Blustery winds, cold temperatures, and sporadic snow flurries welcomed the trotters and pacers back to Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania for the 2024 season opener last Saturday.
The weather conditions made it challenging for horses to clock fast times, but the focus was on competitiveness on the wet track during the day's races, featuring two events with a purse of $22,297 each.
In the main pace event for top-conditioned horses, Maximus Miki, a former $200,000 yearling sired by Always B Miki, proved his readiness after an eight-month break. Trained by Tom Cancelliere and owned by John, Maximus Miki made a strong move from the pocket position, overcoming early challenges to secure a victory in 1:53.3 under the reigns of George Napolitano Jr. Despite being only in his 25th career start at the age of five, Maximus Miki has already claimed victory in 12 races, displaying a fierce determination. He won by 1-1/2 lengths in a tightly contested race where the following seven horses finished closely behind him.
The other $22,297 race was a starter allowance event for high-priced claiming pacers, some of whom were gearing up for the upcoming lucrative Game Of Claims Series. In a field depleted by scratches and reduced to four contenders, Matt Kakaley, the two-time defending local driving champion who had three wins tied with Anthony Napolitano on the opening day, skillfully guided Loorrim Lake A, a Roll With Joe offspring with earnings of $284,066, to victory. Kakaley strategically kept the gelding in the third position until the three-quarters mark, then made a move to the outside to overtake the leader, Tam Major A, crossing the finish line first in 1:54. The winning horse is trained by Paul Blumenfeld and owned by Jersey Shore Stables LLC.
The February schedule at Pocono features a two-day week with races scheduled on Saturdays and Mondays. The upcoming Monday afternoon will see a 14-race card starting at 1 p.m. Three races with a purse of $20,270 each are set for the day, providing a platform for young developing stock to showcase their skills - two on the pace and one on the trot.