Pocono: One Eight Hundred rebounds for PA All-Stars victory
Favorites won seven of the first eight races at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono Saturday afternoon, but then the first three of four divisions of a $120,000 Pennsylvania All-Stars event for 3-year-old pacing colts and geldings saw the chalk go down to defeat. However, a familiar name, very popular with the crowd, took the final division.
One Eight Hundred, the $800,000 yearling son of Somebeachsomewhere-Economy Terror, rebounded from his bad-luck loss in the Weiss Final, taking a new mark of 1:50 1/5 in 46-degree weather. Driver Tim Tetrick moved One Eight Hundred front-wards past the 27 2/5 quarter, reached the lead and posted middle fractions of 55 3/5 and 1:23 1/5, then saw the colt pace home strongly in 27 seconds with only a few taps.
One Eight Hundred is now three-for-four in 2021, and he seems ready to take on Sire Stakes competition at Pocono next Sunday for trainer Nancy Takter, co-owner with Brixton Medical Inc.
The Captaintreacherous gelding Gamblin Mo was outstanding in his section, posting a 1:50 1/5 clocking for a new mark and equal honors in the stakes speed competition on the day. The teaming of driver Tyler Buter and trainer John Butenschoen has been red-hot at Pocono in recent days, with the Butenschoen barn winning at a 38 percent clip, and this one went down the road while leaving little doubt who was best for David & John Prushnok, David J. Miller, and VIP Internet Stable LLC.
A pair of sons of Sweet Lou triumphed in the other two All-Stars cuts. The gelding Emblaze Hanover showed good rallying ability off a hot pace, drawing clear late while earning a new speed mark of 1:50 2/5 for driver Joe Bongiorno, trainer Ron Burke, and the partnership of Burke Racing Stable LLC., Dr. Bridgette Jablonsky, Jason Melillo, and J&T Silva- Purnel & Libby.
The last division came down to a battle between the McCarthy brothers, as Andrew and the colt Hellabalou came out of the pocket to catch Komodo Beach and Todd by a neck in 1:52 1/5. The Eddie Dennis trainee, a 1:51 1/5 winner in his seasonal debut at Harrah's Philadelphia, is owned by Eric Good.
The fastest mile of the season at Pocono was rung up by the Western Ideal gelding Western Joe, who went over $800,000 in career earnings while pacing in 1:49 1/5. Hesa Kingslayer N grabbed the early lead in a 26 2/5 opener, then Western Joe went on to command. Western Joe posted middle fractions of 54 1/5 and 1:21 4/5, and then held off his game pocket-sitting rival by three-quarters of a length for driver Dexter Dunn, trainer Christopher Choate, and owners Anthony Ruggeri and Richard Tosies.
--press release (PHHA/Pocono)--