WILKES-BARRE PA — The father/son harness racing team of trainer Robert Bongiorno and his driver/son Joe combined with 13-1 shot Meadowbranch Lulu to win the $30,000 Pennsylvania-sired three-year-old trotting filly feature Tuesday night at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
The younger Bongiorno positioned Meadowbranch Lulu, a daughter of Explosive Matter, second behind pacesetting Reigningblackswan, then proved to be a "pocket rocket" down the stretch, overhauling the leader by a length, with Northern Grace seven lengths further back in third. The winner took a new career mark of 1:54.3 for owners John DeVito and Rocco Manniello.
At press time, driver George Napolitano had posted four victories on the Tuesday Pocono card, bringing his North American-leading total to 703 for the year. His two nearest rivals, Aaron Merriman and two-time defending dash champion Ron Wrenn Jr., are both racing at Cleveland's Northfield Park, and at press time had posted two and three victories, respectively, so far in the evening, bringing the 2015 score as this is written to Napolitano 703, Merriman 693, Wrenn 666.
After trailing his two competitors virtually all year, Napolitano grabbed the top with an incredible week of 32 victories last Monday to Sunday, posting 15 triumphs in three cards at Pocono and 17 in four cards at Harrah's Philadelphia.
PHHA/Pocono