Stakes action aplenty at Pocono

WILKES-BARRE PA – The John Simpson Sr. stakes series continued on Saturday afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, with $120,000 divided equally among four divisions of the Albatross three-year-old pace for males, and $117,010 distributed in three divisions of the Davidia Hanover for two-year-old trotting females.

Driver Tyler Buter, leading pilot on the day at Pocono with four visits to Victory Lane, teamed with trainer Nifty Norman for two wins among the stakes males.

They both fulfilled he basic “blueprint” of the day’s stakes winners – be well-supported by the public, and race on or near the lead, that decision sometimes influenced by strong winds that varied in direction during the day.

The faster of the Buter/Norman successes were the Always B Miki gelding Its Saturday Night, who took a new mark of 1:51 on this Saturday afternoon. Its Saturday Night, the second choice, was used to make the lead, then pushed favorite Rush In to clear to the half and then sit a pocket journey.

Buter kept the sophomore in behind the favorite until early stretch, then moved him out and ran down the chalk to win by the shortest possible margin for Dune Road Stables LLC.

ITS SATURDAY NIGHT REPLAY

The second of the pairing’s winners was the Bettor’s Wish gelding Wish You Well, who fit the “blueprint” in the opposite way from his stablemate: he was the favorite, and hr set the pace, getting his own fractions and holding on by a neck over the potential pocket rocket De La Hoya Hanover by a neck in 1:52.3. The winner, owned by Kovach Stables LLC, has now earned $485,440, tops among the card’s stakes winners.

WISH YOU WELL REPLAY

Sire Bettor’s Wish got a second credit in this section when the gelding Arbitrage Hanover won for the ninth time in twelfth starts during 2024. Jack Pelling kept the favorite behind leading second choice Maxim Hanover for the meat of the mile, then turned his own last quarter in :27 to get home first by 2¾ lengths in 1:51.4 for trainer/father Brett Pelling and owners Pelling Racing LLC, Rojan Stables and Bridle Path Stables LTD.

ARBITTRAGE HANOVER REPLAY

The fastest Albatross winner was the Huntsville gelding Huntingforchrome, who shone in 1:50 while steaming home from the two-hole to catch Vengeance Blue Chip, bet to 1-2 vs. Huntingforchrome’s 2-1, by 1¾ lengths. The potent Pocono pairing of driver Matt Kakaley and trainer Travis Alexander combined to get a winning performance for NY Seb Inc.

HUNTINGFORCHROME REPLAY

The Davidia Hanover also saw a double win situation for a driver-trainer combo – driver Ridge Warren and trainer Marcus Melander, and again following the normal pattern of the day. The Gimpanzee-Zeta Wise AS miss and favorite Mimosatomartini S made every pole a winning one, setting her own pace then holding the pocketsitter Swoop by a half-length in 1:56.3 for Courant Inc.

MIMOSATOMARTINI REPLAY

Warren/Melander success also came to the Maharajah– Hot Mess Hanover filly Margareta Hanover, the odds-on favorite, in 1:56.4. Margareta Hanover was just behind a prolonged duel between pacesetter Halfadozen and Bouquet, then responded quickly when taken to the Pocono Pike and won by 1¼ lengths over the uncovered dueler for owner Russell Williams.

MARGARETA HANOVER REPLAY

The fastest filly stakes winner broke her maiden while winning her cut in 1:56.2 – the Southwind Frank – Musical Morning miss Hangover. The winner’s five-horse field saw two horses break early and one starting to gap early, so this race was basically matchup between the winner and leading Princess Jackie, with the winner rallying to  a three quarters of a length margin on the money for driver George Napolitano Jr., trainer Åke Svanstedt, and the partnership of  Åke Svanstedt Inc., Joe Sbrocco &  JAF Racing LLC, Little E LLC, and Rivers Stable Inc. (And if we said that the winner was the third choice, especially in a five-horse field, the race still did follow the “bluepoint”: the favorite, who broke, was 3-2, the pacesetter was 8-5, and the winner was 9-5!).

Free Pocono program pages are or will be available here.

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

From the PHHA / Pocono Downs