WILKES-BARRE PA – Both trotter Skates N Plates and pacer Bruce's Magic both used "pocket trips" as their means to theharness racing winners circle Saturday at the Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, as they were victorious in their respective $16,500 features – after achieving the two-hole in decidedly different ways.

Skates N Plates, a son of Revenue S, got his seat in the golden chair in the conventional fashion, leaving well enough to sit behind pacesetting Somebody AS, then rallying to catch that rival by a neck in his 1:54 mile. Anthony Napolitano was in the sulky behind the winner of $396,929 for trainer Andrew Harris and owner Robert Key.

As for Bruce's Magic – well, how does a horse who's seventh at the half wind up in the pocket? And without leaving the rail, at that. Well, here's how Bruce's Magic did it – he saw the four horses in front of him all pull to the outside early in the backstretch and scooted up the inside to improve position, and thus was well-placed when pocketsitting Bestjetyet made a small break nearing the ¾ and moved to the outside, affecting all those in the wide tiers except the first-over horse, who started to fade right afterwards. A tug on the left line from driver Vinnie Ginsburg (just as "ANap" had done in the other feature) and the triumphant altered son of Rocknroll Hanover had his winning path, catching favored Ontario Success by a neck in a lifetime best of 1:50.1. Bruce Lauer trains the new member of the $100,000 Club for owner Bill Reepmeyer.

Pocono's leading trainer, Rene Allard, had a rare foray into longshot territory in the fourth race, as Maxi Bon won a three-horse photo by a nose with Anthony Morgan deputizing in the sulky, paying $75.00 for a $2 win wager.

The track's leading driver, George Napolitano Jr. fashioned seven winners on the Saturday night card.

FINISHING LINES – While Rene was sending out a longshot winner at Pocono, he also is the conditioner of 2016 Pocono Horse of the Year Keystone Velocity, who closed from sixth at the quarter to win his elimination for the Canadian Pacing Derby in 1:48.2 at Mohawk. The spry 9-year-old, now with career winnings of $1,182,721, stepped whirlwind back fractions of 1:19.2 – 51.3 – 25.1 in the victory for driver/brother Simon Allard. Not bad for a $3000 yearling.

PHHA / Pocono