Pocono: Simpson stakes kick off

The John Simpson Sr. stakes series started its 2024 run at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania during the Monday afternoon card. The 2-year-old pacing gelding No Trespassing came within three-fifths of a second of the divisional track record with a 1:51 1/5 victory in one of two $58,000 events for his group, while Ake Svanstedt trained and drove two of the four winners in $30,000 sections of the stakes for 3-year-old trotting fillies. Today's races were called the Bret Hanover and the Elma, respectively (all Simpson divisions carry the name of a top horse with whom Simpson had some association throughout his Hall Of Fame career).

No Tresspassing, a son of Sweet Lou-Flirtswell, who in his last two outings missed a head in a NW2 race, then was downed by a head in a Grand Circuit stake at Lexington, found himself on the right side of a photo on Monday. With the rail-shooting neck victory over Lochland Hanover while coming home himself in 54 3/5, No Tresspassing also came close to the ten-year-old divisional standard of Yankee Bounty at the mountain track while also recording a lifetime-best. Jim Pantaleano guided the fast freshman for trainer Deborah Daguet and owners John Darrah and Lawrence Keethe.

The other division for rookie pacing males was won by the Papi Rob Hanover-Kiss Dont Bite colt Beach Club Monte in 1:52 1/5, a career mark. The baby lost some ground to pace-setting favorite Inflation Proof on the far turn, then found better strides to run down the chalk by 1 1/4 lengths while himself closing in 55 1/5 for driver Tim Tetrick, and has now won two straight for trainer Brett Pelling and the partnership of South Merrick Stables and Andrew Berg.

The faster of Svanstedt's pair of winners in the Elma for sophomore trotting misses (and the quickest sectional winner overall) was the Southwind Frank miss She Shaq, who lowered her mark to 1:53, going back numbers of 56 1/5 - 27 2/5. The winning diamond-gaiter moved out raw nearing the far turn and overhauled favored front-stepper Sister Mary Maude by the day's biggest stakes margin, 2 1/2 lengths, for Ake Svanstedt Inc., Little E LLC. and Matt Franklin.

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The Swedish native also sent out the Six Pack distaff Cocktailwithakick, who set all the pace to hold off Fannie Lipkowitz by a half-length, with the others far behind. Cocktailwithakick lowered her speed mark to 1:53 1/5 while also giving Ake Svanstedt Inc., partners with S R F Stable, an owning double.

Joining Cocktailwithakick as the only winning favorites in Monday stakes action at The Downs was Sapphirerainstar, who broke her maiden in her last start and here picked up a stakes victory while going a lifetime-best of 1:53 4/5. After sitting behind leader Diamante Hanover most of the mile, the winning daughter of Walner passed that rival to win by a length for driver Simon Allard, trainer Mark Akins, and A 1 Racing.

Completing this sector's quartet of winners was the Uncle Peter filly She's Spicy, who fashioned a 1:54 4/5 victory after two breaks: one early by a foe which allowed her to race in the pocket, and another by the pace-setter, which gave her a clear chance to come up the inside to defeat closer Mon Ami Martine by three-quarters of a length. Jason Bartlett drove the pupil of Per Engblom for Morrison Racing Stables.

Braxten Boyd led the driving colony Monday by bringing home four winners, for four different trainers.

Simpson Series stakes action continues at Pocono on a card starting at 1 p.m. Tuesday, featuring $84,000 in purses between two divisions of 3-year-old pacing fillies (the Hardie Hanover); there will also be a carryover into the fourth race Pick 3 wagering pool.

--press release (PHHA/Pocono)--