Pocono: Familiar faces deliver in Weiss, Game Of Claims Series tests

C Is For Cookie and Relentless Julie repeated in the Bobby Weiss Series for 3-year-old pacing fillies on Tuesday afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, winning their respective $20,000 second prelim events. And while no horse could go through the prelims of their Game Of Claims Series with three victories, Tuesday's $9,000 divisions for $15,000 base-tagged horses saw Riot and Globaldomination N double the number of two-time prelim winners.

C Is For Cookie, a daughter of Betting Line out of Sweet Future, dam of Bettor Sweet and Sweet Lou (who earned $6.2M between them), went the fastest Weiss division, an effortless 1:53 1/5 victory for driver Scott Zeron, trainer Linda Toscano, and Birnam Wood Farms. She has been the overwhelming favorite in both her victories. The Stay Hungry miss Relentless Julie, on the other hand, won at 16-1 last week, and this week still offered 4-1 in a successful 1:53 3/5 closing effort for driver Anthony Napolitano, trainer Travis Alexander, and Fiddler's Creek Stables Inc.

The other two Weiss divisions were won by trainer/driver/co-owner Pat Lachance, both from well off-the-tempo. The Sweet Lou filly Lulu Rocks lowered her mark to 1:53 4/5 for owners Lachance, Monmouth Bay Racing LLC., and Edward De Rosa, while the Always B Miki filly Extreme Z Tam matched that time after some nifty stretch handling by Lachance, co-owner with M & M Harness Racing LLC. and Royal Flush Stable LLC.

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Globaldomination N had several distinctions in taking his second GOC prelim in 1:52 3/5 for driver Tyler Buter: he tied for fastest series mile of the day, he was one of only two chalk to win in the claiming event, and he was the only winner to be claimed in advance of next week's $17,500 final. The other horse to add a second GOC triumph Monday, Riot, skipped the first leg, but he's been making up for lost time with big late sweeps, including a 1:54 victory here for driver Ridge Warren.

Anthony Napolitano added two driving triumphs in the Game Of Claims to his Weiss win: his winners were P L Leeroy (tying for fastest GOC race at 1:52 3/5) and Maddox Hanover (1:54 2/5). Neither are likely at all to be in their Championship, though, as both were making their debuts in this GOC.

Tyler Buter also accounted for a second Game Of Claims with Southwind Dredge in 1:53 3/5. The other winner in the claiming action was Topville Olympian, whose 1:53 2/5 tally for driver Marcus Miller made it two straight for series chalk after their predecessors had failed to reward their backing in the first four divisions.

The racing week at Pocono concludes Tuesday at 1 p.m., featuring the second preliminary of the Weiss Series for 3-year-old trotting fillies and the third and final prelim for the Game Of Claims Series for trotters racing for a base tag of $30,000 Tuesday.

--press release (PHHA/Pocono)--