Pocono: So Irresistible bounces back in Weiss championship

The Always B Miki sophomore pacing filly So Irresistible, winner of her first two Bobby Weiss Series preliminary legs only to come up a nose shy in the final prelim, bounced back to winning form with a 1:52 4/5 triumph in the $40,000 Weiss Series Championship for her group Monday afternoon at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.

Carrington was quickest away from the gate, with So Irresistible and driver Scott Zeron bypassing a tuck and going on to the lead in the vicinity of the 27 4/5 quarter. The half went in 56 4/5, and then came first-over Beach Crazy, with Incaseyoudidntknow, a winner of all three of her prelims and the favorite, second-over.

Incaseyoudidntknow rolled three-wide not much past the 1:24 2/5 three-quarters and loomed as a major stretch danger, with Carrington getting a clear path in the Pocono Pike to launch her bid. But So Irresistible was irresistible in winning by a neck over Carrington, who in turn won a photo over Incaseyoudidntknow for second.

The win was the fifth in seven 2021 outings for So Irresistible, and her seventh in 10 lifetime starts. Bruce Saunders trains the talented filly for owners Charles and Julie Nash.

The $17,500 Weiss Consolation for this sector went to the American Ideal miss Itzpapalotl (named after an Aztec goddess), who ruled her field while taking a mark of 1:53 4/5. Jason Bartlett sent the filly right to the lead, yielded for the two-hole, then used the Pocono Pike as her path to victory for trainer Anette Lorentzon and Knutsson Trotting Inc.

In a $10,000 fast-class trot, Can't Say No set the pace then held off the late rush of favorite Eva Dairpet FR in a career-best 1:55 for driver Mark MacDonald and trainer Ray Schnittker, also co-owner with Steven Arnold, Arden Homestead Stables, and Fred Hertrich III. The victorious son of Explosive Matter won three of four races at two, losing only Real Cool Sam, then missed all of last year, but he appears to reaching peak form as he has now won half his four seasonal trips behind the gate.

The final $40,000 Championship in the Bobby Weiss Series will be held Thursday for trotting fillies; Eazy Pass, two-for-two in the series including a 1:54 3/5 victory last week, as the likely favorite as she starts from post three in the nine-horse field. Post time will be at 12:30 p.m.; program pages will be available at https://www.phha.org/downsmsppps.html.

-edited release (PHHA/Pocono)