By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Allywag Hanover, a star of the “glamour division,” the three-year-old pacing colts, was victorious in his section of the third preliminary leg of his group’s $191,159 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes on Tuesday afternoon at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, but his star was eclipsed on the day by Sandbetweenmytoes.
 
Sandbetweenmytoes, a Somebeachsomewhere gelding trained by Jim Campbell for Fashion Farms LLC, had by no means been keeping a low profile with a win and a second in his two previous Sires legs, but his method of winning today for driver Dexter Dunn was eye-catching. Coming first-over against pacesetting The Greek Freak, the only previous double winner in the sophomore colt grouping, Sandbetweenmytoes paced his own last half in :53 flat despite no cover, drawing off to a five length victory while lowering his record to 1:49 and raising his lifetime earnings to $112,878.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – The third preliminary leg of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and Stallion Series for two-year-old pacing fillies, held Monday afternoon at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, had a little bit of something for everybody.
 
It had a PaSS winning streak continued, if by only the barest of margins, as the Always B Miki – Western Silk filly Grace Hill remained undefeated in three PaSS starts with a nose victory over Continualou, herself a previous Sires winner, in a career best 1:51 in one $105,067 Sires contest. Grace Hill followed the cover of first-time starter Making Waves to nearing the 1:22.2 three-quarters, went up to challenge the new leader, finally edged by her, only to find Continualou – the horse who had been passed late backstretch – clawing back up the Pocono Pike, then moved more photogenic.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – The progression of Party Girl Hill from “precocious newcomer” to “potential monster” took another significant step during the Sunday twilight card at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, when the three-year-old Captaintreacherous pacing filly won her $93,542 division of the third prelim of her division’s Pennsylvania Sire Stakes in 1:49, 2/5 of a second off the world record in only the sixth start of her undefeated career.
 
Party Girl Hill settled in third as a :26.1 quarter was argued, then moved to the outside for driver Dexter Dunn and quickly brushed to command, hitting the half in :54.4, then shrugging off the two-wide tier going to a 1:22.2 three-quarters. With next to no coaxing for Dunn in the lane, the powerful filly came home in :26.3, winding up 4 ½ lengths to the good of JK First Lady and leaving little doubt that Kiss Me Onthebeach’s 1:48.3 standard, set here, could have been within her grasp if extended at all.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – A trio of $14,000 events for fast-class horses highlighted the Saturday afternoon action at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
 
In the single trot, Mississippi Storm got some racing luck when, sitting fourth-inside late backstretch, the two- and three-holers moved outside to challenge, allowing him to use the Pocono Pike and power through to a new mark of 1:52, beating out Lord Cromwell by a length. The Cantab Hall gelding, a winner of $331,788, was driven by Anthony Napolitano for trainer Tom Fanning and owner Joseph Smith.
 
The photo finish camera was needed to determine the winner of the two pacing headliners. In the first, the Roll With Joe gelding Joesstar Of Mia A was parked to a hard 3/8 by War-N-Munn before making the lead, then had to be game to repel that one’s inside stretch charge, winning by a neck and earning a new speed badge of 1:50; Ohio shipper Our Corelli N, who may have been in the Buckeye State going to the ¾, was in overdrive late to be another neck back in third. A winner of $208,394, Joesstar Of Mia A was handled by the hot-driving Simon Allard for trainer Steven Brabrook and the ownership of Jonathan Lapp Jr. and Wish Me Luck Stables LLC.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
MEADVILLE PA – The Explosive Matter sophomore trotting colt Stickler Hanover, four days removed from lowering the all-time trot record at Clearfield (PA) to 2:01.1, came back Friday and trotted a 2:02.2 mile over the twicearound oval at the Crawford County Fairgrounds in Meadville PA, giving him not only that meet’s fastest trot, but equaling the quickest mile posted by pacers. 
 
Stickler Hanover, the 2019 Fair Championship winner, is now 6-for-8 in 2020, undefeated in three fair Sire Stakes and also a Stallion Series winner, and 14-for-23 lifetime, with earnings of $104,584 for trainer/driver Steve Schoeffel and owners Virginia and Kathy Schoeffel. The Schoeffels can surely do without the rare misstep “Stickler” made before the start here, but he quickly righted the ship and went on to a 1¼ length victory.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – The sophomore Yankee Glide colt Hell Patrol may have gotten Team Melander off to a flying start on Hambletonian weekend, taking a new mark of 1:54 while winning the $12,800 Friday feature at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
 
Mattias Melander sent  the winner up into a second-over position behind the parked Trixar, then moved three-wide before the far turn, and despite the wide journey Hell Patrol proved to have more than enough to catch pacesetting Rock Party by 1¾ lengths, with pocketsitter Arclight Hanover third and the game parked-the-mile Trixar lasting for fourth.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – The early-season high flyer Allywag Hanover leads the sport’s “glamour division,” the three-year-old colt pacers, to The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono on Tuesday afternoon, when they will compete in three divisions of the $191,159 third preliminary round of their Pennsylvania Sire Stakes. There will also be five $20,000 divisions of the companion Stallion Series during the card.
 
Allywag Hanover, a son of Captaintreacherous trained by Brett Pelling for the Allywag Stable, opened eyes by winning his first three seasonal stars, including a Sire Stakes at Philly, and since then has been third in The Meadowlands Pace and second in the Geers Stake, beaten less than a length in each. Tim Tetrick is scheduled for sulky duty as “Allywag” starts from the middle of the eleventh race field of seven, which also includes Sire Stake winners Lake Charles and No Lou Zing.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – Streaking classriser Bella Ava held off a late bid from favored classdropper Winnerup to take a new mark of 1:53.2 in the $13,600 trotting feature on Thursday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
 
Dexter Dunn made two moves to control the pace with the daughter of Cantab Hall, opened up ground on the second-over Winnerup down the backstretch and around the far turn, then stayed strong while trotting her last half in :56.1 to defeat her main rival by 1½ lengths. It was the fourth straight victory, stepping up every time, for Bella Ava, who is trained by Jenny Melander for the JPS Racing Stables LLC. 
 
In a pair of $11,600 co-features on the “Trottin’ Thursday” card at Philly, driver Tyler and trainer Todd Buter shipped in with a pair of horses who had won exactly one-third of their lifetime starts – and both improved on that percentage by coming home first. The faster of the two was the Explosive Matter gelding Rich And Miserable, who came uncovered into a :55.2 back half yet still won comfortably in 1:52.1, giving him 18 wins in 52 career starts. Buter Farm Inc., Lynette Buter, and William and Carol Fuhs own the talented trotter.
 
The same ownership foursome are also the sponsors of the Muscle Massive gelding Two AM, who came out of the pocket headstretch, had his prospects not hurt when pacesetting Broadway Athena briefly went offstride, and then scored in 1:53.1 to bring his career scorecard to 29 wins in 85 starts.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – A second purse start, a second win, a second divisional track record. The racing game must seem easy to Captain Corey, as he won his $103,361 section of the second preliminary of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes for two-year-old trotting colts Wednesday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia, matching his divisional colt record of 1:55.
 
Handled by trainer Åke Svanstedt, Captain Corey ranged frontward after a :28 quarter, then with long strides the big colt stepped to the lead at the 3/8 and got a breather to the :58 half. Captain Corey came home easily on his own in :57 - :28.1, defeating stablemate Johan Palema by 1½ lengths while equaling the Philly track record for colts set by Rome Pays Off last year. That colt goes in the Hambletonian on Saturday; this one has already shown the talent to say that he would belong there.