Persistence paid off for the ownership of Glasser Racing LLC. and trainer Mike Watson as Captain Terminator won a $17,500 Game Of Claims Pacing Series Championship on Tuesday afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania.
Glasser Racing entrusted the Saskatchewan-bred son of Trueland Hanover to Watson after the veteran was claimed out of the series' first preliminary, which he won, for $10,000. The base claiming price elevates for each prelim in the Game Of Claims, and $12,500 was paid for the sharp pacer as he also won round two. Glasser Racing had to come up with $15,000 going to the last preliminary if it wanted the horse back for a shot at the final, and it did (the horse was third after starting from the difficult trailing post nine; Angelo, the horse who won that race, didn't qualify for the final, but he came back to win himself on Tuesday).
In the Game Of Claims Championship, Captain Terminator was taken right to the top by driver Jim Marohn Jr., who had won with him in the middle leg. After a quarter in 27 4/5 and half of 56 4/5, the leader was presented with a stern challenge from brusher Petipou, who got a small lead but not the inside before the 1:24 3/5 three-quarters. Captain Terminator shook off that bid and continued on nicely, winning by 1 3/4 lengths over Stick With Cramer, the only other double-GOC winner in this final, who after facing clogged outer tiers closed strongly as usual.
The total investment in the ownership of the Captain was a net $12,500 (paid $10,000 in the first leg and $15,000 in the third, minus the $12,500 received after being claimed in round two), and Glasser Racing is already "out" on the horse after he earned $4,500 for them in his previous win and $8,750 in this Championship, a total of $13,250. And they have a sharp pacer who could well go on and pile up more earnings.
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The trotters have a Game Of Claims Series starting next Tuesday, and several prospects raced in the $15,000 claiming handicap co-feature. That event was won by the Andover Hall gelding Grapple Hanover, now a career winner of $347,810, who caught pace-setting Golden Compass in a 1:55 4/5 mile. Braxten Boyd drove the winner, rebounding from a break in his seasonal bow, for trainer Brandy Wine and owner Brett Boyd Racing Inc.
Tyler Buter and George Napolitano Jr. each had three sulky successes on the day; they led the Tuesday tally, and they are tied for the top for the meet at 47 triumphs.
Racing resumes at Pocono on Saturday with a 1 p.m. program, which will feature five $20,000 divisions of the second preliminary of the Bobby Weiss Series or sophomore pacing males. Two of the sections will match up two winners in the first round: Captain Conan and Flight In Motion in race 13, World Of Wishes (fastest winner in 1:51) and Gold Glove Hanover a race later.
--press release (PHHA/Pocono)--