The Downs Week in Review

HARNESS RACING PACER OF THE WEEK: LOVE THE ACTION

Going on a long winning streak is never easy, but doing so in a tough class is a real test. In the case of Love The Action, he has managed to tear it up at Pocono against the $30,000 to $40,000 claiming handicap pacers, which is the highest claiming group on the grounds. Coming into his start on Saturday, he had won three straight, all since entering the barn of trainer Marta Piotrow.

Leaving from post position #5 in a field of nine on Saturday as a 6-5 favorite, Love The Action was hustled to the front early by driver Anthony Napolitano. From there, the six-year-old gelding endured several stiff challenges, including a game effort from Bell I No from the #9 post. But in the end, it was Love The Action still standing, scoring his fourth straight victory in 1:53:1 on a sloppy track.

LOVE THE ACTION REPLAY

HONORABLE MENTION PACERS

• Splash Brother (Mark MacDonald, Ray Schnittker), who moved up in class on Saturday for his second straight condition win at Pocono, getting it done in 1:51:4 in the slop.
• Regal Son (Jason Bartlett, Sabrina Shaw), who switched barns and still managed his second straight claiming handicap win on Saturday, this time in 1:53:3 in the sloppy going.
• Sweet Rockin Gia (George Napolitano Jr., Gilberto Garcia-Herrera), the mare who captured her second straight at Pocono and her third victory in a row over all with a condition/optional claimer win on Sunday night in 1:53:3 in the slop.

TROTTER OF THE WEEK: TSM PHOTO BUGGER

I’m not sure that a 14-year-old has ever taken the honors since I’ve started handing out these Pocono Weekly Awards over a decade ago. But nobody told TSM Photo Bugger he was supposed to ride quietly off into the racing sunset. The 14-year-old gelding trained by Karen Fread scored a victory on May 24 in 1:55:1 in a $9,900 condition trot for his first win of the season.

TSM PHOTO BUGGER REPLAY

Not content with that, TSM Photo Bugger moved up in class on Monday to face the $11,200 condition group, going off as a 5-1 choice. The veteran grabbed the early lead, lost it, then retook it from race favorite Nextroundsonme. In the stretch, driver Fern Paquet Jr. coaxed a little bit more oomph out of TSM Photo Bugger, who dug deep for the victory in 1:55:3, his second straight and the 59th of his long career.

HONORABLE MENTION TROTTERS

• Just Maybe The One (Anthony Napolitano, Susan Marshall), who overcame a #9 post to win his second straight claiming handicap on Sunday night, trotting the mile in 1:56:2 in the slop.
• Sunny Crockett (Andy Miller, Julie Miller), whose Stallion Series victory against other three-year-old male trotters in 1:54:4 on Monday was his third straight stakes victory, the last two of which have come at Pocono.
• Gerard (Simon Allard, James DeLucia), who picked up his third straight condition win, two of which have been at Pocono, on Tuesday in 1:55:1.

LONG SHOT OF THE WEEK: REIGNING DEO

In Tuesday’s featured condition pace, this gelding driven by Jack Pelling rallied for a stunner at 47-1, paying off $96.20 on a $2 win ticket.

DRIVER OF THE WEEK: JASON BARTLETT

Bartlett has been more of a regular than ever on the Pocono scene in 2021, and he enjoyed one of his best days at the track on Saturday with four victories on the card.

TRAINER OF THE WEEK: AKE SVANSTEDT

Svanstedt had it well-covered on Monday afternoon in the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes for three-year-old colts and geldings, as his trainees finished first and second in two of the three divisions.

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

by Jim Beviglia, for The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono