Season's end at Pocono

Donnie Bop, a nine-year-old pacing gelding, left quickly from the No. 1 post and made every pole a winning one Saturday (Nov. 21) afternoon on the final race date of the 2009 harness racing season.
In a $15,000 claiming pace, Larry Stalbaum drove Donnie Bop to the gelding’s eight win in 33 starts this season, stopping the clock in 1:52.2, just a fifth of a second off the pacer’s lifetime mark of 1:52.1. Kimberly Asher trains the winner.
Western Kissed (Greg Grismore) was second in the race with third-place going to Fifth Street (Mike Simons).

Asher and Stalbaum also won an earlier race with Lavern’s Art in a $10,000 claiming race.
Mark Gingrich started off the 16-race card by sweeping the Daily Double, winning with trotter Valiance in 1:59.2 and pacer Accelerated Force in 1:54.

Joe Pavia, Jr., who was honored as the leading driver (wins) collected a victory in the fourth race with $8,000 claiming pacer Baffler. Pavia Jr. won his first ever driving title at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs and has been competing here for 14 years. Just a few years back, he sustained serious injuries in a harness racing mishap at the Meadowlands and had a long recovery. (Pocono)

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