Pocono: One Eight Hundred impresses again in Bobby Weiss Series

The heralded One Eight Hundred, so impressive in his 1:50 2/5 (26 1/5 last quarter) first round win in the Bobby Weiss Series for 3-year-old pacing males at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, took last week off but showed Saturday he had lost nothing by winning his section of the $17,500 third and final Weiss prelims. He covered his mile in 1:52 over a "good" oval that was rated a second off and with the temperature just below 50 degrees.

Josert Fonseca sent the colt to the top before a 26 2/5 quarter, then backed off the fractions to 55 4/5 and 1:24 4/5. Unlike in his first win here, which was his first seasonal start and where he looked to be given a quarter-mile finishing test, One Eight Hundred was under his own power through the wire, yet still came home in 27 1/5, a second faster than did the other two Weiss divisions on a day where the next fastest kicker was 27 4/5. The Somebeachsomewhere colt still looks like the colt to beat in next Saturday's $40,000 championship for trainer Nancy Takter, who is also co-owner with Brixton Medical Inc.

Another son of Somebeachsomewhere, the gelding Coalition Hanover, won for the second time in the Weiss prelims, making a quick move early for driver Anthony Napolitano to go by favored Captain Sleaze and holding his advantage the rest of the way while equaling his lifetime mark of 1:52 2/5. The Chris Ryder trainee is in top form for the ownership of Ryder, Dexter Dunn, Peter Trebotica, and Barry Spak.

Another pupil of Ryder's, Mad Man Hill, the only horse to have a chance to win all three Weiss prelims (other double winner Straight Talk took the week off), was out-paced by the So Surreal gelding He's A Snob, who both broke his maiden and stamped his ticket to the final with a 1:53 2/5 victory. Mark MacDonald, not wanting to let the "Mad Man" get his own way up front, brushed to command in front of the stands with the youngster and held sway to the wire for trainer Ray Schnittker, who is also co-owner with David Pepin and Julie Farlow.

The unofficial top point earners in this division of the Weiss are Coalition Hanover and Mad Man Hill (tie); Trevor's Ace; One Eight Hundred and Straight Talk (tie); He's A Snob; Tarkio; Kyuquot and Stop Sharing (tie); with AE1 being Major Makover and AE2 Move The Line. The draw for the $40,000 championship will be held Monday.

--press release (PHHA/Pocono)--