Pocono: New marks for Cantstop Yankee, Always Better
A trio of $15,000 races for oncoming "nw 4 races lifetime" horses topped the Sunday afternoon card at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Sun Pennsylvania, with the mountain temperatures very non-winterish at about 50 degrees all day.
Most impressive in victory was the Whataworkout gelding Cantstop Yankee, who went a huge mile to lower his mark to 1:54 3/5 in the headline trotting division. Tyler Buter did not back off despite being caught three-wide early, with Cantstop Yankee taking over just past the 28 1/5 quarter and posting mid-splits of 57 2/5 and 1:25 2/5, then leaving Dover Dan (his nearest opposition after several lost stride and/or were bothered) 13 lengths behind under a hold. The Deborah Daguet trainee, sharp in a qualifier earlier in the week after being away for almost three months, showed he may be able to handle better right now for owner Kapildeo Singh.
Also posting a lifetime-best was the Always B Miki gelding Always Better, who defeated a good field of pacing males in 1:52. C-Bet Hanover made the early top and refused to yield in fractions of 27 3/5, 56 3/5, and 1:23 4/5. Always Better decided to race in the pocket for driver Matt Kakaley, then had room up the inside in the lane and paced by the pace-setter by 1 1/2 lengths. Travis Alexander conditions the fast winner for Lucid Racing.
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The filly and mare pacing feature saw the Artspeak mare Speak Your Mind settle into the two-hole behind pace-setter Fear Her Touch, then use a back-half of 56 1/5 to go past that one to an easy 2 1/4 length victory in 1:55 3/5. Marcus Miller drove the winner for trainer Ivan Llopez and owners Michael Calderone and Frank Cannon.
Tyler Buter and Anthony Napolitano each visited Victory Lane three times during the Sunday card.
The Downs will have another Saturday-Sunday schedule this coming week, both cards starting at 1 p.m.
--press release (PHHA/Pocono)--