The Art Major mare Crazy Cute overcame a sloppy track, a cool early evening near 50 degrees, and a rough two-move journey to win the $13,000 featured distaff pace at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono in 1:55.1 during the Sunday (May 30) card.
Crazy Cute tucked into fourth leaving, then had to come uncovered to try to catch pacesetter Caviart Cherie, who had gotten away with a :59 half. But driver George Napolitano Jr., who had five wins on the card, got his mare to pace her own last half in a swift :55.2 in the muck to catch the pacesetter by a length. Trainer Gilbert Garcia-Herrera also shares ownership in the winner with Barbara Arnstine.
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The Southwind Frank gelding Whiskey Blu, a $7,000 yearling unraced at two, is now the winningest trotter in North America in 2021 as he recorded his 10th victory of the campaign in one of three $30,000 divisions of a Pennsylvania All-Stars event for sophomore trotting colts Saturday afternoon (May 22) at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
Dan Charlino guided the Ron Burke-trained Whiskey Blu to the lead just past a :27 opener, and soon had slight favourite Type A charging at him, with Type A clearing to the top only as he approached the half in :55.2. Whiskey Blu sat in the pocket to three-quarters in 1:23.4 and into the stretch, where he moved wide and caught the stubborn Type A by a head in 1:53.2 while taking a new mark for Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC along with Kitefield Stable.
Trotting sophomores will be in the spotlight this weekend at the eastern Pennsylvania tracks, with the fillies in PA Sire Stakes and Stallion Series action at Harrah’s Philly on Friday (May 21), and the colts and geldings at Pocono Saturday (May 22) for Pennsylvania All-Stars events.
This is the first coming-together for the state-sired fillies, and most of last year’s top-rated misses will be on hand along with one noted newcomer: Bella Bellini. Bella Bellini is in probably the toughest of the three Sires Stakes divisions, Race 8, but she’s ready for her test as she comes in off of three victories in 1:54 or better for driver Dexter Dunn and trainer Nifty Norman. There is no shortage of talented challengers, including Love Muffin, coming off a 1:53 qualifier at The Meadowlands; Flawless Country, last year’s Sire Stakes champion; and Lady Chaos, the Breeders Crown champion for this group in 2020.
The Windsong Espoir gelding Clarion Hall made a successful debut for the barn of Gilbert Garcia-Herrera, the leading trainer at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, with driver Anthony Napolitano finding enough room up the inside to reduce the trotter’s mark to 1:54.4 in winning the $12,800 claiming handicap trot Monday (May 17).
Clarion Hall got early position then stayed inside and found himself shuffled back through quite a few lead changes, entering the stretch in the difficult fourth-inside position. However, the pace had been hot, and Napolitano was able to rally his charge up the Pocono Pike to catch the pacesetting Stop Resistin right on the money.
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