The Downs Week in Review

HARNESS RACING PACER OF THE WEEK: JACK’S LEGEND N

It was an accomplished group of pacers that left the gate in the $19,200 featured condition pace at Pocono on Saturday. Shoobee Doo A had won in the class the previous week, Hickfromfrenchlick was moving up after an impressive victory, and Elver Hanover, who went off as the 8-5 favorite, was fresh in from tough competition at the Meadowlands. As for Jack’s Legend N, he was coming off two straight wins: one at Harrah’s and then one in this class at Pocono on May 29.

In the race on Saturday, Hickfromfrenchlick set the pace, Elver Hanover sat the pocket, and Highalator came first-over. Jack’s Legend N, a 7-year-old gelding trained by Josh Green, followed the outside cover second-over before driver Jason Bartlett sent him out wide in the stretch. In a spirited battle, Jack’s Legend N just got up over Elver Hanover in the lane for the victory, his third straight, in 1:50:4.

JACK’S LEGEND N REPLAY

HONORABLE MENTION PACERS

• War-N-Munn (George Napolitano Jr., Daniel Maier), who scored his third straight claiming handicap win at Pocono on Saturday, delivering in 1:50:2.
• Curious Cortez (Anthony Napolitano, Marta Piotrow), who tore it up in a claiming handicap victory on Saturday to the tune of 1:49:1, a new career-best and the fastest pacing time of the week at Pocono.
• Gray Dragon (Mark MacDonald, John Butenschoen), who captured his second straight Tuesday afternoon featured condition pace this past week with a victory in 1:50:2.

TROTTER OF THE WEEK: DAZZLING REIGN

In recent weeks this three-year-old filly trained by Claude Huckabone III has been a tough customer in the Stallion Series, winning two of three, including her previous start at Pocono on June 6 in a career-best 1:54:1. On Sunday night Dazzling Reign returned to action in a Pennsylvania All-Stars race with a purse of $35,000. She was the 4-1 second choice between 1-5 favorite Love Muffin, a multiple Pennsylvania Sires Stakes winner this year.

Love Muffin predictably set the pace, but driver Todd McCarthy sent Dazzling Reign on a first-over path so that she could take her shot. The top two choices met in a frantic stretch duel and hit the line looking inseparable at first glance. But it was Dazzling Reign who came out on top in that photo, matching her career-best of 1:54:1 with her second straight stakes win at Pocono and her fourth win in five overall in 2021.

DAZZLING REIGN REPLAY

HONORABLE MENTION TROTTERS

• El Ideal (George Napolitano Jr., Ake Svanstedt, who shipped in from the Meadowlands on Saturday and picked up a condition win in 1:52:1, a new career-best and the fastest trotting time so far in the 2021 Pocono meet.
• Bella Bellini (Dexter Dunn, Nifty Norman), a three-year-old filly who followed up a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes win last week at Pocono with an All-Stars victory on Sunday night in 1:54.
• Kiss An Angel (Matt Kakaley, Anette Lorentzon), a three-year-old filly who picked up her third straight condition win at Pocono on Tuesday, matching her career-best of 1:56:1 in the process.

LONG SHOT OF THE WEEK: PREACHER MAN

This trotter romped his way to a condition victory on Sunday night with George Napolitano Jr. in the bike, despite being a 22-1 long shot, and paid off $47.80 on a $2 win ticket.

DRIVER OF THE WEEK: GEORGE NAPOLITANO JR.

The meet’s leading driver continued to dominate the action at Pocono over the past week, as George Nap led the driving community in wins on the card in three of the four racing days.

TRAINER OF THE WEEK: ROBERT BAGGITT JR.

You can’t do it much better than Baggitt did on Monday and Tuesday at Pocono, as he sent out four starters and three of them came back to the paddock with victories.

That will do it for this week at Pocono, but we’ll see you at the track. Feel free to e-mail me at jbeviglia@mohegansunpocono.com.

by Jim Beviglia, for The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono