It's a little bit hard to believe that we are heading into the month of September. First of all, it seems like the summer flew by. And second, the temperatures have remained so steamy in Northeast Pennsylvania that it doesn't seem possible that autumn is in the offing. But the calendar doesn't lie. In any case, the harness racing action hasn't slowed up even an iota at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono. This past week was testament to that, and the winners of the Weekly Awards are an especially deserving lot.
PACER OF THE WEEK: MCKENRY
This four-year-old gelding from the barn of trainer Chris Oakes has started to peak in the last month or so, all while gathering some respect from the betting public along the way. He shipped back in to Pocono from Yonkers for a race on July 30 against a $14,000 condition pacing group and shocked the field on a sloppy track at 19-1, winning by a nose in 1:51:4.
His next start came after about three weeks off when he took on a $15,000 claiming group at Harrah's at Chester on August 21. In that race he built a ten-length advantage at one point before coasting home a four-length winner at 1-5 in 1:52:4. On Saturday night McKenry faced up against a $15,000 to $17,500 claiming handicap grouping at Pocono, and, despite the brutal #9 post, went off as the 3-5 betting favorite.
Driver George Napolitano Jr. was able to maneuver McKenry to the lead on the front stretch without exerting a lot of effort to do so. The gelding then built a nice advantage in the deep stretch, one that he needed when David The Saint exploded with a late move that came up just a head short. McKenry's victory in 1:51:4 gives him three straight now. He'll look to continue his winning ways for a new barn, as he was claimed from the race on Saturday night.
Other top pacers this week include: So Take That (Jim Marohn Jr., Clay Faurot Jr.) who moved up in class and switched barns yet still handled a $15,000 claiming group on Saturday night for his second straight victory; Janie Bay (Jim Marohn Jr., Ralph Figlow Jr.), a mare who won a claiming handicap on Monday night in 1:52:4, giving her two straight victories and three in her last four; and Prairie Sweetheart (Anthony Napolitano, Michael Deters), a three-year-old filly whose condition victory on Tie.
TROTTER OF THE WEEK: SUMMERS WINDSONG
In Sunday night's $25,000 featured handicap trot, this four-year-old mare from the Paul Fusco barn was an afterthought in the betting. Among those she was facing: Wind Of The North, winner of three consecutive races in comfortable fashion, My Love Bi, winner of three of her last four, and Tweet Me, moving up after a win in the slop in her last start. So you could partially understand the lack of attention she was receiving.
Summers Windsong, who had finished a close second in her last race, went off as a 13-1 shot on Sunday night. Tweet Me was the pacesetter in the race, eventually engaging in a fierce duel with Wind Of The North, who came up aggressively on the back stretch to challenge. As those two dueled it looked like for all the world like nobody else in the field would be a factor. Summers Windsong lurked unassumingly in fourth.
At the top of the stretch, as Tweet Me forged a lead on Wind Of The North and appeared to be putting the race away, Summers Windsong was subtly guided to the outside by driver Eric Goodell and simply erupted. Making up a ton of ground in the stretch drive, she slipped past Tweet Me by a head for the upset victory. Her winning time of 1:53 was not only a new career mark but it was also the fastest trotting time of the week on the Pocono oval.
Honorable mention on the trotting side goes to: Mandabra (George Napolitano Jr., Chris Oakes), whose victory in a claiming handicap on Monday night in 1:56:3 gave him three straight wins at Pocono; Tag Up And Go (Andrew McCarthy, Brewer Adams), who, with a condition victory on Saturday night in 1:54:1, now has won the last two starts he's made at Pocono; and Super Manning (Eric Carlson, Matias Ruiz), who shipped into Pocono and handled a tough condition field on Saturday night in 1:54:2.
LONG SHOT OF THE WEEK: MELUSINE
This two-year-old trotting filly, driven by Tom Jackson, sent everyone home stunned on Sunday night, picking up her maiden victory in the final race of the night at 31-1, paying off $65.80 on a $2 win ticket.
DRIVER OF THE WEEK: JIM MAROHN JR.
As Marohn's appearances have become more regular at Pocono, he's found a winning groove, as evidenced by his three wins on Saturday night, not one of which came aboard a favorite.
TRAINER OF THE WEEK: BREWER ADAMS
Adams' horses always seem to step up when the competition is the toughest, which is why it was typical when he picked up three training wins on Saturday night.
That will do it for this week, but we'll see you at the track. Feel free to e-mail me at jbeviglia@mohegansunpocono.com
Jim Beviglia