Pocono: Blackhawk Zette, Victor Laszlo double up in Weiss Series

Blackhawk Zette and Victor Laszlo took their second Bobby Weiss Trotting Series victories in $20,000 round two action for the sophomore males Monday afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania. In six $9,000 final prelim rounds of action among Game Of Claims Series pacers carrying a $15,000 base claiming tag, no one was able to post wins in all three legs leading up to next Monday's $17,500 Championship.

Blackhawk Zette trotted the fastest mile in his section of Weiss action so far, reducing his mark to 1:54 2/5 with his own last quarter in 28 1/5 for driver Matt Kakaley, trainer Robert Baggitt Jr., and owner J L Sadowsky LLC. The solid-closing son of Cantab Hall has now won all three of his 2024 starts.

Also sporting that same three-for-three seasonal tally is the Chapter Seven colt Victor Laszlo, who was home first in 1:55 4/5 on Monday. Mark MacDonald again handled driving duties for trainer Ray Schnittker and the partnership of Schnittker Arnold, Paul Bordogna, Ted Gewertz, and Arden Homestead Stable.

The Bar Hopping gelding Usain Hanover, who missed less than a length to Victor Laszlo in the first leg, took a new mark of 1:54 4/5 (28 2/5 last quarter) in another section for driver Dexter Dunn, trainer Nifty Norman, and Enzed Racing Stable Inc. In the other Weiss cut, the Chapter Seven gelding Mighty Deo weaved through traffic from last to take a maiden mark of 1:57 for driver Justin Huckabone and trainer Mark Harder, the latter also co-owner with Dean Lockhart and Deena Rachel Frost.

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Though there were no sweepers in the Game Of Claims, four horses stamped themselves as prime contenders by notching two wins in the three prelim rounds. Fastest of the GOC pacers on Monday was Buckeye Emery, opening the card while taking his second straight in a lifetime-best 1:53 1/5 with Anthony Napolitano guiding.

Team Mac foiled a My Mind Is Madeup sweep in a 1:53 3/5 mile for driver Jim Pantaleano (tops on the day with a trio of sulky successes), with both pacers entering their Championship off of two wins and a second – and both going to the finale for new barns. Lou Sassin and Fredneck were both claimed last week, and it was Lous Sassin (Simon Allard) who won here in 1:53 4/5 after the barn changes, ending a bid for a sweep for Fredneck, who also will again be changing handlers.

Seal O'Neill missed the first leg of the series, but he's been unstoppable since in this class, as Dexter Dunn guided him to victory in 1:54 3/5 as the fourth double winner.

The other two sections were won by pacers who were just happy to revisit Victory Lane. It had been 680 days since Tray Surreal had returned to the photographer after the race, as he did here after a 1:53 2/5 triumph while handled by Ridge Warren; Royhill's absence had been 575 days before Jim Pantaleano got him home first in 1:54. But the crowd wasn't caught unaware – both horses were their race's favorites.

The racing week continues at Pocono tomorrow at 1 p.m., with five divisions of the Weiss Series for 3-year-old trotting fillies racing for $20,000 in their second prelims, and a like number of fields chasing $17,500 purses in the Game Of Claims Trotting Series for $30,000 base-tag horses, their last chance to qualify for their finals.

--press release (PHHA/Pocono)--