"Victor," "Blackhawk," and Pocono Weiss Action Repeat

On Monday, April 15, afternoon, at Pocono Downs in Mohegan, Pennsylvania, in $27,397 round two action for the sophomore males, Blackhawk Zette and Victor Laszlo claimed their second Bobby Weiss Trotting Series victories.

None of the Game of Claims Series pacers with a $20,548 base claiming tag were able to record victories in all three legs of competition, which culminated in six $12,328 final preliminary rounds. These results will not be repeated in the $17,500 championship on Monday, April 22.

Blackhawk Zette (above) reduced his mark to 1:54.2 with his own last quarter in :28.1 for driver Matt Kakaley, trainer Robert Baggitt Jr., and owner J L Sadowsky LLC. Blackhawk Zette trotted the quickest mile in his area of Weiss action thus far. The Cantab Hall youngster with a strong closing style has already won all three of his 2024 starts.

Victor Laszlo, the colt from Chapter Seven, also has a three-for-three seasonal record; on Monday, he finished first in 1:55.4. Once more, Mark MacDonald drove for trainer Ray Schnittker and the team that included Arden Homestead Stable, Paul Bordogna, Ted Gewertz, and Schnittker Arnold.

The Gelding Hopping in Bars Usain Hanover, who lost to Victor Laszlo in the first leg by less than a length, set a new mark in another section for driver Dexter Dunn, trainer Nifty Norman, and Enzed Racing Stable Inc. with a final quarter-time of 1:54.4. In the alternate Weiss cut, trainer Mark Harder, who is also co-owner with Dean Lockhart and Deena Rachel Frost, and driver Justin Huckabone captured a maiden mark of 1:57 with the Chapter Seven gelding Mighty Deo, who maneuvered through traffic from last.

Four horses established themselves as serious contenders by winning two of the three preliminary rounds, even though there were no sweepers in the Game of Claims. With Anthony Napolitano leading, Buckeye Emery opened the card and took the second straight in a lifetime-best time of 1:53.1, making him the fastest of the Game of Claims pacers on Monday.

In a 1:53.3 mile, Team Mac prevented a My Mind Is Madeup sweep for driver Jim Pantaleano (who finished first on the day with three sulky victories). Both pacers entered their championship on the heels of two victories and a second, and both made it to the finale for new stables. Both Lous Sassin and Fredneck were claimed last week; however, Lous Sassin (Simon Allard) prevailed here in 1:53.4 following the barn changes, spoiling Fredneck's attempt to win a sweep; Fredneck will also be switching handlers once more.

Seal Oneill did not participate in the first leg of the series, but ever since, he has been invincible in this class, leading to his fourth double-winner victory in 1:54.3 under the direction of Dexter Dunn.

The Pacers who were just glad to be back in Victory Lane won the other two sections. There have been 680 days since Tray Surreal had returned to the photographer after the race, as he did here after a 1:53.2 triumph while handled by Ridge Warren; Royhill’s absence had been 575 days before Jim Pantaleano got him home first in 1:54. But the crowd wasn’t caught unaware – both horses were their race’s favourites.

Tuesday, April 16, at 1 p.m., is the last chance for three-year-old trotting fillies to qualify for their final finals in five divisions of the Weiss Series, where they will compete for $20,000 in their second preliminary round. Similarly, a similar number of fields will compete for $17,500 purses in the Game Of Claims Trotting Series, which is for $30,000 base-tag horses.