WILKES-BARRE PA – They were three-wide to the quarter in the $21,500 trotting feature Sunday night at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, and they were three-wide the length of the stretch as well, with the Kadabra four-year-old harness racing gelding Say You Do taking his fifth straight victory in 1:52.2.
The three involved early were railsitter Scirooco Rob, Very Very Fast between horses, and favored Winning Shadow three-wide in a :27 opener, with the last-named circling to the front past Scirocco Rob nearing the 3/8, going on to the half in :55.2. Very Very Fast, who backed off to tuck at the quarter, made a second move raw at the 5/8, with Say You Do moving to follow the cover, and the front ones hit the three-quarters in 1:23.4.
The early hard journey struck Winning Shadow first, as he faded in early stretch as Very Very Fast went by. Scirocco Rob ducked to the Pocono Pike, while Say You Do fanned wide for driver Tyler Buter to set up the three-way stretch battle, and it was not until the last 50 feet that Say You Do finally got the lead, winning by a nose over Very Very Fast, with another picture needed to separate that one from Scirocco Rob for second.
Say You Do, who had won three straight at The Meadowlands before winning a Tioga start prior to his Pocono invasion, has used this streak to run his 2019 tally to 8-for-10 for trainer Todd Buter and Oldfield Racing LLC.
"Team T. Buter" then completed a sweep of the featured trots on the card when the Tyler-driven, Todd-trained Muscle Massive gelding Two AM caught favored Mississippi Storm late in 1:52.4. Two AM overcame the outside post eight with a sharp start, yielded in front of the stands to Mississippi Storm, then came back outside after that one in the lane and went on to a half length triumph. The winner of $411,605 has now won four of his last five at the mountain oval for Buter Farm Inc., Lynette Buter, and William and Carol Fuhs.
PHHA / Pocono