Pocono: No Mas Amor upsets again in one of three Breeders Crown elims for freshmen pacing males

No Mas Amor has proven to be the surprise package of the freshman class. The son of Sweet Lou, making his first start for trainer Linda Toscano and coming off a 114-1 stunner at The Red Mile, rallied from last to first along the pylons to capture one of three $25,000 Breeders Crown eliminations for juvenile pacing colts at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono on Friday night. Matt Kakaley patiently waited and then struck as pace-setter Air Force Hanover weakened late to win in 1:50 3/5, the fastest of the three eliminations.

Air Force Hanover controlled the fractions for David Miller, setting the table through 26 4/5, 55 3/5, and 1:22 4/5 clockings with Lyons Night Hawk taking a brief challenge at him on the final turn. De Los Cielos Deo followed the pacemaker but lacked a lick. Kakaley ducked inside as others moved outside, and the colt owned by Ken Jacobs finished with a furious rally to get up late at odds of 9-1. Air Force Hanover held second, and Mangogh, though pushed wide on the final turn, rallied for third.

"They were going pretty good up front," said Kakaley. "I took my chances going to the inside. He's a real nice colt."

David Miller guided the Diamond Creek Farm homebred Proof off a third-over trip to capture the second Crown elimination in this division. The son of A Rocknroll Dance watched most of the action from the back as Shake The House set the numbers for George Napolitano Jr., going 26, 55 4/5, and 1:23 4/5 with Semi Tough advancing on the outside.

In the stretch Captain Crunch, who had worked out a pocket trip for Scott Zeron, knifed inside for a brief lead, but he could not withstand the late onslaught of Proof, who won for the sixth time in 10 career starts for trainer Brian Brown. Captain Crunch finished second, with Love Me Some Lou, who was knocked off-stride by a breaking Smooth Lou going to three-quarters, recovering and closing along the inside for third in the 1:52 1/5 mile. Proof paid $7.80 to win.

Captain Trevor rounded out the three winners with a solid pocket rocket approach for driver Andrew McCarthy. The son of first crop sensation Captaintreacherous left hard before yielding to Sugar Factory through a 26 4/5 opening quarter. Sugar Factory and Corey Callahan backed the half to 57 seconds before being pressured by odds-on favorite Workin Ona Mystery. The previously-unbeaten colt forced a solid third quarter, paced in 27 1/5, but by the final turn he began to labor, setting up the late-closing Captain Trevor to score in 1:52 3/5. Yannick Gingras guided Blood Money off a second-over trip for the place spot, with Lyons Johnnyjnr third in the outer tier flow and third under the wire.

Tony Alagna trains Captain Trevor for owners Brittany Farms, Marvin Katz, Bradley Grant and The Captain Trevor Stable.

"He's a lot like Captaintreacherous in that he can sit and give you just enough to get the job done," said Alagna about Captain Trevor, who paid $9.80 to win.

Here is how the field will line up for next Saturday night's final:

1-Proof
2-No Mas Amor
3-Lyons Johnnyjnr
4-Captain Crunch
5-Captain Trevor
6-Air Force Hanover
7-Love Me Some Lou
8-Mangogh
9-Blood Money
AE1-De Los Cielos Deo
AE2-Sugar Factory