Riggins, piloted by Tom Jackson and trained by Paul Reid, produced the third fastest mile in the history of Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs Saturday evening in winning the $24,000 open handicap pace.
Right from the get-go, Jackson took Riggins, assigned the eight hole, right to the top, but he was pressured by Jeremys Successor (George Napolitano, Jr.) with both horses getting to the quarter in a blistering :25.4.
Riggins, looking for two straight at the northeastern Pennsylvania racetrack in open handicap company, grabbed the lead for good shortly thereafter, taking the eight-horse field to the half in 53 seconds flat and the three-quarter mark in 1:20.2 before stopping the timer in 1:48.3.
The 1:48.3 is a new track mark by one full second for an aged pacing stallion.
Riggins won by one-half length over Jeremys Successor with third-place going to Wheres Waldo (Joe Pavia, Jr.), who was two and one-quarter lengths back.
The previous track mark for an aged pacing stallion was owned by Quality Western of 1:49.3 and established in June of 2007 with Jim Taggart, Jr. in the sulky.
Only the three-year-old colt Shadow Play in August of 2008 and Pilgrims Toner, an aged pacing gelding, in May of this year, have gone faster with identical 1:48.2 times.
Shadow Play, with David Miller, won an Adios elimination race here in 2008 with construction going on at The Meadows while Brian Sears drove Pilgrims Toner in this year’s May race that produced the 1:48.2 miles.
Bulletproof Enterprises of Boca Raton, Florida, own Riggins, a five-year-old Art Major stallion.
(Pocono)
