Trainer/fathers and driver/sons combined to win half the six $20,000 divisions of the first preliminary of the Bobby Weiss Series for 3-year-old pacing males Saturday afternoon at a warm Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania.
The fastest mile was turned in by Team Ryder - trainer Chris and driver Patrick - as the Bettor's Wish gelding World Of Wishes turned in as tough a maiden-breaking win in his second lifetime second start as you are likely to see, stopping the clock in 1:51. World Of Wishes, owned by Philip Steinberg, pushed the two favorites well past a 26 4/5 opener before allowing both to get by, then was right back uncovered nearing the 55 1/5 half. On a day where the wind gave horses a push down the backstretch, World Of Wishes reclaimed command with a 26 4/5 brush, passing by a 1:22 2/5 three-quarters, and drawing off late to win by three lengths at 10-1.
Even though he had the fastest mark in the field (1:53 2/5), another altered son of Bettor's Wish, Cover The Spread, was allowed to go off at 40-1 in his seasonal bow. The pacer rallied from the two-hole to catch 12-1 Atta Boy Abe, at 12-1 the second-longest-priced horse in the field, to win in 1:54 3/5 by a neck for driver Tyler Buter, trainer/father Todd, and Oldfield Racing LLC.
Tyler went on to win two other Weiss divisions, one of them at 14-1 with the Betting Line gelding Flight In Motion, who overcame a first-over trip to lower his mark to 1:52, decisioning Federer by a half-length for trainer Eddie Dennis and the partnership of Mulligan Stables and Jason Johnson Inc. His other sulky success was with one of the three Weiss favorites who won, the Captain Crunch gelding Captain Conan, who led at every call while breaking his maiden in 1:52 4/5 with a 55 3/5 back-half for trainer Robert Cleary and owner Robert Corrigan.
Team Pelling – trainer Brett and driver Jack – were the third father/son pairing to visit Victory Lane, as the Papi Rob Hanover gelding Gold Glove Hanover wheeled right back in after racing on Tuesday and promptly reduced his mark in 1:52 1/5. He punched back tenaciously after being passed by brusher Jackson Cooper and achieving a head margin for Pelling Racing LLC. while going his own back-half in 54 4/5.
► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter
Also a Weiss winner was the only winning colt, Ooglesville, a son of Huntsville and a consistent horse in the NYSS at two, making every pole a winning one in his return while recording his first race win in 1:53 with a 55 2/5 back-half. Zip Time was a half-length in back of the winner, who was driven by Jason Bartlett for trainer Per Engblom and Morrison Racing Stables.
1:50 winners on the card were Virgo, the fastest at 1:49 2/5 and a pair who took lifetime marks for driver Anthony Napolitano: Southwind Celsius (1:50) and Rose Run Zeke (1:49 3/5). "ANap" had five successes overall on the card, while Tyler Buter's triple moved him to the top in the local seasonal standings.
Racing will continue at the Downs on Monday and Tuesday at 1 p.m.; Monday's card will contain the first prelim of the Weiss Series for 3-year-old trotting males, along with a carryover into the fifth race Pick 5 wager, while on Tuesday the $17,500 Championship of a Game Of Claims Pacing Series will go postward.
--press release (PHHA/Pocono)--