Pocono: Blackhawk Zette polishes off Weiss Series sweep

The Cantab Hall colt Blackhawk Zette completed a clean sweep of the Bobby Weiss Trotting Series for 3-year-old males on Monday at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, capturing the $50,000 Championship while equaling his lifetime mark of 1:54 2/5.

Four Sixes left strongly from post seven, just outside Blackhawk Zette, and quickly claimed the top, but driver Matt Kakaley kept "Zette" gaining ground until wresting command past a 28 second opener. The winner kept the lead through middle splits of 57 1/5 and 1:26 1/5, holding off the first-over bid of co-prelim sweeper Victor Laszlo, then was in-hand while holding off the pocket-sitter by 1 1/4 lengths, with Victor Laszlo that same distance behind the second-place finisher. Blackhawk Zette is now undefeated in five 2024 trips behind the gate for trainer Robert Baggitt Jr. and owner J L Sadowsky LLC.

In this Weiss group's $20,000 Consolation, the Greenshoe colt Lammtarra moved out from the pocket behind the very fast pace (27 1/5, 55 1/5, 1:24) set by All Too Well and defeated that rival by 2 1/2 lengths to break his maiden in 1:54 1/5. The $500,000 yearling, whose dam Dream Child has also produced You Ato Dream and Ari Ferrari J, was driven by Mattias Melander for trainer/brother Marcus and the ownership of Courant Inc.

A race later, another Greenshoe colt trained by Marcus Melander, Vic Zelenskyy, out of champion Mission Brief and purchased for $550,000 as a yearling, came uncovered after a slow half and charged home in 56 3/5 to get his maiden victory in 1:57 2/5 in only his second lifetime outing. Dexter Dunn was behind the strong-closing colt for S R F Stable and Holly Lane Stud East LTD.

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Dunn/McMelander/Greenshoe came back again with the royally-bred colt Skydiver, the $350,000 yearling out of star filly Ariana G, who came out of the pocket to catch pace-setter (and slight favorite) Supernova Hanover, gaining into the 28 second final split to take a maiden mark of 1:55 3/5 for Brixton Medical Inc., Marvin Katz, and Hatfield Stables.

None of these four colts paid more than 6-5, but other than these races it was very hard to predict who was getting home first. Three horses paid $50.00 or more to win, this first time that has happened at Pocono since August 17, 2019.

Marcus Melander led all horsemen with three wins, all as trainer; six drivers posted doubles: Braxten Boyd, Tyler Buter, Dexter Dunn, Matt Kakaley, Marcus Miller, and Anthony Napolitano.

The Weiss Series Championships conclude on Tuesday with a $50,000 tilt for 3-year-old trotting fillies. Tactical Lori swept her preliminary races but will have no easy time of it, as four of her opponents were double winners in the Weiss prelims. After Tuesday's 1 p.m. card, Pocono will be dark for live racing on Kentucky Derby Saturday, but then the next day starts up its 2024 Sunday series of 6 p.m. cards.

--press release (PHHA/Pocono)--