Rockmatic, after a 1:59 qualifying win at Philly, made a more-than-successful purse debut at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono on the Monday twilight card.
Rockmatic's 1:54.2 Monday victory in a $13,000 contest not only lowered own her own mark, but also beat the North American season’s record for two-year-old pacing fillies on 5/8-mile tracks by a full second.
Simon Allard got the daughter of Pet Rock out of the $869k winner Monochromatic away well, yielded to Bottled Up Hanover, then was back outside as favoured Dance Club made the lead in a :27.4 opener. Dance Club went on enough to allow Rockmatic to tuck in the pocket, and there the baby sat through mid-fractions of :57.1 and 1:25.4, then to headstretch.
At the top of the lane, Rockmatic moved back outside and gradually wore down Dance Club by half a length for owner/breeder North State Street Stable. Ironically, the filly she displaced as a season’s leader was a stablemate of hers in the barn of trainer Kevin Lare, Silver Tail, who had won in 1:55.2 at Harrah’s Philly on Saturday afternoon.
Top purse event of the night, a $14,000 claiming handicap trot, saw the Current Cast gelding Star Studded Cast win his fourth straight, here in 1:54.4. Starting from post eight in the last three races of the winning streak has been no hindrance to Star Studded Cast, who went to the front and “improved from his position from there,” winning by 3-1/2 lengths.
The horse was claimed from trainer/driver Hunter Oakes and Northfork Racing Stable, but their two-week association with him was profitable – they claimed him for $17,000 and lost him for $20,000, plus he got two $7000 purse checks, so minus the two week’s training costs Northfork had a very good return on their investment.
Veteran horseman D.R. Ackerman visited the Pocono winners circle for the first time since April 22, 2015 when he guided Holiday Hangover, a sophomore son of Donato Hanover and a colt whose third dam produced the first-ever Breeders Crown winner in Workaholic, to a wire-to-wire victory in 1:54.3, lowering his mark by 3 2/5 second for his owner/trainer/driver in a $13,000 pace.
One favourite won during Monday’s fourteen races at Pocono – as did ten second choices.
(PHHA / Pocono)