WILKES-BARRE PA – Besides the three races for three-year-olds that should help establish current “pecking rights” within their respective divisions – the $500,000 Battle of the Brandywine for colt pacers, the $500,000 Colonial for colt trotters, $350,000 Valley Forge for three-year-old filly pacers, the harness racing card at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono on Saturday night was overloaded with further speedy contests, including consolation events for the sophomores and Invitationals for the older set.
BATTLE OF THE BRANDYWINE
$200,000 Consolation I
Dr J Hanover, the impeccably-bred (Somebeachsomewhere-So Perfect) $300,000 yearling, streaked to his sixth straight victory in taking the $200,000 Consolation I in 1:50.1, lowering his mark by over a second and a half. Scott Zeron sent the late-developing colt to the lead well before the 26.1, then let quarter-mover JJ Flynn brush around him to the top in front of the stands, that one putting up middle fractions of 55.2 and 1:23.
Zeron had Dr J Hanover out and on the bit just past midturn to go after the pacesetter, with third-inside Safensound Hanover dipping down to the Pocono Pike as JJ Flynn backed off a bit, giving “Dr J” his biggest challenge. But the good Doctor, at 3-1 the third choice here, stayed strong to the wire, winning by a length, with JJ Flynn another 1½ lengths back in third. Tony Alagna conditions the winner, improving greatly with every start, for Brittany Farms, Marvin Katz, John Cancelliere, and Dr J Partners.
$100,000 Consolation II
Nocturnal Bluechip was hustled out of the gate by driver Tim Tetrick, yielded to favored Spider Man Hanover to sit the pocket, the stormed up the famed Pocono Pike to be an easy winner in the $100,000 Battle Consolation II in 1:51.2. After opening in 26, Spider Man Hanover got a relative breather on the lead, posting middle fractions of 55.1 and 1:23, but he came up empty in the lane, and Nocturnal Blue Chip stormed up the inside to win by 1 ¼ lengths; 35-1 shot Inspiration View, four-wide headstretch and still sixth 100 feet out, was along for second, a half-length ahead of last year’s PA Sire Stakes Championship Ideal Jimmy, who also shot up the Pike. A son of Bettor’s Delight, Nocturnal Bluechip was sent off as the 5-2 second choice and delivered his first victory of the season for trainer Mark Steacy, also co-owner with NLG Racing Stable.
COLONIAL
$200,000 Consolation I
With three different leaders in the last 50 yards of the $200,000 Consolation II, it wasn’t until the shadow of the wire until the Yankee Glide colt Lagerfeld finally took final control to win by a neck over Iron Mine Bucky in 1:53.2, a personal best, with Hollywood Highway just another half-length back in third.
Iron Mine Bucky was out to the entire 27.4 quarter to get the lead, then hung early challenger Dominion Beach through fast middle splits of 55.2 and 1:23.3, with Hollywood Highway and Lagerfeld, racing 2-3 along the inside behind the duel, moving inside and outside, respectively, for the stretch drive.
Hollywood Highway surged to the lead midstretch but couldn’t sustain his bid, with Iron Mine Bucky fighting back to the front, but Yannick Gingras had enough trotter in the last strides to earn the triumph. Lagerfeld, who won the 2015 PA Sire Stakes Championship and a 9 to 2 proposition here, is trained by Jimmy Takter, and with this win he topped the half-million dollar mark careerwise, with his total now at $522,443 for the ownership of Christina Takter, John and Jim Fielding, and Herb Liverman.
$100,000 Consolation II
Mavens Way surged past stablemate Double L Lindy in the final strides to win the $100,000 Consolation II by a neck in 1:54.1. Lima Cadillac was third.
Driven by trainer Ake Svanstedt, Mavens Way won for the second time in seven races this year and pushed his seasonal earnings to $93,447. The colt is owned by Ake Svanstedt Inc., Mal and Janet Burroughs, T L P Stable, and Esa Hietakangas. The son of Muscle Hill-Doris Deo has won three of 16 lifetime starts and earned $141,724.
Mavens Way, the 9-5 favorite, was sixth in the first half of the race as Lima Cadillac took the field to the marker in :56.4. Mavens Way worked his way to the front heading around the last turn, but went wide and hung in the stretch, allowing Double L Lindy to take the lead on the inside. Mavens Way’s late burst, though, secured the victory.
VALLEY FORGE
$150,000 Consolation
Graceful Vision took the lead after the opening quarter, fended off a backstretch challenge from favorite Skinny Dipper, and cruised to a 5-1/4 length win in 1:50.3 in the $150,000 Valley Forge Consolation I. Heels On The Beach was second and Marty Party Two was third.
Marcus Miller drove Graceful Vision for his father, trainer and co-owner Erv Miller. The daughter of Yankee Cruiser-Vision Of Grace is also owned by John Koliopoulos. She has won four of 12 races this season and five of 16 lifetime, pushing her career earnings to $114,330.
Graceful Vision was sent off at odds of 7-2. The top four finishers were driven by Millers — with Brett Miller behind Heels On The Beach, David Miller with Marty Party Two, and Andy Miller with Arrow Hanover.
INVITATIONALS
$50,000 Hanover Shoe Farms F&M Pace
Devil Child worked her way to the lead at the ¼ and went on to an easy frontstepping 1:49.1 victory in the $50,000 Hanover Shoe Farms Mare Invitational Pace. Hall of Famer David Miller got the daughter of American Ideal, favored at 3 to 5, to the front as they passed by the opening pole in 26, posted middle splits of 54.2 and 1:21.2, then drew off in the stretch to win by 2¼ lengths, with pocketsitting Sell A Bit N, second-longest shot in the field, holding off Medusa for second by a half-length. Devil Child, now a winner of two straight and three of her last four, posted both a new lifetime mark and a season’s record with the victory for trainer Chris Oakes, locked in a three-way battle for Rene Allard and Ron Burke for Pocono supremacy, and owner Susan Oakes and Crawford Farms while breaking the half-million dollar lifetime plateau, with her bankroll now at $520,199.
$50,000 Sebastian K Trot
The Mr Cantab gelding Homicide Hunter smashed the world record for four-year-old trotting geldings with a 1:50.1 victory in the $50,000 Sebastian K Invitational Trot. In fact, the only divisional world standard for 5/8-mile track that’s faster is the 1:49 all-time record, set in the older stallion division – by Sebastian K.
The most potent teaming at Pocono – driver George Napolitano Jr. and trainer Chris Oakes – were the sponsorship behind Homicide Hunter, who spotted third as Wings Of Royalty took the field to the lead in 26.3, then brushed to the top and reached the half after a slight breather in 55.3. After that, it was the rest of the field that was left gasping, as Homicide Hunter went to the ¾ in 1:22.4 and stayed strong to the finish, winning by four lengths while lowering the former divisional standard, co-held by 2015 divisional champ JL Cruze and Wind Of The North, both here at Pocono. Il Sogno Dream rallied for second up the inside to hit the wire a neck ahead of strong-closing Rose Run Parker behind Homicide Hunter, who also posted the fastest trotting mile of 2016 on all sizes of tracks, 1/5 faster than Resolve posted in a Meadowlands victory.
Homicide Hunter, who dominated the Indiana landscape in 2015 while winning 16 of 18 races and over $475,000, was purchased on July 1 by Crawford Farms Racing, and that purchase looks very astute right now, as Homicide Hunter boosted his bankroll to $655,999, with the prospects of more to come. (Hmmmm … Indiana … Wiggle It Jiggleit, Always B Miki, Freaky Feet Pete … Homicide Hunter?)
$50,000 PHHA Pace
Mel Mara made two early moves in commanding the front end, then held off the late charge of pocketsitter and Pocono-lover Luck Be Withyou to take the $50,000 Pennsylvania Harness Horsemen’s Association Invitational in 1:47.2, 2/5 of a second off the divisional world record (and all-time 5/8-mile track best) of 1:47 held by Sweet Lou and Always B Miki.
Corey Callahan left between horses with the seven-year-old son of Lis Mara, with Sunfire Blue Chip to his left and Luck Be Withyou to his right, and initially backed off to third as Luck Be Withyou, winner of the 2013 Breeders Crown Final and 2015 Franklin Final over the local red clay, circled up to the lead. But “Luck” was challenged by Mel Mara, the even-money chalk, past the 25.3 quarter and had the lead well before the 53.3 half, with Dealt A Winner coming first-over, affording Mel Mara no rest to a 1:20 ¾ clocking.
After the first-over tired, Luck Be Withyou pulled outside for the stretch drive and Sunfire Blue Chip went to the Pocono Pike to challenge the leader. But Mel Mara visibly dug in and summoned more when challenged, holding off Luck Be Withyou by a half-length, with Sunfire Blue Chip another length back in third. Dylan Davis trains the winner of $616,214 for Robert Cooper Stables LLC and J&T Silva Stables LLC.
PHHA / Pocono