Pocono: Bobby Weiss Series kicks off

The Bobby Weiss Series for 3-year-old males on both the pace and the trot began on Saturday afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania.

Panettone Hanover won the fastest of the Weiss Series tests in 1:51 1/5. The Captaintreacherous gelding went on to the lead then withstood the inside charge of pocket-sitting Ghost Shark by a head for trainer Ron Burke and owners Burke Racing Stable LLC. and Weaver Bruscemi LLC., William Switala and James Martin while recording a lifetime-best. Two races earlier Burke and Burke - Weaver/Bruscemi combined with Beasty LLC. and Frank Baldachino and won with the Rockin Image gelding Somewhere Rockin, who took a new mark of 1:53.

The Weiss, named after the famed longtime Pocono track maintenance man, also saw a tally from the Always B Miki colt Joemikiyoursofine, who reduced his mark to 1:52 4/5 for trainer Chris Choate and owners Anthony Ruggeri and Richard Tosies.

The other Weiss pacing winners were the Heston Blue Chip colt All Class, undefeated in two career starts after lowering his record to 1:51 3/5 for driver Jason Bartlett, trainer Demier Minor, and Morrison Racing Stables, and the 28-1 shot Nopewasntme, recording a career-best of 1:53 3/5 for driver Anthony Napolitano, trainer Leah Vandervort, and Anatolia Racing LLC.

The pacing colts will have their remaining two prelims and then their $50,000 Championship on the next three Saturdays; the trotting colts will be featured on the next three Sundays, but their first prelim was held on Saturday for horsemen who did not want to race on Easter, and so driver Tyler Buter got his Easter eggs a day early.

Both successful Weiss trotters stopped the timer in 1:55 1/5. The first was the Walner gelding Bestfriend Volo, who broke his maiden for trainer Nifty Norman and owners Pinske Stables, Patricia Stable, and Curly Tall Curly Small. Matching that time was the International Moni gelding Moni Book, now two-for-two lifetime while also earning a new speed badge for trainer Justin Wiest and owners David Wiest Stables LLC., Pamela Kimmel, and James Rappold.

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There were a pair of $18,500 fast-class features, once on each gait. On the pace, A Rocknroll Star, an altered son of A Rocknroll Dance, boogied to both a new lifetime mark and an equaling of the fastest mile of the year at Pocono with a 1:50 4/5 victory for driver Marcus Miller, trainer Robert Cleary, and owners Joseph and Vincent Barbera.

The top overnight trot was taken by the Cantab Hall gelding Macmorris Hanover in 1:54 1/5 for driver Jim Pantaleano and trainer Robert Baggitt Jr., the latter co-owner with J L Sadowsky LLC. and Howard Taylor. Trainer/co-owner Baggitt also sent out a horse who turned in the fastest trot of the year at Pocono, a 1:53 winner in the Donato Hanover gelding Mystical Wynn, who was driven by George Napolitano Jr. and is co-owned by the trainer and Christine Baggitt.

The Weiss action for fillies will commence Monday (pacers) and Tuesday (trotters); as noted there will be no Weiss action on the Sunday card at 6 p.m., which is topped by a $17,000 contest for developing trotters.

--edited press release (PHHA/Pocono)--