Ten divisions of Weiss Series held at Pocono Downs

WILKES-BARRE, PA – Sophomore harness racing pacers, ten $20,000 divisions strong, battled in the second preliminary round of the Bobby Weiss Series on Monday afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania. Six sections of males and four of females faced the starter, and in exactly half the races for each sex, a first-round prelim winner emerged with a second victory.

Fastest mile of the day was the 1:51.4 lifetime best by the Captaintreacherous colt Captain Caveman, and his achievement garners extra gloss when it is noted that it was achieved over a “good” track that gradually dried out and became “fast” before the day’s action was halfway through. Captain Caveman parlayed a pocket trip and a dash up the Pocono Pike to victory for the second straight week for driver Tyler Buter, trainer Robert Cleary, and owner Robert Corrigan.

CAPTAIN CAVEMAN REPLAY

The Bettor’s Wish gelding Bonaparte, who saw his 1:51.3 victory last week remain the Weiss standard for this group, overcame the outside post to double up in the Weiss, here in 1:53.2 for driver George Napolitano Jr. (top pilot on the day with four wins and a winner in both male and female Weiss action), trainer Richard Johnson, and owner Guy Gemore. Completing the group of three-year-old males posting two Weiss wins was the American Ideal gelding Howlenthehills, who turned back two previous series winners while taking a new mark of 1:52.1 for Symmetry Stables LLC.

BONAPARTE REPLAY

The team behind Howlenthehills, driver Matt Kakaley and trainer Travis Alexander, also clicked with the Huntsville gelding Reggie The Fourth, who broke his maiden in 1:53 on a good track for Fiddler’s Creek Stables LLC.

Driver Braxten Boyd, who also enjoyed Weiss success with both sexes, brought home the 24-1 Captain Crunch colt Southwind Celsius, who hadn’t hit the board in five previous tries but here came up big in a 1:52.2 mile for trainer Mark Ford and the partnership of David Hamm, Glenn Phillips, and Pit Bull Stable LLC. Completing the male Weiss winners was the Courtly Choice colt Supplemental Fee, who reduced his mark to 1:53 for driver Simon Allard and trainer Blake MacIntosh, the latter co-owner with Tim Klemenic, Ozzie Mackay, and Tim Dickieson.

SOUTHWIND CELSIUS REPLAY

The two-time success stories among the Weiss fillies were Whassup Hanover and Beautiful Roz. Whassup Hanover gave sire Captaintreacherous the day’s quickest winner for each sex while tying her mark of 1:54.2 (taken in the first Weiss leg, best for the ladies so far) for driver Jason Bartlett and trainer Eric Ell, the latter co-owner with Lisa Ell, while the Always B Miki miss Beautiful Roz, a $270,000 yearling, overcame a rough path to reach the winners circle in 1:54.3 (a lifetime best, taken while the track was still “good”) for driver Jack Pelling, trainer/father Brett Pelling, and the combine of Melvin Segal, Kentuckiana Racing Stable, and Bud Hatfield.

WHASSUP HANOVER REPLAY

George Napolitano Jr. and Braxten Boyd were both mentioned above as having a win in the Weiss competition for both sexes. Boyd put a maiden mark of 1:55.1 on the Sweet Lou filly Clairedelou for trainer Mark Ford and owner David Hamm and Glenn Phillips (all also enjoying a triumph on both the male and female side); while “George Nap” ran the recent record of the Captaintreacherous miss Varsity Blue Chip to five wins in six starts, tallying in 1:56 for trainer Ashley Bako and the partnership of NLG Racing Stable and Stephen Klunowski.

CLAIREDELOU REPLAY

The breakneck racing pace doesn’t diminish a bit when Pocono reopens for business at 1 p.m. Monday: there will be four second round divisions of the Weiss Series for trotting colts, and six $9000 cuts of the final prelim of the Game Of Claims Pacing Series for horses tagged at $15,000. Free Pocono programs are obtainable at www.phha.org.

For complete race results, click here: US Trotting Results

From the PHHA / Pocono Downs