The American Ideal gelding Bigtown Hero, still having the 1:48.1 fastest clocking in 2016 North American harness racing (though it had been tied six minutes earlier by Artistic Major at The Meadowlands), was extended to hold off potential Pocono Pike pocket rocket Bettors' Edge in the $20,000 feature Saturday night at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, but "Bigtown," the even-money favorite, proved the bettors' hero as he held off his inside foe to win by a head in 1:49.2.
Driver Simon Allard sent the victorious veteran, who took his record of 1:47.3 here at Pocono two years ago, to the lead past a 26.1 quarter cut by $1.8M-winner Bettor's Edge, and took the field through middle splits of 54.1 and 1:21.4. Bigtown Hero looked strong, and driver Allard looked confident, into the stretch, but Bettor's Edge showed his class as he dug in late to try to rally past the favorite, with his gallant effort coming up just a bit shy. Simon's brother Rene, the meet's leading driver, conditions the winner of over $440,000 for Allard Racing Inc. and Yves Sarrazin.
A race after the feature, George Napolitano Jr. guided his fourth winner of the Pocono card, and his eighth of the day, with a frontstepping victory with Utah Beach, putting a new 1:52.4 mark on the horse. George posted four wins on the special Preakness afternoon card at Harrah's Philadelphia, leaving after the tenth race to make the trek to Pocono – which proved to be a good decision, as "GNap" swept the Pocono early double. After the eleventh at Pocono, Napolitano's scorecard for the day stood at 20-8-5-4, good for a UDR of .606 on the day.
George Napolitano Jr. wound up with five wins on the Pocono card Saturday, and thus added with his four at Philly in the afternoon, he had a 9-winner day. George Nap's final victory, in race 13 of the 14-race card, was by a nose with the trotter Mandela Blue Chip, who earned a new mark of 1:53.4 in edging Upfront Billy — driven by George's brother Anthony.
For the day for George:
PHL 10-4-3-2-.633 (he left Phl early, and won the DD at PcD for his trouble)
PCD 14-5-2-4-.532
OVERALL 24-9-5-6-.574 …
The Ron Burke Stable's 1-2-3 finishes in the recent $561,500 Pennsylvania Classic Final all return to Pocono tomorrow night (Sunday) for Pennsylvania Sire Stakes action, and the three will all be going in separate divisions. Check Six, the 1:50.4 Classic Final winner, starts from post two in the 10th race; second-place JK Will Power has post six in the fifth race split; and third finisher Big Top Hanover drew post five for Sunday's fourth race.
… Finally … There were 13 claims on the Saturday card at Pocono … and the 13th one came in a conditioned race! Lucky Mass had been entered in a claimer and was subsequently scratched, and according to the rules the trotter was thus eligible to be haltered out of tonight's race for the previous race's $12,500 tag. Owner Ken Tisa put up the check, and Lucky Mass will be racing out of a new barn in his next start after finishing fifth Saturday.