Harness racing’s top trainer/owner combination, trainer Ron Burke and the partnership of Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, teamed with driver Matt Kakaley to sweep the featured races at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono during the Tuesday (Sept. 10) card.
Kakaley used “pocket-rocket” tactics to take both headliners, including with the Cantab Hall sophomore gelding Fanatic in a $15,000 trot. Fanatic sat behind favoured Stonebridge Symba as that one set the tempo of :28.1, :58.1 and 1:26.4, with the leader getting second-half pressure from Winning America before that foe lost gait midway on the far turn. After the first-over challenger's break, Fanatic soon went to the outside and easily passed the pacesetter in the lane to win in 1:55.3, with Voodoo Man, who had a third-in trip, getting up for second, one-and-a-quarter lengths behind the winner.
One day after Pocono hosted the 2019 Great Northeast Open Series Championships at one-and-a-quarter miles, the winner of the 2018 GNOS Mare Pace Championship Bettorhaveanother set a lifetime best of 1:50.1 at the conventional mile distance, winning a $14,000 distaff pace.
The victorious Bettors Delight mare paced past Monica Gallagher midway on the first turn, then relinquished the lead past a :26.2 quarter to Sidewalk Dancer, who took the field past the midpoles in :55.3 and 1:23. Bettorhaveanother, now a winner of $578,992, had plenty of pace after the two-hole journey, and she gained into a 27.1 final quarter to win by one-and-a-half lengths over Sidewalk Dancer, who in turn photoed out Monica Gallagher for second.
George Napolitano Jr. guided the last three winners on the card to tie his brother Anthony for the card’s sulky honors with a trio of victories apiece. George and Anthony are 1-2 in the season-long Pocono driving win standings.
(PHHA/Pocono)