Pinto power prevails at Pocono

WILKES-BARRE PA — The rare sight of a pinto harness racing trotter in a winner’s circle happened at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono on Tuesday afternoon, as Jakarta Partygirl (Googoo Gaagaa) came out best in a four-horse battle to break her maiden in 1:58.2.

Jakarta Partygirl, a three-year-old out of the Larks Crown mare Fancy Starlark, is registered as a “pinto” filly, which is officially defined as a horse with white and another color as major body colors (“piebald” would refer to white and black-bodied horses). She is trained and was driven by Åke Svanstedt (about whom more later) for Knutsson Trotting Inc. (Interestingly, the filly did not retain her original name, which was Mizz Magoogoo.)

Jakarta Partygirl had failed to hit the board in six career starts, but here Svanstedt could wait until the three-quarters to guide her outside, and she worked to the lead then held off closer Chase My Lindy by a head, with pacesetter Southern Autumn another half length back in third and pocketsitter Myreanna a further three-quarters of a length behind in fourth.

A two-year-old trotting filly of special interest to fans of elite trotting – Emira Mil IT, a daughter of Face Time Bourbon out of Sunshine Bi (by Varenne) – made her debut for Svanstedt, and after cutting the pace she held on for a dead-heat for first with the pocketsitter, Gina’s On Fire (by Cantab Hall out of a Muscle Hill mare, trained and driven by Todd Schadel), in 1:58.3. This is the third dead-heat to win in the last twelve cards (a span of 138 races) at Pocono.

Flyingdrumsticks S, a baby filly by Muscle Hill out of the From Above mare Timbral, reaches back to Svanstedt’s homeland, and she was successful in her purse bow, finding her best strides in the stretch to debut as a 1:57.4 winner. Svanstedt completed a perfect day in four starts while wearing the colors of Diamond Creek Farms, as the Muscle Hill – Atonement (by Father Patrick) colt Challenger was a pocket rocket in his purse bow, stopping the timer in 1:57.3.

FINISHING LINES – At Harrah’s Philadelphia on Tuesday morning , a pair of top-caliber three-year-old pacing fillies won impressively in qualifying action for trainer Jim King Jr. and driver Tim Tetrick. The Captaintreacherous miss Captain Cowgirl finished on top in 1:53, back fractions :54.3 – :27, while the Sweet Lou filly Lyons Serenity was first home in 1:53.2, back half :55.1.

For complete race results, click here.

From PHHA / Pocono