Long shot Crazy Cute takes blanket finish

WILKES-BARRE, PA – On a Sunday twilight card at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono where many frequent visitors to the local harness racing winners circle did so again, but at mutuels larger than their norms, perhaps the oddest trio following that trend – the nine-time seasonal winner Crazy Cute, the track’s leading driver George Napolitano Jr., and the track’s leading trainer Gilbert Garcia-Herrera – won the $19,300 distaff pacing feature as the 10-1 longest shot on the board.

The Art Major mare Crazy Cute had won her two previous starts before stepping up to this class last time and tiring after going uncovered to the lead at the 1:22.2 three-quarters, but the public abandoned her here in a competitive six-horse matchup where the favorite was at 2-1.

This week “George Nap” raced Crazy Cute off a hot (:54 to the half) pace, then swung off cover in the stretch and won a blanket finish by a head over Bye Bye Felicia, who won last time as the least-fancied of the public. Trainer Garcia-Herrera co-owns Crazy Cute, the winner of $238,950, with Barbara Arnstine.

CRAZY CUTE REPLAY

After holding their summer Championship last week, the amateur drivers of the American Harness Drivers Club were right back to work in seven days to start their fall series. Here it was Bob Krivelin, the only three-time Amateur Driver of the Year (2001, 2012, 2014), who got home first at 13-1 odds with Muay Hanover.

This Donato Hanover gelding, trained by Dan Gill for owners Edward and James Hall Jr., had had poor racing luck, but like Napolitano in the top purse race, Krivelin and Muay Hanover were able to work out a good journey behind a contested pace, then were along in 1:57.4.

MUAY HANOVER REPLAY

Feature winners Napolitano and Garcia- Herrera, along with Matt Kakaley and Anthony Napolitano, each had three winners on the card.

Monday’s 12:30 card at Pocono will be highlighted by an $11,200 fast-class trot, plus several events for developing two-year-olds. Program pages are available at www.phha.org/downsmsppps.html.

For full race results, click here.

From the PHHA/The Downs