbred fan from back in his native Brazil, and on Tuesday he made his pari-mutuel debut as a driver at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, acquitting himself honorably by missing by just a nose with Kashed Up N to favored I’ll Play It Alone.
On paper the race looked front-end-heavy, which is probably why the renowned leaver Ronaldo N was taken back off the gate and why Josias Santos, the Brazilian who introduced Oliveira to the game and who was also in his first p/m start after winning a qualifier last week, was aiming early for a tuck with Neyreit, another horse who almost always fires away. Instead, He’s Special, who had succeeded on the front end last time, blasted out to command, with Oliveira guiding Kashed Up N into the two-hole as the pacesetter put up a :27.4 opener then got a breather against the wind to a :57.4 half.
I’ll Play It Alone, coming off a strong closing win, started uncovered in front of the stands and advanced, and as the field started down the backstretch Oliveira decided to vacate the two-hole with Kashed Up N, battling the pacesetter to and past a 1:25.2 three quarters, with the chalk following the live cover then tipping three-high with an eighth to go.
The pacesetter stayed in the battle until midstretch; at that point it was apparent that the decision was going either to Kashed Up N and Oliveira or I’ll Play It Alone and driver James Kennedy. The two horses and drivers gave their all, and then the photo finish declared a decisão por uma margem minima (Portuguese, the language of Brazil, for “a victory by the smallest margin”) to I’ll Play It Alone in the 1:54.2 mile. Oliveria was thrilled by the competition and his participation, and Santos also showed his gameness – he now owns Neyreit, and the pair is right back in to go Friday at Philly! Oliveira will be at Philly on Sunday for more competition; that card will be drawn tomorrow.
The racing features were four $15,000 divisions of the first preliminary of the Game Of Claims Trotting Series for horses base-tagged at $20,000. The fastest winner was the heavy favorite LMC Wagon Wheel, winning in 1:54.4 with identical halves for Jason Bartlett. One of the hazards of the GOC Series, however, is the possibility of being claimed, and LMC Wagon Wheel will be going for new connections in his next start.
Another division saw two horses claimed – the two who finished in a dead heat for first in 1:56.4! Favored Pisces Rising (Tyler Buter) and Roger Rabbit (Ridge Warren) were inseparable on the line, and both will now be living in new environs after their haltering. In all, five GOC trotters were exchanged for a gross of $105,000.
The other GOC divisions were won by rank outsiders, both of whom will go back to familiar surroundings. Kountry Express (Simon Allard) made a last-to-first backstretch move to win in 1:56.3 and pay $50.20 to win, while Songs In The Wind, the longest shot in his race, benefited from a cagey drive by meet leader Tyler Buter – tucking in, backing out to follow cover, and then rallying to a 1:55.3 victory while lighting up the tote board to the tune of $60.00 (hard to believe that the meet’s leading driver is also the meet’s leading driver of horses paying $50 or more to win, with three). A race before that one, George Napolitano Jr. made every pole a winning one with Toby Ornot Toby at a $59.80 mutuel in an overnight.
Pocono’s next two cards, on Saturday and Monday at 1 p.m., will both feature Pennsylvania All-Stars action for three-year-old pacers. Another C Note, undefeated in four starts this year and a winner in the first Sire Stakes leg at The Meadows, tops the colt and gelding ranks, while Miss Jum Jabber, who defeated 2025 division champion Loua Dipa last week at Philly, heads the contending fillies. Free Pocono programs pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.
WILKES-BARRE PA – Charles Oliveira, a star of the UFC (mixed martial arts) lightweight division, is a longtime Standardbred fan from back in his native Brazil, and on Tuesday he made his pari-mutuel debut as a driver at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, acquitting himself honorably by missing by just a nose with Kashed Up N to favored I’ll Play It Alone.
On paper the race looked front-end-heavy, which is probably why the renowned leaver Ronaldo N was taken back off the gate and why Josias Santos, the Brazilian who introduced Oliveira to the game and who was also in his first p/m start after winning a qualifier last week, was aiming early for a tuck with Neyreit, another horse who almost always fires away. Instead, He’s Special, who had succeeded on the front end last time, blasted out to command, with Oliveira guiding Kashed Up N into the two-hole as the pacesetter put up a :27.4 opener then got a breather against the wind to a :57.4 half.
I’ll Play It Alone, coming off a strong closing win, started uncovered in front of the stands and advanced, and as the field started down the backstretch Oliveira decided to vacate the two-hole with Kashed Up N, battling the pacesetter to and past a 1:25.2 three quarters, with the chalk following the live cover then tipping three-high with an eighth to go.
The pacesetter stayed in the battle until midstretch; at that point it was apparent that the decision was going either to Kashed Up N and Oliveira or I’ll Play It Alone and driver James Kennedy. The two horses and drivers gave their all, and then the photo finish declared a decisão por uma margem minima (Portuguese, the language of Brazil, for “a victory by the smallest margin”) to I’ll Play It Alone in the 1:54.2 mile. Oliveria was thrilled by the competition and his participation, and Santos also showed his gameness – he now owns Neyreit, and the pair is right back in to go Friday at Philly! Oliveira will be at Philly on Sunday for more competition; that card will be drawn tomorrow.
The racing features were four $15,000 divisions of the first preliminary of the Game Of Claims Trotting Series for horses base-tagged at $20,000. The fastest winner was the heavy favorite LMC Wagon Wheel, winning in 1:54.4 with identical halves for Jason Bartlett. One of the hazards of the GOC Series, however, is the possibility of being claimed, and LMC Wagon Wheel will be going for new connections in his next start.
Another division saw two horses claimed – the two who finished in a dead heat for first in 1:56.4! Favored Pisces Rising (Tyler Buter) and Roger Rabbit (Ridge Warren) were inseparable on the line, and both will now be living in new environs after their haltering. In all, five GOC trotters were exchanged for a gross of $105,000.
The other GOC divisions were won by rank outsiders, both of whom will go back to familiar surroundings. Kountry Express (Simon Allard) made a last-to-first backstretch move to win in 1:56.3 and pay $50.20 to win, while Songs In The Wind, the longest shot in his race, benefited from a cagey drive by meet leader Tyler Buter – tucking in, backing out to follow cover, and then rallying to a 1:55.3 victory while lighting up the tote board to the tune of $60.00 (hard to believe that the meet’s leading driver is also the meet’s leading driver of horses paying $50 or more to win, with three). A race before that one, George Napolitano Jr. made every pole a winning one with Toby Ornot Toby at a $59.80 mutuel in an overnight.
Pocono’s next two cards, on Saturday and Monday at 1 p.m., will both feature Pennsylvania All-Stars action for three-year-old pacers. Another C Note, undefeated in four starts this year and a winner in the first Sire Stakes leg at The Meadows, tops the colt and gelding ranks, while Miss Jum Jabber, who defeated 2025 division champion Loua Dipa last week at Philly, heads the contending fillies. Free Pocono programs pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.
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