Pocono: Kakaley sweeps Game Of Claims finals

Amidst mid-card flurries on a cold Saturday afternoon at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, the first two Championships of the Game Of Claims Series - with a purse of $40,000 for $25,000 base-tag pacers and $25,000 for $15,000-priced sidewheelers - were conducted over "good" going, with red-hot driver Matt Kakaley accounting for both finales.

The higher-purse Championship saw the improved Western Ideal ridgling Go West Go Fast overcome the outside post eight with ease, posting a snappy 1:51 4/5 victory for driver Kakaley and the connections of trainer Jared Bako and Buck N Tuck Stable, who are now two-for-two with their recent acquisition. Kakaley made two early moves to take control of the tempo by the three-eighths, then buzzed his horse home in 27 2/5 to leave Caviart Max a non-threatening 1 1/2 lengths behind and promise brighter things in the pacer's near future.

In the other Game Of Claims Championship, seven of the eight participants had been claimed out of their last start, but it was the one who got to "go back home," the Bettor's Delight gelding Classifiedmaterial, who was the easy winner, going faster than the "higher-priced" group while taking a new mark of 1:51 1/5. One quick brush to the lead in early backstretch was all that the winner needed, who had an open-length lead the rest of the way and won by three. Matt Kakaley completed the sweep of the Game Of Claims Championships, and Classifiedmaterial is now undefeated in two starts since being acquired by trainer Bill (Moon) Mullin, co-owner with Carver Racing LLC.

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The track was still rated "fast" when a $25,000 winners-over trot was won by Eurobond, a son of Love You who lost a three-race win streak to a break last time, but bounced back here with a late move that got him by pace-setting Big Oil by a half-length in 1:53 3/5. Eurobond, now a winner of $443,525, was handled by Matt Kakaley for trainer Michael Spaccarelli Jr. (a combining of the meet's winningest driver and trainer) and Morrison Racing Stables.

In all Matt Kakaley swept the features and won four times, raising his figure to 43 visits to Victory Lane in the first 12 days of the meet.

--press release (PHHA/Pocono)--