Green Pastures captures Pocono feature

WILKES-BARRE PA – Green Pastures (Greenshoe) got to set a dawdling pace, was aided when the challenging favorite broke, and then came home in :27.2 to win the $15,000 featured harness racing trot in 1:55.3 on Sunday evening (Aug. 25) at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania.

Green Pastures, a sophomore gelding trained by Per Engblom, got the front relatively quickly; the second choice had Bella’s Musclehill, the favorite and second in his Hambletonian elimination, on his back. Jason Bartlett rested his horse as much as he could on the lead by setting fractions of :28.2, :59.1, and 1:28.1, with Bella’s Musclehill moving out of the two-hole at the three-quarters to try to go by.

Green Pastures accelerated; Bella’s Musclehill made a break trying to generate greater speed. Seven Reps, sitting third, came up the inside and posed a threat, but Green Pastures, coming off a 1:53.2 Pennsylvania Stallion Series victory, had too much left, winning by a half length under mild Bartlett coaxing. Green Pastures’ ownership consists of VIP Internet Stable LLC, Engblom Stable LLC, R A W Equine Inc., and Marco Greico.

GREEN PASTURES REPLAY

In a $12,500 co-feature, also on the trot, Breckenridge (Class Included) raised his career bankroll to $378,755 with a 1:53.4 victory. Driver Anthony Napolitano made a quick move down the backstretch with his trotter to get the lead, then kept right on going in winning by 3¼ lengths for trainer Lance Hudson and owner William Hartt.

BRECKENRIDGE REPLAY

Doubles were posted by drivers Jason Bartlett, Matt Kakaley, Marcus Miller, and Anthony Napolitano, and by trainer Per Engblom.

This is the final Sunday card during the 2024 racing season at Pocono; racing reverts to a Saturday-Monday-Tuesday schedule at 1 p.m. There will be a double carryover into the last race High 5 wager for the Monday card. Free Pocono programs are or will be available at www.phha.org.

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

From the PHHA / Pocono