Pocono: Analysis for Sunday 8/16

MEET STATS: 30 - 98 / $135.60 (-$60.40)
BEST BETS: 5 - 7 / $12.80 (-$1.20)
SPOT PLAYS: 1 - 7 / $4.60 (-$9.40)
BEST BET - SOUTHWIND GENDRY (11th)
SPOT PLAY - CAVIART RICHMOND (9th)

Race 1 - NW4/50000LT Pace

(4) REPEAL OR REPLACE has a couple second-place efforts in this class recently, including last Sunday to a 1-9 choice. I don't see anybody of that quality in here, and Anthony Napolitano is here to drive. (7) ROCK N TEEN didn't have much luck in the New Jersey Sire Stakes final but came back to take a fourth against NW5's down at Harrah's Philadelphia and looks usable underneath. (3) EHRMANTRAUT closed well to finish third in a NW4 on August 2 and was bothered in that event as well. He does a have trainer change from Ross Croghan.

Race 2 - F&M NW12500L5/NW7 or 80000LT Pace

(1) ABIGAIL DAWN finished with interest in a high-quality NW17500L5 event a week ago and now gets some class relief tonight to go with a rail draw. She's raced on the lead before, and maybe that'll be the strategy here. (2) TANGO DANCER N exits the same race my top pick was in last Sunday, coming in sixth. She's another mare who showed being more forwardly-placed in the past and seemed to race better that way. (3) PRAIRIE COUGAR skipped a week after competing in a NW17500L5 and drops here. She was a regular winner in the Open at Tioga earlier this summer.

Race 3 - NW9000L5 Trot

(2) MUSHANA miscued a couple weeks ago and lost all chance, but I'll overlook that and use, hoping for some value. He won against NW9000L5's on July 12 at Pocono. (6) EVERYONE'S TALKIN picked up a long overdue win in an amateur race at the Meadowlands. Sometimes when a horse finally gets a victory, they'll come right back and do it again, and maybe that'll be the case here. (1) CELEBRITY MASERATI has significant post relief tonight, shifting from the eight-hole to the pole, and that might mean he gets handled more aggressively. He won over the NW7000L5 class at Harrah's Philadelphia two back.

Race 4 - PA Stallion Series 2YO C&G Pace

(4) FOREFATHER paced home well after getting shuffled back in his pari-mutuel debut at Harrah's Philadelphia, and I'll hope for some improvement with that start under his belt. (1) GREAT SOMEWHERE has plenty of stakes experience already and exits a third-place finish behind the unbeaten Lou's Pearlman in the Arden Downs at The Meadows. (6) FERNET ABOUT IT picked up a second-place finish in the Stallion Series at The Meadows two back and is reunited with Tim Tetrick tonight.

Race 5 - Pennsylvania Sire Stakes 2YO C&G Pace

(5) ALWAYS A MIKI wound up with a lousy trip when taken back at The Meadows and could only get up for third. I'll expect him to return to the more aggressive approach he showed at Pocono two starts ago and slot on top. (3) CHASE H HANOVER won his PA All-Stars event at Pocono and went on to finish second twice at The Meadows after that. He's a definite threat in here also. (4) CRUNCH HANOVER scored impressively from post eight in an overnight race at Pocono on 8-4 and has a second and a third in the sire stakes. Scott Zeron and Linda Toscano have been a potent duo as of late.

Race 6 - PA Stallion Series 2YO C&G Pace

(1) SIR GENE G HANOVER took a shot against the sire stakes colts the last time he was in Pennsylvania and then was third a couple times in Canada. I'll give him a shot in what looks to be a wide-open race. (6) BAZOOKA HANOVER is two-for-two in the Stallion Series thus far and gets reacquainted with David Miller tonight. (7) GET ALONG has hit the board in all three attempts, including a pair of runner-up finishes in the Stallion Series.

Race 7 - PA Stallion Series 2YO C&G Pace

(4) RIFLEMAN fired both barrels at The Meadows, romping to an impressive win, and was a good, rallying third against Lou's Pearlman in his PA All-Stars contest at Pocono. (1) SWEET ANGEL BOY just missed in the Arden Downs at The Meadows and slides down to the Stallion Series this time after two prior efforts against the sire stakes colts. (2) TWIN B EDGE prevailed at The Meadows when last in Pennsylvania in late July and was competitive in the Dream Maker Series at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Race 8 - PA Stallion Series 2YO C&G Pace

(5) SOMEWHEREINVERONA picked up some good experience racing against quality open competition through the Dream Maker Series at Woodbine Mohawk Park, and I'll hope that serves him well here. He gets David Miller for the first time tonight, and I like all those sub-27 final quarters north of the border. (8) BATTERUP HANOVER is two-for-two in the Stallion Series but does move outside on the gate this time, and I'll try and beat him. (2) ANDRES HANOVER owns a prior Stallion Series win at Harrah's Philadelphia and gets the services of Brian Sears here.

Race 9 - PA Stallion Series 2YO C&G Pace

(3) CAVIART RICHMOND looks like he has a couple of excuse lines coming into this race: two back he was up against Lou's Pearlman, and then last time out at The Meadows had post nine in a fast mile. He was a good second in his Stallion Series debut on July 2, and if I'm going to get a potential price on a Takter horse, I'll gladly take it. (6) PERFECTBOY HANOVER has a similar appearance to his stablemate Somewhereinverona from race eight as he performed well in the Dream Maker Series and has a pair of 26 and change final quarters to show. (1) BEACH PARTY makes his pari-mutuel debut tonight. He qualified well at the Meadowlands last out and is a half-brother to the brilliant Tall Dark Stranger, so the connections might be keen to get him off on the right foot here.

Race 10 - Pennsylvania Sire Stakes 2YO C&G Pace

(2) SUMMA CUM LAUDE is zero-for-two in the sire stakes thus far, but he responded to Dexter Dunn's touch last time at the Meadowlands, rolling to a facile victory on the front-end, and he's in the bike again tonight. (1) LOU'S PEARLMAN has yet to suffer a defeat, winning twice in the PaSS program to go with PA All-Stars and Arden Downs victories. I couldn't blame anybody for going back to him again, but his stablemate might offer a little better price. (4) BAYFIELD BEACH returns to pari-mutuel competition tonight. He has a win and a second so far in the sire stakes and was super-sharp in the qualifier out at Harrah's Hoosier Park.

Race 11 - Pennsylvania Sire Stakes 2YO C&G Pace

(3) SOUTHWIND GENDRY backed up his sire stakes victory out at The Meadows on July 22 with an Arden Downs win at the same oval on August 1. He's improved with each mile thus far, and David Miller picks up the drive tonight with Yannick Gingras off to Canada for a while. (4) STRAIGHT TALK made an extended break in that same Arden Downs race that Southwind Gendry exits, but all his prior efforts were solid, so I'll overlook the bad day and use underneath. (6) THE LEGEND HANOVER made front in the sire stakes at The Meadows on 7-22 and took advantage, scoring an upset victory. Like his stablemate Bayfield Beach, he qualified in stout fashion at Harrah's Hoosier Park, and he switches drivers to Tim Tetrick.

Race 12 - PA Stallion Series 2YO C&G Pace

(8) ONE EIGHT HUNDRED sold for $800,000 at last year's Lexington Selected Yearling Sale, so I don't think his connections are going to waste any time getting him into the winner's circle. Both of his baby races at the Meadowlands were excellent, especially the second one. (5) AMAZING BET is another Coleman-Herlihy rookie shipping back to Pennsylvania and reuniting with Brian Sears. He was a rallying second to the impressive Rifleman two back. (3) SHAKESPEARE likely needed that race at Pocono on August 4 as he was scratched sick out of his scheduled debut on 7-21. He was pretty good, too, finishing third to Crunch Hanover, who is in one of the sire stakes events tonight.

Race 13 - F&M NW17500L5/NW8 or 90000LT Pace

(7) BYE BYE FELICIA disappointed as the favorite in this class last Sunday, but that could mean she offers a better price tonight. Her second-place finish against NW20000L5's two back at Harrah's Philadelphia was good. (6) I'M VERY SPECIAL lands in a little softer spot tonight after meeting up with NW25000L5's at Yonkers most recently, and she gets Tim Tetrick to drive this time. (2) SWEET LUCY LOU has been in Canada so far this year but returns to the States tonight and gets back into the Robert Cleary barn. She had multiple wins at Pocono in 2019.

Race 14 - F&M NW4/50000LT Pace

(7) SAIL BY lost a chance to compete in the PA Stallion Series last Sunday when she was late for Lasix, but she has a win and a second in two chances in the NW4 class at Pocono and races for the red-hot tandem of Andrew McCarthy and Tony Alagna. (4) FIRESIDE didn't race as a 2-year-old but is making up quickly for lost time as she defeaeted NW1's and then NW3's at Harrah's Philadelphia in impressive fashion. (8) ALL ABOUT AMY seems to be getting better with each start for trainer Shane Tritton. She picked up a third against NW4's on 8-2 at Pocono.