Dandy Ideal threatens track record with Pocono win

WILKES-BARRE PA – Dandy Ideal, a freshman American Ideal gelding out of OK Heavenly, won in “nw2” company during the Monday afternoon card at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania,, with his final time of 1:51.1 only three fifths of a second off the Pocono harness racing track record for his division, the 1:50.3 set by Yankee Bounty ten years ago.

Dandy Ideal, driven by Matt Kakaley for trainer Jenny Melander and owner Exceed Stables LLC, was wide early then spotted third before a :27 quarter, brushed to the lead in front of the stands and put up midsplits of :56 and 1:23.2, then closed out strongly in the speedy mile. Surprisingly, the 1:51.1 was not a mark for Dandy Ideal – he broke his maiden winning a NY Excelsior race at Vernon in 1:50.4.

DANDY IDEAL REPLAY

Another very fast mile came in a second-level conditioned pace, with the Somebeachsomewhere gelding Ideal Beach sticking close in the two-hole behind scorching fractions of :26.4, :54.4, and 1:22.4 put up by favored Pyrenees Hanover, then moving out for the drive and catching that foe by  a length while taking a mark of 1:50.1.

Ridge Warren guided the winner for trainer Bill MacKenzie and owners Alma Iafelice and Vincent Ali Jr.

IDEAL BEACH REPLAY

Matt Kakaley and George Napolitano Jr., who between them have won the last fourteen Pocono driving win championships (George eleven, Matt three including the last two), continue  to be 1-2 atop the 2024 standings, and each captured a division of the $15,000 trotting class. Kakaley made it two in a row in th faster split when the Cantab Hall three-year-old gelding Breezy Hall won in 1:54.4 for trainer Philip Scott Sonsteby and the partnership of Bay Pond Racing Stable and Philip Scott Racing Stable, while Napolitano parlayed a perfect second-over trip with Sir Hiss, a sophomore altered son of Muscle Hill, into a 1:56 victory for trainer Neal Ehrhart and owner Jaypaul Hoover.

For the day, Napolitano had four wins, Kakaley three.

The racing week closes out at Pocono with a 1 p.m. program on Tuesday; there will be four $15,000 features, two on each gait.

Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

For complete race results, click here: US Trotting results.

From the PHHA / Pocono