Pocono: All Class, Moni Book look to shine in Weiss finals

Driver Jason Bartlett has made a name for himself as the perennial leading driver at Yonkers Raceway. Bartlett does venture outside Westchester County on occasion when the horse and race are a nice fit. He found himself at Pocono on Wednesday prepping some young horses in qualifying races but will be back on Saturday (April 29) with real money on the line to guide All Class in the $50,000 Bobby Weiss final for 3-year-old colt and gelding pacers.

"I picked up the drive when Brian [Sears] couldn't go to Pocono," said Bartlett on Wednesday morning. "This horse [All Class] showed a lot of potential last year, and they quit with him to bring him back as a 3-year-old."

Bartlett was in the bike for a first and third round victory behind the Heston Blue Chip-sired All Class but still suggests he hasn't learned all there is to know about the potential stakes star.

"In both races nobody else left the gate and we were just on the front without having to work," said Bartlett. "He was definitely better the second week, coming home in 26 3/5 without asking."

Trained by Demier Minor, All Class will likely get his first real test of his brief racing career in the Saturday contest carded as race 10, with the sophomore landing post six in the field of eight.

"He's got all the tools of a top colt," said Bartlett.

All Class won his only start at 2 in 1:54 at Oak Grove last year and has scored back-to-back wins in 2023, pacing in 1:51 3/5 on April 8 and then returning two weeks later with a 1:51 2/5 career-best mile. On Saturday he'll be in with a good group that includes a pair of 3-year-olds from the Ron Burke stable. Panettone Hanover (post one) went winless in eight starts as a freshman but has turned his career around in a major way this year with five wins in seven starts. The Captaintreacherous-sired gelding has been a front-end winner in the first two legs of the series and took a week off preparing for Saturday's final. The gelding has shown incredible grit this year, having won four by a head or less margin.

Idiosyncratic (post four) has been first or second in all nine starts this year for the Burke team and picks up Marcus Miller. A son of Sweet Lou, Idiosyncratic is fresh off a 1:52 3/5 score.

The lightly-raced I Was Tricked has come along rapidly for trainer Nick Devita and enters the Weiss final on a two-race winning streak that includes a career-best 1:51 3/5 mile in last Saturday's third and concluding preliminary leg. Braxten Boyd guides I Was Tricked from post five in the final.

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On Sunday night the Weiss final for 3-year-old colt and gelding trotters (race 10) will be the feature and trainer Justin Wiest is hoping that Moni Book can get the job done in the $50,000 contest after the colt captured two of the three preliminary legs. A $27,000 purchase in the fall of 2021 in Lexington, Moni Book was turned out early during his 2-year-old season to mature and has come back sharp for Wiest.

"He's a smart colt and has gotten better with each start," said Wiest.

Wiest drove Moni Book in two qualifiers in March at Pocono and then was behind the colt for his career debut on April 2 that proved victorious in a time of 1:58 flat.

Heading into the Weiss the trainer elected to put Tyler Buter up, and the colt dropped nearly three seconds from his career-best with a 1:55 1/5 mile while totally in-hand. With Buter unavailable for the second leg, Mark MacDonald filled in ably, getting parked more than three-eighths before clearing the front and then trotting off to a 1:55 mile score.

In last week's third round Moni Book was involved in a contested battle for the front, then cut the pace only to be overtaken in the homestretch for his first career loss.

"I wasn't disappointed," said Wiest. "I was kind of on the fence about racing him in the third leg because he had enough points to make the final. I just told Mark [MacDonald] not to hurt him and let him finish on his own."

The Weiss final brings another driver to the bike behind Moni Book with both MacDonald and Buter committed to other horses. Marcus Miller will get the assignment from post four as the 3-1 second choice.

Morning-line favoritism goes to Bestfriend Volo (post three) with Tyler Buter. The Nifty Norman-trained son of Walner captured the first two legs of the series and took the third week off. Snowman Hanover, an upset winner for Mark MacDonald and trainer Ray Schnittker in the third leg, landed post five for the final.

Post time for Pocono on Saturday is 1:00 p.m., with Sunday first post at 6:00 p.m. The Weiss Series finals will continue on Monday (May 1) and Tuesday (May 2) with sophomore pacing fillies on Monday and sophomore trotting fillies on Tuesday afternoon.