Pocono Opens Season

Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs opened its 2007 live harness racing season Saturday afternoon with some 2,000 fans on hand to see George Napolitano Jr.pick up where he left off last year, as he collected three wins on the 12-race card. Napolitano has been the leading driver and trainer at the Northeastern Pennsylvania for three consecutive years.

Trainer-driver Eddie Sager got his season off to a roaring start by winning the opening race, one of two feature races on Saturday’s opening race program. He was in the sulky with Nights Kreeation, who won the $20,000 open handicap pace for fillies and mares with a time of 1:52.3.

My Fella, who had to overcome the nine hole in the $20,000 open pace, came roaring from the back of the pack to capture the second of the featured races, stopping the timer in 1:53.1. Bruce Lauer trains My Fella, a winner for the initial time in 2007 in 11 starts.

Napolitano collected his first win of the day with Market Dreamer in the second race. Market Dreamer, also trained by Napolitano, was a victor in 1:53.1. His other wins came with Dream Possession in 1:52.4 and Taco Hanover in 1:55.2. Napolitano trained all four winners he drove.

First day purses totaled $132,600, largest in the history of the Northeastern Pennsylvania racetrack.

Racing will be conducted on Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday afternoons through November 17. (Pocono Downs)

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