Pocono: Eckley trainees sweep exacta in Game Of Claims final

Dean Eckley made all the right moves heading into Monday afternoon's $17,500 Championship of the Game Of Claims Pacing Series for horses base-tagged at $10,000, and reaped the benefits with a 1-2 finish headed by Team Mac and his 1:51 4/5 victory at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania.

Eckley claimed Team Mac for his own account in the final prelim last Monday, and he became the trainer of Fredneck after that horse also was purchased from his heat. Team Mac would set the pace of 27 1/5, 55 2/5, and 1:23 1/5 in the Championship, then would open a bit of daylight entering the stretch and had enough strength left to withstand second-over Fredneck by 1 1/2 lengths while taking a new mark. It was the third straight victory for the successful Bettor’s Delight gelding, who missed a sweep of the GOC only by being beaten a nose in the first prelim by, ironically, Fredneck.

The Monday action at The Downs also saw Blackhawk Zette and Victor Laszlo sweep their three preliminary rounds of the Bobby Weiss Series for 3-year-old trotting colts, with those two establishing themselves as the major dangers for next Monday’s $50,000 series Championship.

A dedicated closer to date in 2024, the Cantab Hall colt Blackhawk Zette used track geometry after starting from the rail and took the shortest way home on the engine for driver Matt Kakaley, coming his back fractions in 57 1/5 - 28 1/5 to win by 1 3/4 lengths in 1:54 3/5, a tick off his lifetime-best win time of the previous week. Blackhawk Zette is undefeated in four seasonal starts for trainer Robert Baggitt Jr. and J L Sadowsky LLC.

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Also unbeaten in four 2024 trips to the gate, the Chapter Seven colt Victor Laszlo used exactly the reverse tactical strategy from his fellow Weiss-sweeping foe: Mark MacDonald, after winning on the lead in the first two prelims, raced Victor Laszlo off-the-pace as Wall Street Edge set an untaxing engine tempo. Rallying wide from second-over in the stretch, Victor Laszlo out-distanced the pace-setter by 2 1/4 lengths in 1:56 2/5 for trainer Ray Schnittker and the partnership of Schnittker Arnold, Paul Bordogna, Ted Gewertz, and Arden Homestead Stable.

In another Weiss prelim, the Bar Hopping gelding Usain Hanover kept his head when all about him were losing theirs, passing first one breaking leader and then another in the last quarter under Dexter Dunn's guidance to be clear by six lengths in 1:56 2/5. It was the sophomore’s second straight win for trainer Nifty Norman and his Enzed Racing Stable Inc after a second in the first leg to Victor Laszlo.

The other Weiss split was taken by Greenshoe gelding Green Pastures, bouncing back off a break to scoot clear by 3 1/4 lengths while taking a new mark of 1:55 1/5 for driver Jason Bartlett, trainer Per Engblom, and the ownership of VIP Internet Stable LLC., Engblom Stable LLC., R A W Equine Inc., and Marco Greico.

Matt Kakaley and George Napolitano Jr., who between them have won every Pocono dash-winning title since 2009 (George 11, Matt three including the last two), tied for the afternoon's honors with three sulky visits each to Victory Lane.

--press release (PHHA/Pocono)--