Some of the harness racing world’s biggest stars as 2-year-olds a year ago came out to play at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono in Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Competition last week and there were also two more thrillers held on Saturday night in the Great Northeast Open pacing series. These have been detailled for you by Jerry Connors.
Connors’ Comments on all races at POCONO DOWNS — SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2018
FIRST RACE – Stretch headbreeze to start, intensifying a bit at times … I’M A BIG DEAL stepped right to command, yielded 5/16 but was quickly on the retake, and was a runaway train in the last 3/8. GRAND TETON was caught in, dropped to the deep Pocono Pike and was along for the distant second over WHOS BETTER. The latter filled a hole early, gapped the pocket horse a bit from the 5/8 to the 7/8, to the Pocono Pike, caught to his inside for second. POINTS NORTH left and gradually worked forward past the quarter to the lead 5/16, relinquished for the pocket, couldn’t keep up from before the 5/8. SOMETIMESAWINNER was outside with cover early then dropped in fourth, came uncovered at the half but raced alongside the pocket horse, not near the leader, most of the rest of the way. STARVIN MARVIN was very rough early, suffered “b.e.” ALEPPO HANOVER moved second-over but couldn’t go with these.
SECOND RACE – LEGION OF BOOM was three-wide to the 1/8 then two-wide past a taxing quarter for the top, yielded to sit in the golden seat behind two duelers, to the Pocono Pike, gradually worked by the game WALKS OF LIFE in a slowing last ¼. The latter left, forced the big opener, yielded but retook, was joined by the first-over not much past the half and saw that one have a slight advantage the third quarter but wouldn’t cede the rail, fought back to the lead, outpaced late after a hard mile; claimed for the ninth straight race. MR FANTASY had some speed, slipped out second-over at the half, three-wide midturn, not far off at all. VERDAD left between horses and tucked, stayed in, went deep in the Pike, had some pace while possibly in tight quarters. DRUNKEN TERROR came out early but gapped, wound up third-over, three-wide with cover while blindswitched on the far turn, not all that much late. JK HEAVEN SENT was last, tried to rally four-wide but had too far to come. CORNER CON ARTIST brushed uncovered from before the 3/8 and applied high heat to the winner while having a short lead most of the third quarter, couldn’t sustain in the lane. KINGSLEY B never got a call.
THIRD RACE – ROCKIN RON left sharply and got command 3/16, rated the half, looked like he had shaken off the first-over and opened a couple of lengths, but may have been a little tired at the end and was glad the wire came when it did, giving Matt Kakaley his first victory since his March mishap. ROCKEYED OPTIMIST started uncovered 3/8 and went up on the grind, fell back a little late turn, but then showed renewed vigor and lost by the smallest of margins. MAXDADDY BLUE CHIP was last when moving outside 11/16 and soon was three-wide, gained three-wide on the turn, finished with abandon but came up just a hair shy. BETTOR MEMORIES left enough to protect the pocket, not quite enough at crunch time. CHRISTEN ME N sat in, not prominent. FEELING CAM LUCKY was outleft and stuck outside the mile, gained cover 3/8 and stayed right with it, blindswitched late turn, stayed in the hunt until late. AWESOMENESS was third-over, also blindswitched, not a late factor.
FOURTH RACE – DORSODURO HANOVER was three-wide leaving, then two-deep until getting the lead just past the 1/8, yielded to sit the pocket, to the Pocono Pike, surged midstretch and got past THIS IS THE PLAN. The latter pushed the leader early, yielded, came just before the ¼ to take charge of the throttle, raced well but got caught. PRO BEACH spotted third, couldn’t go with the top two in the stretch but stayed on with pace. PEDRO HANOVER was second-over, three-wide headstretch, finished well. CAPTAIN DEO tucked, started the outer tier towards the half, never got closer than the leader’s wheel, fell back some. RECORD MACHINE (off the gate) and CLOSING STATEMENT couldn’t go with these tonight.
FIFTH RACE – MACH IT SO yielded the early lead then quarter-moved to command, had an open lead from the 5/8, when the pocket horse started to gap, until midstretch, then may have tired and that, along with the bigtime speed of the closers, saw the open margin shrink considerably late. BETTOR’S EDGE was third-over, swung four-wide in the stretch and finished in overdrive, impressive. CHECK SIX was second-over, three-wide midturn, also moving well late. BOSTON RED ROCKS was last, came up the inside for the next check. DR J HANOVER made the lead 3/16 in a 26 opener then yielded to the winner to sit the two-hole, unplugged 5/8. BARIMAH A was outleft and settled third 3/16, moved raw at the half but couldn’t get close to the winner. MEL MARA showed little.
SIXTH RACE – I LIKE DREAMIN used the pole to maximum advantage, forced tucks and set his own pace, stayed safe late. TWOMACSONESHADOW settled into the pocket early, came out headstretch, gained a little but was not really threatening. BETTOR’S WESTERN spotted, then backed out midturn, sent four-wide into the stretch and was moving very well at the wire. FOX VALLEY HERBIE kept a hole closed early, evenly late. CONCUR was parked with cover early then dropped back into the 4-hole, Pocono Pike, evenly. SUNSHINE WEST backed out to second-over just past the half, went three-wide on the far turn but couldn’t gain enough. KING OF THE CROP started uncovered from next-to-last 3/8, didn’t reach the winner before fading. GIVEN UP TERROR was off of the first turn, left a big gap down the back, caught the tail end of the field widest.
SEVENTH RACE – RONNY BUGATTI decided to move after the ¼ after a foe broke 3/16, was kept out almost to the second turn until making the front, created small gaps throughout the field with a 27.2 third quarter, then kept RUFO at bay. The latter left strongly for the lead, tussled with WAR-N-MUNN until that one broke 3/8, then pushed the winner some before yielding, sat the pocket, outside early stretch, performed very well. SOME PLAYA came uncovered off the second turn then picked up cover 5/8, three-wide swinging into the stretch, won a photo for show over LONE WOLF TERROR. The latter stayed inside, went to the Pocono Pike, fair. NOX VEGAS BLUECHIP briefly inherited the pocket 3/16 after a foe broke, moved up raw 5/8 to challenge, faded. ONEISALONELYNUMBER was not prominent. MUSTANG ART was no factor from third-over. WAR-N-MUNN left very quickly and was head-to-head with RUFO 3/16 when making a break.
EIGHTH RACE — RUB OF THE GREEN N got in the flow third-over, three-wide much of the far turn, gradually worked his way by HUG THE WIND N. The latter was three-wide 3/16 then was in a vicious duel for the top with TULLOW N resulting in a very fast 1/4 and 1/2, then absorbed pressure from the first-over, held staunchly. THOUGHTYOUDLIKEIT was last most of the way, had to go way wide and finished very strongly. TE KAWAU N followed the cover of the winner, OK but not quite enough. ALL IT TAKES stayed in, to the deep Pocono Pike, not that much. TULLOW N left between horses to 3/16 command, pushed the place horse very hard before yielding 3/8, struggled to stay tight from the 9/16. DERECHO left some, showed little thereafter. ALL WEEK was second-over, badly blindswitched and shuffled, but little once clear. ARQUE HANOVER came first-over towards turn two, challenged, but faded in the last quarter.
NINTH RACE – NOCTURNAL BLUE CHIP made the front 3/16 in a 26 opener, set the pace, was rocked the last 1/8 and never appeared in trouble. DOJEA SOLO was first on the lead then yielded to sit the pocket, gave a good effort in the lane but was second-best. BLOW A CLOUD N had cover leaving, then worked into the 4-hole near the ¼, best of the rest in a photo over URBAN RENEWAL, who avoided sluggish outer tiers. THEREISAPACEFORUS had non-beneficial cover third-over, stacked widest, did get the last check. THE ONLYEST ONE was first-up going to turn two, moved quickly to the leader off that bend, but couldn’t sustain his speed in the last quarter. CHINA KING never got anything going. TEMPSTER HANOVER gapped at the back. SPEED AGAIN was second-over, gapped down the back, three-wide mid-far turn but couldn’t gain.
TENTH RACE – WES DELIGHT left the gate with good speed, yielded past the ¼, sat the pocket until coming out headstretch, got the lead deep stretch then held on over LOST IN TIME. The latter tucked fourth 3/16, came out uncovered at the 5/8, never got within two lengths of the leader until into the stretch, but finished with great determination to just miss. STAY HUNGRY was looped out of the gate, worked to the front 5/16, rated Q2 then went faster in Q3, held on until the penultimate pylon. NUTCRACKER SWEET tucked fifth then was second-over, not enough in the lane. HARDEN HANOVER left well, sat third-in, right to the Pocono Pike as the pocketsitter pulled, but couldn’t gain. THE OTHERS did not factor in the major action.
ELEVENTH RACE –MAJOR TRICK pushed out very fast from the pole and forced a 25.4 quarter, relinquished but then retook, was challenged by gradually more horses later in the mile but held together very well after the very quick fractions. THAT’S MY OPINION was second-over, gapped a bit down the back but was tighter by the ¾, three-wide midturn, kept coming but just failed to get there. DAVID’S DREAM was last with cover, came widest in the lane and gained well as the pace slowed. COWBOY TERRIER was fourth-over, advanced in a two-wide blindswitch on the turn, never could find full stretch clearance while with horse. ALTA JEROME N was three-wide past the 1/8 and two-wide past a sizzling 25.4 opener for the lead, yielded and sat the pocket, struggled to stay tight down the back and around the turn, but continued on gamely though not gaining late. SPINARAMA left between horses, took third to the 3/16, stayed in, Pocono Pike, not much late response. ROCK ON PRECIOUS was third-over, followed cover two- and three-wide, but couldn’t muster much late. CYCLONE KIWI N left behind a battling threesome for the 4-spot, out 3/8 uncovered, pressed the leader hard in the third quarter, tired some. ARTIE B SPEED sat in, had no clear path in the lane.
TWELFTH RACE – CHARMBRO CURIOSITY was looped, three-wide to the 3/16, then two-wide until tucking past the quarter, soon again uncovered, briefly had cover 5/8 then kept going forward raw, grabbed the lead 7/8 and won easily. MAINLAND KEY N outleft everybody from PP9, yielded past the ¼, made a small break in the pocket at the half and was taken inside the pylons, got back on stride, taken back to last and re-entered the course 3/4, came four-wide late turn and made a remarkable comeback to pass everybody but one; however, after an inquiry he was placed last for an extended period inside the pylons. WHO DAT LOVE sat in, eased off the rail into a blindswitch midturn, steadily. A AND C ARTIST came out in a blindswitch on the far turn then angled all the way back down to the Pocono Pike, had some gain. DADDY LET ME DRIVE was in the outer flow but gapped. HRUBYS AND LUCK also was two-wide but couldn’t keep up. JIMMY C R had a forward spot, inherited the pocket at the half, went on with it 5/8 and cleared to the lead, battled with the winner on the turn, then gave way significantly. RUSTY CARTER was four-wide most of the 1/8, pressed forward to 5/16 command, challenged down the back and readily gave way.
THIRTEENTH RACE – DYNAMIC EDGE was first to command, yielded, sat in third, got to the Pocono Pike as the pocketsitter went to the lead after the pacesetter bore out, enough up the inside for the victory. ROUNDTOWN ROCKER was outside then gapping a bit, wide in the stretch and gaining rapidly late. SUCH AN ANGEL left between horses to ¼ command, yielded for the two-hole, had a clear path as the leader bore out headstretch and went to the lead, passed on both sides late. CAULFIELD followed the place horse and also came on from way out of it (first half = 56, second half = 59.1). VALLEY OF SIN moved out off the second turn, got cover 5/8, tailed it, pushed wide early stretch, steadily but flattened a little in the last 1/16 after a tough trip. FLEET BUMBLEBEE went uncovered 5/8, gained on the leader, then had to check fairly sharp as that foe bore out and put a wheel under, fell back after that. HEMI SEELSTER was three-wide to the 1/8, had cover to the ¼ hen uncovered again to the lead nearing the 3/8, set the pace after hard usage, tired 7/8 and bore out into the lane. DELCREST MASSY had trouble keeping up.
FOURTEENTH RACE – REBELLIOUS was away last, but got into a good flow and went up third-over, four-wide headstretch, had a giant last 1/16 (his own last ¼ = 26.4), much better than most $85 shots, and sailed by late. RIGGLE WEALTH took control past the 1/8, looked in control much of the lane, but couldn’t muster enough sustaining speed despite encouragement. BABY KITTY did well to be second-over from next-to-last and advanced, three-wide, very good but outkicked. HITMAN HILL stayed inside, to the Pocono Pike, good but was outpaced late. IDEAL COWBOY went to the top then yielded for the pocket, couldn’t gain late. JOHNNY Q started the outside flow going to turn two, gained from sixth to second while uncovered in the third quarter, but his gaining halted on the far turn. ASCOT ENCOUNTER A was shuffled back to last, moved out but couldn’t get into the main fight. MIKE’S Z TAM was inside, little late.