WILKES-BARRE PA – The Trixton sophomore filly Golden Tricks, developing rapidly for the Ake Svanstedt harness racing stable, won her second straight race and lowered her lifetime speed mark to 1:54 in winning the $15,000 featured trot at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono during the Tuesday twilight card.
Eric Carlson got the catch-driving assignment from Svanstedt and kept the winner in the second half of the field to the half as Town Hall Justice cut out fractions of :26.4 and :56.2, then made a big backstretch move that brought her to the pacesetter by the 1:24.3 three-quarters. Golden Tricks was by the leader in a matter of steps and drew off to be clear by 3½ lengths at the finish for owners Brixton Medical Inc., whose filly was third in a New Jersey Sire Stakes Final in only her third lifetime start and is regaining peak form approaching the first of August
In a $14,000 pace for mares, Rockin The Boys A posted her second straight victory, taking a North American speed mark of 1:51.1. George Napolitano Jr., a five-time winenr on the card, sent the Rock N Roll Heaven mare to the lead and through early fractions of :27.1 and :56.2, then got her to step consecutive :27.2 quarters home to defeat Bye Bye Michelle by 1¾ lengths and boost her lifetime earnings to $101,453. Andrew Harris conditions the winner for Cool Cat Racing Inc.
A couple of $13,000 races for two-year-old trotters caught the eye, promising to deliver stakes performers in the near future. First up was a field of fillies, with Impressive Fashion, a daughter of Father Patrick out of Impressive Kemp (a Breeders Crown winner here and a half-sister to Hambletonian winner Trixton), sent out to the lead by driver David Miller and cutting fractions of :28.4, 1:00.1, and 1:29.1.
Impressive Fashion had a lead of a couple of lengths nearing headstretch when she suddenly bore out to about the 3½-wide path (towards the headstretch Pocono paddock), giving her rivals what looked like a second life. But Miller got the filly, in her purse debut, corrected, and she took off again to win in 1:58, 1½ lengths ahead of Aperfectcrystal, for trainer Jim Campbell and Fashion Farms LLC.
18 minutes later, in a baby event for males, it was deja vu all over again for Miller, Campbell, and Fashion Farms, as pacesetter Steel Schooner, a Possess The Will – Broadway Schooner gelding and a ¾ brother to champion Broadway Donna, set the pace in :28.3, :59.3, and 1:28.4. Then, in about the same spot where Impressive Fashion started to bear out – so did Steel Schooner.
Steel Schooner did not go as wide as his stablemate, again with Miller's quick handling, but lurking in the pocket was favored Paulie Walnuts, an Andover Hall colt out of D Liteful Hanover, a half-sister to Donato Hanover. "Paulie" took advantage of this opportunity, winning by a half-length over his resurgent foe in 1:57.2, a tick off the North American season's mark, for trainer Gareth Dowse and owner Howard Taylor.
Paulie Walnuts — Curtis Salonick photo
Last night one favorite and ten second choices were victorious; tonight ten favorites and one second choice won.
Jerry Connors