Pocono week in review, April 21-28, 2018

It took about a month's worth of harness racing action, but we finally received an extended stretch of lovely weather over the past week at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono. I must admit it was nice to be able to throw the window open wide and feel the fresh air while I called the races. I'm guessing that the horses and horsemen felt the same way about the weather, as they responded with some fantastic performances, many of which we will highlight in this week's edition of the Weekly Awards.

PACER OF THE WEEK: CHEVALS CLIVESDALE

This 9-year-old gelding trained by Jose Godinez has certainly found a nice home here at Pocono. Chevals Clivesdale started out the year in New York facing tough condition and Open competition, but he came up short of any victories. That quickly changed when he showed up at Pocono on Opening Night and scored a victory in a $14,000 condition pace in 1:52:4. He didn't follow it up very well, however, finishing 8th in the same class two weeks later and then seventh in an Open Handicap at Saratoga on April 7.

On April 14, he was dropped down into a $12,500 condition group at Pocono, and, despite a tough #7 post, he worked out a pocket trip and won the race in a career-best 1:51. His next stop on Saturday night was his toughest challenge yet, as he stepped up in class to face the $17,500 featured condition pacers. Leaving from post position #3 in an eight-horse field as a 3-1 second choice, Chevals Clivesdale started fast and then ceded the lead around the first turn to Dancin Yankee, a decorated earner of over $1.6 million in his career and the 8-5 favorite.

That's the way it stayed until they reached the stretch. Chevals Clivesdale had been reserving his energy for the final portion of the race, and when driver Anthony Napolitano tipped him to the outside, he began to storm for home. Dancin Yankee couldn't hold him back, as Chevals Clivesdale powered on by to take the lead and, eventually, the win by a neck. He reset his career mark in the process with an impressive mile of 1:50:3, giving him two straight wins and three victories overall in the meet, each at a different level of competition.

Other top pacers this week include Art Scene (Simon Allard, Rene Allard), who captured Sunday night's featured condition pace in 1:49:3, a new career mark and the fastest pacing time so far in 2018 at Pocono; Strawb's Chippie (Simon Allard, Rene Allard), a mare who picked up her second consecutive claiming handicap victory on Monday night, this one coming in a career-best 1:52:3; and Fox Valley Cadet (George Napolitano Jr., Dennis Walsh), who picked up his third consecutive claiming victory on Tuesday night, this one coming in 1:53:3.

TROTTER OF THE WEEK: PERFECT STICK

A change of scenery has also seemed to ignite our Trotter of the Week. Perfect Stick, a four-year-old mare trained by Anette Lorentzon, hadn't done much in her time spent in New York to start 2018, hitting the board just once in five races. But upon arriving at Pocono for a non-winner of six trot on April 8, she immediately found her stride. Using a first-over brush on a chilly night, she blew by the pack and picked up a romping victory in 1:54:4, which was a new career-best time.

The mare was at it again in the same class this past Sunday night, leaving from post position #7 in a field of nine as a 6-5 betting favorite. Driver George Napolitano Jr. wisely kept Perfect Stick far away from a speed duel that percolated between Arch Credit and Whats The Word. That also meant a long journey to the front of the pack for the mare, which included a pair of times in which she was forced to move three-wide to advance.

Nonetheless, at the top of the stretch Napolitano had earned her a clear look at the tiring leaders. From there, Perfect Stick did the rest, rallying right by with the best stride in the stretch. She trotted away to win it in 1:54:2, thereby besting the career mark she had posted in her last race. Two in a row with two straight lifetime bests means that Perfect Stick is looking like one of the top trotters going forward in the 2018 meet.

Honorable mention on the trotting side goes to: Upfront Billy (George Napolitano Jr., Mark Ford), who picked up a condition win on Saturday night in 1:52:2, the fastest trotting time posted so far at Pocono in 2018; Sir John F (George Napolitano Jr., Gilberto Garcia-Herrera), who arrived from Yonkers and picked up a win in a condition trot on Saturday night in a career-best 1:53:1; and Myrna Myrna (George Napolitano Jr., Scott Betts), who picked up her second win in the Bobby Weiss series for distaff trotters on Tuesday night, doing so in a career-best time of 1:56:3.

LONG SHOT OF THE WEEK: JOHNNY Q

Despite coming into the race on a three-month layoff, this condition pacer with Austin Siegelman in the bike came up with a victory on Saturday night at 26-1, paying off $54.20 on a $2 win ticket.

DRIVER OF THE WEEK: GEORGE NAPOLITANO JR.

The 10-time driving champ at Pocono is starting to really heat up, as evidenced by his six wins on the card on Saturday night, more than any driver has picked up in a single evening so far this year.

TRAINER OF THE WEEK: GILBERTO GARCIA-HERRERA

Garcia-Herrera has been a Top Five trainer for the past several seasons at Pocono, and he's once again planted near the top of the standings in this meet, with a triple on Saturday night helping his cause.

That will do it for this week, but we'll see you at the track. Feel free to e-mail me at jbeviglia@mohegansunpocono.com.

Jim Beviglia