Powerful finish to Simpson Memorial stakes races

WILKES-BARRE PA – In winding up the John Simpson Sr. Memorial stakes races for the year at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on Monday afternoon, the dominant players were the sophomore trotter Sir Pinocchio (Met’s Hall), who achieved one distinction while just missing two others in winning a harness racing division for his group in 1:51.4; trainer Åke Svanstedt, who sent out the divisional winners in the other three of the three-year-old diamondgaited action; and the pairing of driver Tim Tetrick and trainer Jim King Jr., who swept the races for two-year-old pacing fillies.

In his division of the Ayres stake for his group, like the others carrying a $30,000 purse, the Met’s Hall gelding Sir Pinocchio made the lead early for driver Jason Bartlett and laid down rapid fractions of :27. :56.2, and 1:24.1, then came home in :27.3 to leave Bryant Bros S (yet another Svanstedt horse) 4½ lengths behind at the finish in the sensational win for trainer Ed Hart and owner Carolyn Atherton.

SIR PINOCCHIO REPLAY

The clocking, on a cool day, was just a tick behind the Pocono track record for three-year-old trotting geldings recorded by Pinkman in 2015. It also was just a fifth behind the fastest trotting mile of the year at the northeast Pennsylvania track, a clocking shared by Sig Sauer (the Breeders Crown winner this past Saturday) and Warrawee Michelle (yet another Svanstedtite who equaled the filly track mark in that time). The clocking did lower Sir Pinocchio’s lifetime record by a fifth.

Having already won the first three of the four divisions, the second-place check for Bryant Bros S meant the green, black, and white had to settle for $52,500 in stakes earnings, after winning two Crowns and $914,250 in Crown purses over the weekend.

Svanstedt himself drove two of the three Ayres winners from his barn: the faster was the front-ender Flying Kronos S, a Face Time Bourbon colt who flew home in :55.4 to win in 1:53, a new mark in a race where less than a length separated the first four finishers. Flying Kronos S is owned by Midnight Sun Partners Inc., Bruni Racing Team Inc., and Kronos Breeding Inc.

FLYING KRONOS S REPLAY

Åke also drove the Six Pack colt Mr Bluebird as he won in 1:54, also flying his back half in :55.4 in triumphing for Åke Svanstedt Inc., Little E LLC, and Torbjorn Swahn Inc. Svanstedt drove another horse in the other trotting section, so frequent local Svanstedt deputy George Napolitano Jr. had the winning steer behind the Walner colt Southwind Metric, who continued on after his cover broke to win by three-quarters of a length in a lifetime best 1:53.4 for Westergaard Inc.

MR BLUEBIRD REPLAY

The Razzle Hanover was the stake for the baby pacing misses, and it carried at total purse of $100,200. The first division saw the Jim King barn go 1-2, and the other saw him send out finishers one and three.

First up was the Bettor’s Wish – Mcsauna miss Royally Hot, who has now strung together stakes wins in the Keystone Classic at The Meadows, the Liberty Bell stakes at Philly, and here her Simpson division in 1:53.2. Working gradually to the lead, Royally Hot had to keep the burners on late as she needed a :26.4 last quarter to stave off her barnmate Lyons Benz by half a length for Tim Tetrick LLC.

ROYALLY HOT REPLAY

Pilar Hanover, a daughter of Papi Rob Hanover – Paula’s Best, also pulled off the Liberty Bell-Simpson double, authoritatively winning while recording a new lifetime speed mark of 1:51.2 for Jo Ann Looney-King and Paton Racing Inc. Beckoning Yankee got between the winner and her stablemate Lyons Anitasangel to thwart another 1-2 King finish.

The two multiple stakes-winning trainers were the only conditioners to have more than one win at Pocono on Monday, but no fewer than six drivers had a pair of victories: Jason Bartlett, Matt Kakaley, Napolitano Jr., Svanstedt, Tetrick, and Ridge Warren.

The current racing week concludes with a 1 p.m. card on Tuesday; there will be a carryover into the last race High 5 wager.

Free Pocono program pages are or will be available click here.

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

From the PHHA / Pocono Downs