WILKES-BARRE PA – The Western Ideal mare Vegas In Style was acquired by owner/trainer Gilbert Garcia-Herrera after a race 35 days ago – and since then she has posted three wins and two seconds in five starts, earning $30,500, after her victory in the $16,000 distaff pacing feature Tuesday night at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
Eric Carlson had the red-hot mare sitting in the pocket behind strong fractions of 26.4, 55.2, and 1:23.4 set by Someomensomewhere, then moved her outside headstretch and ran down the frontrunner relatively easily, although the half-length margin may not indicate that.
Vegas In Style was one of eight winners paying $4.40 or less in the first nine races, with the track's leading driver George Napolitano Jr. guiding five of them – but the ninth winner, Barbara Nell, individually jumped the average price from $3.78 to $11.16 when she rallied from last at the half to post a $71.80 upset for driver Simon Allard and owner/trainer Owen Eiler Jr.
The average win price went up after race ten, the $14,000 distaff co-featured pace, as the Somebeachsomewhere mare Carobbean Pacetry rallied from second-over to defeat Tipitina by a half-length for driver Andrew McCarthy at a $32.60 mutuel, raising the average price to that point to $13.30 herself. Owner/trainer Meir Geller had certainly had far-below-average luck with the winner in her last three scheduled purse starts – broken equipment and two scratches – but fortune was with Carobbean Pacetry this evening.
PHHA / Pocono