By: Jerry Connors, Jr.
CHESTER PA – Sonny Weaver N came up the inside from the pocket to take the lead, then held off fellow 2-1 shot Vettel N in winning the $16,200 fast-class handicap pacing feature on a soggy Sunday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
 
The meet’s leading driver, Tim Tetrick, hustled the Sunshine Beach gelding away from post seven to the lead early on the first turn, then yielded to Da Delightful, who had started just to his right, before the :27 quarter. Bettor Not Talk started a long uncovered move at the three-eighths, with Vettel N, who had gotten away third and initially stayed in, backed out to follow the live cover approaching the :56.2 half.
 
Da Delightful and Bettor Not Talk battled the length of the backstretch to the 1:23.4 three-quarters and beyond, with the two right behind them swinging to a clear lane for the stretch. Sonny Weaver N had good acceleration to go to the top then held off Vettel N by a length in the 1:51.4 mile. An 11-time winner in 2022 after notching ten wins last year, Sonny Weaver N is trained by Jeff Cullipher, co-owner with Pollack Racing LLC.
 
Trendy Teen is now 12-7-5-0 since teaming with Philly’s leading trainer, Per Engblom, after a 1:51.3 victory in the $15,300 co-featured pace. Driver George Napolitano Jr. let Stonebridge Karis go by the victorious Always B Miki sophomore gelding early, reclaimed command just past the :27.4 quarter, then  posted splits of :56.3 and 1:23.3 en route to the three length tally over the pocketsitter. The streaking pacer is owned by Morrison Racing Stables.
 
George Napolitano Jr. was top driver for the card with four victories; Tim Tetrick had three and Andrew McCarthy had two. Four trainers sent out a pair of winners during the wet day: Robert Cleary, Jeff Cullipher, Per Engblom, and Marc Mosher.
 
Harrah’s Philadelphia will present its final Thursday card of the year this coming week at 12:25; racing will be held on Friday at 12:25 and Sunday at 12:40 after that and for the two following weeks, with a Friday-Saturday schedule the last two weeks of the year. Program pages for all Philly cards are or will be available at https://www.phha.org/harrahspps.html.          

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – Take All Comers went after favored pacesetter Eurobond in the $22,500 fast-class handicap trot on Friday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia, then was able to work his way past the chalk to post a 1:53.3 victory.
 
An altered son of Creatine, Take All Comers, driven by Tim Tetrick, was able to grab the racetrack early, then yielded to the millionaire Lindy The Great nearing the :27.3 quarter. Eurobond, who was looped out of the gate, followed Lindy The Great and then took over from the veteran approaching midway down the stretch for the first time and kept the speed, getting to the half in :55.3.
 
Take All Comers was out and back on the attack before the 1:24.1 three-quarters and went at it head-to-head nearing and around the far turn, and then into the stretch. The pacesetter fought gamely but could not withstand his grinding opponent, winding up 1½ lengths behind the Jim Campbell trainee, who now has earnings of $559,171 for Runthetable Stables.
 
The feature had a novel aspect in that six of the seven competitors were involved in the race’s mutuel payoffs. Behind Take All Comers, Eurobond, Robbie Pev, and Lindy The Great, Focus Pocus and Lean Hanover dead-heated for fifth, resulting in correct 6-5-2-8-4 and 6-5-2-8-7 Pick 5 tickets.
 
The meet’s leading driver, Tetrick added five victories to his seasonal total to make him all but uncatchable with a dozen cards left in the racing season. Andy Miller also enjoyed an excellent day with four visits to the winners circle.
 
Harrah’s Philadelphia has announced some schedule changes for the month of December. There will be no live racing on Thursday, December 8 or Thursday, December 15. The week before Christmas remains the same as previously announced – Friday, December 23 at 12:25 and Saturday, December 24 at 12 noon. Two cards have been added during the week between Christmas and New Year’s – Friday, December 30 at 12:25, and Saturday, December 31, the last day of the year, with a 2:30 p.m. starting time.
 
Racing will resume at Harrah’s Philly on Sunday at 12:40, with the top pacers in both the local conditioned and claiming ranks ready for action. Program pages for all Philly cards are or will be available at https://www.phha.org/harrahspps.html.                       

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – Machaholic, a good second after setting the pace last week after ascending to the highest level of claimers at Harrah’s Philadelphia, won Sunday $13,000 top-level claiming handicap in wire-to-wire fashion at the riverside oval.
 
Machaholic was again sent to the front early, negotiating the initial quarter in:27.1 and then getting a :30 breather in the second split with the temperature only four degrees above freezing. Machaholic then picked up the pace and carried his speed in the wire, passing the three-quarters in 1:24.1 en route to a 1:52.4 triumph, a length clear of potential pocket rocket Snowball’s Romeo. Simon Allard was in the sulky behind the son of Mach Three, and trainer Michael Russo and owner Rock Racing LLC ended their five-week relationship with the pacer, who was claimed for $25,000 on Sunday after being haltered by his owner for $15,000, with $18,600 in earnings from a 5-3-1-0 tally.
 
Simon Allard tied as top driver on the day at three winners with Scott Zeron, making the most of an infrequent stop at Harrah’s Philly.
 
Harrah’s Philadelphia will not host live racing this coming Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, but simulcasting will be available at the track and through the Harrah’s Philly platform. There will be racing on Friday 12:25 and Sunday at 12:40, cards that are scheduled to be drawn on Monday and Tuesday. Program pages for all Philly cards are or will be available at https://www.phha.org/harrahspps.html.             

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono held its final of 133 cards for 2022 in near-freezing temperatures on Saturday afternoon, with the meet’s leading horsemen and retiring 14-year-olds feted.
 
Top purse event of closing day was a $25,000 fast-class pace, taken easily by the Bettor’s Delight gelding Ilikemebettor A in 1:51.3. Marcus Miller guided the recent import to the lead, backed off the half to walking-horse time of :57.1 even under the conditions, then dashed home in :54.2 - :27 to serve serious notice he will be a big factor wherever he will next race. Erv Miller trains Ilikemebettor A, who has posted a Stateside record of 6-4-1-0-$48,000 since October 1 for Ervin Miller Stable Inc. and Douglas Overhiser.
 
In an $18,000 co-featured trot, Secret Bro was out raw and challenging much of the last half, and got his nose past favored pacesetter Rich And Miserable on the money in 1:54.2. Secret Bro, a Dejarmbro gelding, is trained by Jennifer Bongiorno for JB Racing, Richard Weinstein, and Joseph Di Scala Jr.
 
Secret Bro was driven by Matt Kakaley, who was the leading Pocono driver in both the victory and UDR categories, and was congratulated for those achievements in winners circle ceremonies. This is Matt’s first UDR crown here, and his second in wins – the other coming when he was 23 back in 2011, the last time George Napolitano Jr. did not take that local laurel (he was second this year, and on closing day was the leading driver with four wins). Kakaley’s final stats for the year at Pocono were 1199-262-216-153-.361.
 
Also honored was the winningest trainer at Pocono, Ron Burke, who harnessed 76 winners during the meet. The only other time the Hall Of Famer led the local training colony in victories, 2020, he completed a “Pennsylvania Triple” – being the winningest trainer at Pocono, Meadows, and Philly – and he has a chance to get a second Triple this year: he has the Pocono title, he won’t be caught at The Meadows, and he is second to Per Engblom at Philly with five weeks to go.
 
The Downs also honored with winners circle retirement ceremonies four 14-year-old horses, a group of very solid career accomplishment (223 wins among them, and earnings of $2,504,746):
 
--Chancellorcullen N, a Grade I winner Down Under before coming to North America, and a career winner of $435,557;
--Hopetobefirst, a winner in all thirteen of his racetrack years, and a sub-2:00 horse in twelve of them, including at fourteen, when he won in 1:53.2, just off his lifetime mark of 1:52.3 taken at two, and an earner of $400,938 with 64 career wins;
--Lyons Johnny, who did not race at two but then won in each of his twelve years of racing in under 2:00, ending his career with 60 victories and a bankroll of $486,537;
--Zooming, the only trotter of the group, who nonetheless won in sub-2:00 in all thirteen of his racing years, rolling up 72 wins and $1,181,714 in earnings.
 
Finally, seven horses changed hands via the claiming box on closing day, for a total of $150,750. Those numbers brought the yearly totals to 554 claims at Pocono, with $12,019,775 changing hands for an average of $21,696 (mirroring the last day’s average of $21,535). Doubtless many of those horses will be back at The Downs for the 2023 racing season, the dates for which should be announced shortly.     

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – In his second start for trainer Juan Cano, Bettor Not Talk spoke volumes with an authoritative 1:51.2 front-end score at a chilly Harrah’s Philadelphia on Friday afternoon.
 
David Miller was away third with the Betting Line gelding, then got his charge in gear mid-first turn and got him around early leader Code Cracker the :28.1 first quarter. The favorite never looked back from there, stringing his opponents out with middle fractions of :56.3 and 1:24.1, finishing his mile in :27.1 to be 2¾ lengths to the good of Code Cracker at the finish. Allen Wenc saw his pacer push his earnings to $106,919 while taking his tenth lifetime victory.
 
Flip The Script was hustled away by driver Simon Allard to sit in the pocket behind favored Waitforever N in the $14,400 co-featured pace for distaffs, then rallied inside the chalk to take a 1:55 decision. The margin of victory was a neck for the three-year-old daughter of American Ideal, who is trained by Ron Burke for Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Joseph DiScala Jr., and Beasty LLC.
 
There were a pair of $13,000 paces for the fast-class older horses. In the division for males, Vettel N won his second straight, covering the mile in 1:51.4 while defeating Southwind Sandor by two lengths for driver Corey Callahan, trainer Jennifer Bongiorno, and owners JB Racing and Robert Devine. The altered American Ideal import now has a career bankroll of $425,228.
 
When the mares gathered, Annabelle Hanover sat in the two-hole behind favored Dresden, then rallied to defeat that one by a neck in 1:53.3, also taking her second straight. A daughter of Somebeachsomewhere who is trained by Jeff Cullipher, co-owner with Pollack Racing LLC, Annabelle Hanover was driven by Simon Allard as her earnings took a jump to $435,627.
 
Driver Tim Tetrick and trainer Jeff Cullipher connected in Friday’s last with Huntanover, completing a big day for both horsemen: Tetrick wound up with five victories on the card, while Cullipher-conditioned horses clicked four times.
 
Sunday’s 12:40 card will be highlighted by the range of claiming pacers, including a $13,000 event for horses valued between $25,000 and $30,000, and the return of the two-year-old trotting filly Another Like Me, a daughter of Muscle Hill – Stubborn Belle who missed her divisional track of 1:54 by a tick in her career debut on November 3. Harrah’s Philly will be dark on Thanksgiving Day, then back in action on Friday at 12:25. Program pages for all Philly cards are or will be available at https://www.phha.org/harrahspps.html.                   

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA -- Dashing through what was soon to become a heavy snow, 19-1 shot Scottish caught the 1-5 favorite Street Smarts very late to win the $15,000 featured trot on the next-to-last card of the year Tuesday afternoon at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
 
Owner/trainer/driver David Hoover was far back for most of the mile with the gelded son of Kadabra, and was still 5¾ lengths behind at the three-quarters, four lengths back at the stretch call, and not much closer by midstretch, as Street Smarts had cleared after a first-up journey and looked to be home. But Scottish and Hoover never gave in and stepped by the chalk by a half a length in 1:57, a new mark despite the unfavorable conditions.
 
Scottish was the only closer to win in the frigid conditions at Pocono on Tuesday; the next-closest thing came in the $15,000 featured pace, when the He’s Watching gelding Greystone Watchman backed out of the pocket after 47-1 Pink Floyd Hanover cleared the pacesetter late on the far turn, then went on nicely to defeat the longshot by 1¼ lengths in 1:54. Braxton Boyd drove the eight-time seasonal winner, coming off of only a three-day rest, for trainer Herbert Lux III and owner Robert John Becker.
 
Anthony Napolitano visited the winners circle three times to lead all drivers during the card.
 
Pocono will race its final card of 2022 this coming Saturday at 1:30, with a $25,000 fast-class pace topping the fourteen races. Also, leading trainer Ron Burke and leading driver Matt Kakaley will be feted for their excellent seasons at the mountain oval. Further, there will be a $1018.20 carryover for the Pick 5 bet on races eight through twelve, and because it is closing day, all bets which usually carryover if no winning tickets are sold will be forced to pay out in their last iteration of the day. Program pages for all Pocono races are or will be available at https://www.phha.org/downsmsppps.html.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Trainer Greg Peck, who rose to fame as the conditioner of the champion trotter Muscle Hill, combined with “Napolitano” to win the two $15,000 featured trots at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono on the final Monday afternoon card of the year, as sulkysitter George Napolitano Jr. handled A Perfect Helen as she took a new mark of 1:54.2 and brother Anthony drove fellow sophomore Highgate to success in a lifetime best 1:55.2.
 
A Perfect Helen, a daughter of Father Patrick, overcame the outside post eight in her wire-to-wire victory, as the closing burst of favored Jaqen H’ghar came up short by a nose for the second straight week. The winning filly has a record of 6-3-2-1 since moving into Peck’s care after a mid-September purchase by Dieu Est Amour Stable.
 
Highgate carries on a “family tradition” under Peck’s care as the Muscle Hill colt, whom Peck owns, came out of a forward position late in the backstretch, then pulled away for a 4¼ length triumph as the favorite upon coming in from Harrah’s Philadelphia.
 
There were also three $15,000 paces, with two of them for males. Latest Era took the faster cut in a lifetime best 1:53 despite 40-degree temperatures, rallying out of the pocket then withstanding Trey’s Charlie by a neck. The JK Endofanera gelding, trained and owned by Gilbert Garcia-Herrera, was driven by Ridge Warren, who seemed in winning position for the majority of the card as he recorded four successes on the day.
 
The Always B Miki sophomore gelding Maximus Miki, who sold for $200,000 as a yearling then  didn’t race until this past October 3, is making up for lost time in a hurry as he recorded his fourth straight win, here in 1:53.2. The three-year-old was hard-used during his race, but still kept it together to post a length triumph over late-clearing Bottle Rocket for driver Braxten Boyd and Team Cancelliere, trainer Tom and owner/brother John.
 
The sole feature class for fillies saw another heads-up drive by Ridge Warren, as Lets Ryde Girl, a sophomore daughter of Rockin Image, made every pole a winning one while stopping the timer in 1:54 while 3¼ lengths to the good. Trainer Mike Watson is now 2-for-3 with his recently-acquired pupil, who changed hands to owner Patrick Gregory at the end of September.
 
The Downs has two more cards left in its racing season, both starting at 1:30 – Tuesday the 15th and Saturday the 19th. Program pages for all Pocono races are or will be available at https://www.phha.org/downsmsppps.html.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – Rickybobbynthehaus had the pedal to the metal to catch Machaholic in a 1:52.4 mile to take the $13,000 claiming handicap feature pace at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Sunday afternoon.
 
Rickybobbynthehaus, a gelded son of American Ideal, was used hard in a :26.4 opening quarter by driver David Miller, then surrendered the lead to Machaholic, who took the field through middle fractions of :56.1 and 1:24. Miller moved the in-form pacer to the outside for the stretch drive, and as the checkered flag of the finish approached he surged by to win by a length for trainer Chuck Crissman Jr. and owners David Hamm and Rodney Long after that group had claimed him for $30,000 last weekend.
 
Hall of Famer David Miller won four races on the card. Austin Siegelman was among those who had two sulky  victories, but his were with bombers Velocity Gator ($108.60) and Lincoln’s Girl N ($43.40), and both helped to set up no fewer than four carryovers for Thursday’s card: a $3434.19 Pick 4 starting with race one, a $2190.78 Super Hi-5 in race three, a $931.49 Pick 5 starting in race five, and a $640.10 Pick 3 starting with race seven – over $7000 of “free money” on the table for Thursday.
 
This coming week Harrah’s will race its normal fall schedule of Thursday and Friday at 12:25 and Sunday at 12:40; the following week there will be no live racing on Thanksgiving Thursday, November 24, so that fans, horsemen, and workers can spend the holiday with their friends and family. Program pages for all Philly cards are or will be available at https://www.phha.org/harrahspps.html.                  

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – There were a pair of $18,500 contests for fast-class stock on Saturday afternoon at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, with odds-on favorites winning both – Da Delightful on the pace, and Storm Is Raging on the trot.
 
Da Delightful and driver Braxten Boyd used engine tactics in posting a 1:52.2 victory. The son of Bettor’s Delight was three-wide early then two-wide to the lead nearing the :27.1; with no early challengers, Da Delightful and Boyd could get a rest to the half of :56.4. The Wall made a big uncovered move down the backstretch, with Crunch Hanover in tow, but Da Delightful was still in control at the 1:24.2 three-quarters and then widened his margin through the last eighth to the 1:52.2 finish, winning by twoilengths over Crunch Hanover, who worked past The Wall late.
 
The win was the eighth of the season for Da Delightful, raising his earnings to $123,205 in 2022 and $349,039 lifetime. Mark Silva is the consistent pacer’s owner/trainer.
 
Storm Is Raging had a more difficult route en route to visiting Victory Lane, but he and driver Simon Allard got the job done in 1:54.The victorious Explosive Matter gelding got away third as Dee’s Red Delicious was out to the quarter in :27.3 for command, then yielded to Mystical Wynn before the :56.4 half.  Storm Is Raging went into grind mode midbackstretch and slowly worked to the lead past the 1:25 three-quarters, then stayed strong late to win by a pair of lengths over Marion Gondolier, who just outfinished Mystical Wynn for the deuce.
 
Storm Is Raging now has nine wins this season, with his scorecard showing $112,020 for the year. Owned by Jack Piatt III, Mark Sosovicka, and Carl Cocciolone, Storm Is Raging is trained by Ron Burke, who has an insurmountable lead in the Pocono training stands.
 
Enjoying similar status on the driving side is Matt Kakaley, who won three times on the Saturday Pocono card.
 
The Downs has only three cards left in its 2022 season. There will be racing this Monday and Tuesday, and then the final card of the year will be held on Saturday, November 19. All of these programs will begin at 1:30 p.m. Program pages for all Pocono races are or will be available at https://www.phha.org/downsmsppps.html.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – Despite persistent rainy conditions and a “sloppy +2” oval on Friday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia, a great many favorites got home first, most working on the engine, including Trendy Teen in the $15,300 featured pace.
 
An altered sophomore son of Always B Miki, Trendy Teen was sent to the lead by driver George Napolitano Jr. before a :27.1 quarter, then got a big breather to a :57.2 half in the off going. The speed sharpened considerably to 1:25.2 by the three-quarters, at which point he had a two length lead, and he carried that advantage to the wire in the :27.3 last quarter which completed the 1:52.4 mile, with Code Cracker closest at the finish.
 
Trendy Teen was purchased by Brian Gooden in July and went to the barn of Per Engblom, Philly’s leading driver, and since the move he has posted six wins and five seconds, good for $69,275 in that period. Gooden partnered with Michael Morrison on the horse two starts back, and the horse now races under the banner of Morrison Racing Stables.
 
There were a pair of $11.200 races for fast-class pacers, with the male division going to South Beach Star, another favorite who used front-end tactics to win in 1:52.1. The Somebeachsomewhere gelding triumphed for Team Pelling – driver Jack and trainer/father Brett, who combined for three winners on the card – and All Star Racing Inc. The fast-class female event also went to a favored frontstepper and another offspring of Somebeachsomewhere, Annabelle Hanover, who tripped the timer in 1:52.4 for driver George Napolitano Jr. and trainer Jeff Cullipher, the latter co-owner with Pollack Racing LLC.
 
For Sunday’s 12:40 card, following a formula that seems to succeed in its first week of usage, Harrah’s Philly will stack the first seven races with the range of claiming paces offered for males. The very first race will be the card’s highlight, a $13,000 handicap which will see Machaholic try the highest local level after winning in 1:50.4 in his latest effort. Program pages for all Philly cards are or will be available at https://www.phha.org/harrahspps.html.