PASS 2YO Consolations ignite the Pocono undercard

While most of the anticipation on a warm Saturday afternoon of harness racing at Pocono Downs was geared towards the $252,000 Pennsylvania Sires Stakes Championship 2YO Finals, the undercard wasn’t lacking for quality juvenile talent either.

Four $50,000 consolation finals were held for the respective two-year-old’s brackets and kicking things off in fine style was the Charlie Norris-trained juvenile trotting filly, Prospect Park (Father Patrick).

Partnered for the first time in her six race day starts with this season’s third most successful driver of winners, Matt Kakaley, the pair avoided the early burn and mistake makers, easing down onto the markers and out of trouble from a post position of seven.

Sitting fourth in the running line, Kakaley hooked the daughter of Father Patrick out around the field down the back the last time to comfortably find the top with a little over a quarter mile left to run.

Ihaveadream Da Vie (Andover Hall) and David Miller tried hard to haul in the 9/2 race favourite, but it was a comfortable win at the finish.

PROSPECT PARK REPLAY

Prospect Park is raced by Dr Ron F Nooteboom of the Netherlands, and his juvenile trotting filly stopped the clock in 1:56 flat for the mile.

Two races later, it was the turn of the juvenile pacing fillies with race favourite, Sea Shanty Hanover (Captaintreacherous) proving too strong for a small but select field of four.

The ever deadly combination of Ron Burke and David Miller were at their devastating best with Miller able to dictate terms and set them up for a sprint home after some soft middle fractions of 29.4 and 28.3 down the back.

In what really amounted to a sprint home, the daughter of Captaintreacherous who earlier in her campaign was a 1:52.2 winner at the Meadowlands, dug deep to withstand the late challenge of the Linda Toscano trained Pressure Cooker (Heston Blue Chip).

Sea Shanty Hanover stopped the clocked in 1:54.1 for a half length victory with a 27.4 last quarter proving too much for the chasing pack to overcome.

SEA SHANTY HANOVER REPLAY

She is now the winner of three races from six race day starts for her owners Burke Racing Stable Llc, Fredericktown, PA-William L Switala-James J Martin, Clarence Center, NY- Weaver Bruscemi Llc, Canonsburg, PA.

The first of the male consolations was contested by the juvenile trotters, with the Jim Campbell trained Executive Game showing what a huge loss Bar Hopping will be to the siring ranks of the future.

Partnered with the countries leading stakes earning driver, Tim Tetrick had the race favourite eased back into 6th on the running rail with the early speed leaving the pair little option from post seven.

Scott Zeron and Breezy Hall (Cantab Hall) were getting a soft time of things with middle fractions of 30.0 and 29.0, with Anke Svanstedt sensing the pair might be pinching things and extracting his charge, Poisonpoke (Greenshoe) from three back on the running rail to race first over.

This gave Tetrick and Executive Game a helmet to follow in the run home having worked forward to get handy, with the pair forced to work three wide entering the stretch with the Poisonpoke waving the white flag early.

EXECUTIVE GAME REPLAY

Breezy Hall and Scott Zeron opened up a sizeable margin turning for home, but the juvenile son of Bar Hopping was able to lasso them in the stretch, unwinding stylishly to reel in the tearaway leader by three-quarters of a length at the finish.

It was the fifth win on end for the Runthetable Stables bred and owned gelding, stopping the clock in 1:56.2 for the mile and a last quarter of 29.3 being good enough in the run home.

Last but certainly not least were the pacing males with the Per Engblom trained Hugh Heston (Heston Blue Chip) proving far too good for the opposition with an easy two length victory in the final consolation for the afternoon.

With Todd McCarthy in the bike, the pair were happy to be out of the early burn with a 26.2 lead quarter set up by War Machine (Sweet Lou), Lyons Rock (Captaintreacherous) and Swifty Lazar (Sweet Lou) all keen to be on the speed as they entered the stretch the first time round.

Sending the leading trio had spent some petrol, the aussie reinsman hooked Hugh Heston out from the running line to race first over and apply some pressure down the back stretch.

At the top of the stretch, Hugh Heston assumed command of the race and cleared away with a 28.4 last quarter setting up a 1:52.3 mile rate and a comfortable two-length victory.

HUGH HESTON REPLAY

The victory was career win number two from just six race day starts for the Per Engblom trained colt, who also has two third placings on the card also.

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

by Brad Reid, for Harnesslink