By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania had two $16,000 races as features on Monday afternoon, and the two classes came from opposite ends of the condition sheet – one was for fast-class trotters, and one was for two-year-old pacing fillies.
 
Keg Stand, a seven-year-old Bar Hopping gelding, earned in six figures in each of his first five seasons of racing. He’ll have to have a very good second half of 2026 to keep that streak alive, but he’s achieved top form right now – two wins and two thirds in his last four starts – including his 1:52.4 victory in the co-feature for driver Braxten Boyd, trainer Nicholas Devita, and owners David Hamm and EVM Racing LLC.
 
Favored Abruzzo, named after the Adriatic section of Italy that was the birthplace of wrestling immortal Bruno Sammartino, attempted to put a bear hug on this contest, leaving strongly from the rail and setting fractions of :27.2, :56.3, and 1:24.2. Keg Stand and Boyd had to come first-over the last half, but they gradually reached the leader in early stretch, and from there to the wire there wasn’t 12 inches difference between them, with Keg Stand proving the more photogenic by the smallest possible margin. And even if he doesn’t reach six figures for the year, Keg Stand will almost assuredly reach seven figures for his career, as the photo win boosted his career bankroll to $983.036.
 
The Perfect Sting – Major Delight filly Missneverdonowrong has lived up to her name (if you forgive the double negative) in her two career starts, following a successful debut at Goshen with a 1:56.4 lifetime best in the co-feature for driver Anthony Napolitano, trained Jared Bako, and owners Eric Taddeo and Rosemarie Sienicki. Despite having to pace her last half uncovered in :57, Missneverdonowrong was 1½ lengths clear of late charger Gigi N Miki at the finish.
 
Matt Kakaley wore the day’s drivers crown at the end of the afternoon, piloting four winners home. Driving doubles were recorded by Simon Allard and the Napolitano brothers, Anthony and George Jr.
 
There are five $16,000 two-year-old races carded for Tuesday’s 1 p.m. card  – two for each sex of trotter, and one for pacing colts. Also on the schedule is Hall of Fame driver Brian Sears slated for two drives in his first pari-mutuel action since November 2023. After that, the weekend also promises good action, with a $29,500 fast-class pace featuring Ken Hanover, Ruthless Hanover, and Maximus Miki on Saturday’s 1 p.m. program, and then during the last seasonal action on Sundays at Pocono, the 5 p.m. twilight card will feature the inaugural $75,000 Mohegan Cup for free-for-all pacing mares, which could feature one of Chris Ryder’s two stars in this section, Miki And Minnie and Twin B Joe Fresh.
 
Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA -- $210,455 worth of Pennsylvania-sired stakes competition for two-year-old pacing fillies was held during the Sunday twilight card at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, with three divisions of Sire Stakes and four of Stallion Series, but the stakes action followed in the early weekend’s trend of favorites not getting the job done. This second preliminary round ended with no double winners in either division, and only one chalk was victorious.
 
That favorite was Aestas, a daughter of Papi Rob Hanover – Air Miles Hanover, who now has the distinction of winning at three different levels of stakes races in her last three starts upon taking a PaSS division here. After first capturing a Stallion Series division and then enjoying success in the Pennsylvania All-Stars in her previous start, on Sunday Aestas was pointed frontward by driver Corey Callahan, made the lead after the :27.3 quarter and then added midsplits of :56.3 and 1:25.1. The bay filly then throttled home in :27.2 to win in 1:52.3 for trainer Steve LeBlanc and owner Glenn Dyke; on a night of close finishes in the stakes, Aestas had the biggest winning margin 1½ lengths.
 
Callahan also accounted for a second Sire Stakes division, this one at 17-1 odds with JK Lady Liberty, a daughter of Captain Crunch out of 2014 Horse of the Year JK She’salady. JK Lady Liberty sat third through fractions of :27.2, :57, and 1:24.3, found room when the pocketsitter moved outside into the stretch, and dashed up the Pocono Pike to edge pacesetting Positive Process by a neck in 1:52.2, the fastest division and put up by a filly who had previously had only a second in an overnight event for trainer Nancy Takter  and 3 Brothers Stables.
 
The Stay Hungry – Impact Zone miss Gold Impact posted an even bigger upset in the other Sires cut, winning in a lifetime best 1:52.3 at 23-1. Gold Impact showed speed in the :27.3 first stanza, brushed to the lead before the :56,4 half, hit the three quarters in 1:25.2, then staved off a giant late rush from favored My Taylors Swift, gaining with every late stride but a neck shy on the money. Mike Wilder drove the winner for trainer/father-in-law Dan Altmeyer and the partnership of Altmeyer Wilder Racing, Hutchison Harness LLC, Milton Leeman, and David Wills.
 
In the four Stallion Series divisions, Sweet Lou had two siring credits, as did Captaintreacherous. “The Two Ronnies,” Wrenn and Burke, combined for a double with one of the stallions – but surprisingly it was the two Captaintreacherous misses they clicked with. Faster of those two winners was 9-2 proposition Wish For A Captain (dam Wishy Washy Girl), who finished with a rush to beat favored Sangiovese Hanover by 1¼ lengths in 1:53.4 for Zippett Racing Stable, Joseph Di Scala Jr., Michael Dolan, and Sjoeblom Racing Inc.
 
The “Ronnies and Captain” combine also won with 8-1 shot Saffron Station, who sat a pocket trip, came up the inside to get a stretch advantage, then held off a big charge from favored Amazing Tammy (a familiar theme) by a neck to break her maiden in 1:55. Saffron Station enjoyed the relief from Sires company to win for Scott Dillon and Craig Henderson.
 
Quickest StS winner was a daughter of Sweet Lou, Boardwalk Babe (dam Restive Hanover), who was another successful user of the famed Pocono Pike in a three quarter length tally over Odds On Wonderful (who was odds-on) in 1:53.3. Anthony Napolitano drove the winner for trainer Joe Pavia Jr. and Double The Fun Stable.
 
Boardwalk Babe came to Pocono off a career debut in the Tompkins-Geers at Woodbine-Mohawk; using the same but rarely-used path to the mountain track was Lyons Carriemontana, a Sweet Lou – Lyons Monatize miss who also utilized the inside stretch path in taking a maiden mark of 1:54.3, a half length to the good of crowd choice Gift Of Faith for driver Michael Whelan, trainer Kenneth Oliver, and Threelyonsracing.
 
Corey Callahan led the horsemen’s colony with three success stories – besides his PaSS wins, he drove Holt Hanover to a victory in the card’s opener in 1:49 … in a “non-winners of two races” event. Team Wrenn-Burke were the only other doublers on Sunday.
 
Racing is right back in action at Pocono on a Monday card with a 1 p.m. start time; there are two $16,000 features, one for fast-class trotters and one for two-year-old pacing fillies. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA -- Once again living up to his name, Ruthless Hanover showed no mercy to his opponents in Sunday afternoon’s $16,000 fast-class handicap feature at Harrah’s Philadelphia, pacing to the easiest of wins in 1:49.4.
 
The Somebeachsomewhere gelding, who raised his lifetime earnings to $1,022,264 for Team Cancelliere – trainer Tom and owner-brother John – had to do some work early in the mile, racing three-wide to the eighth then two-wide to command nearing the :27 quarter, but there were no anxious moments after that for his backers, who almost created a minus win pool in their support of him.
 
George Napolitano Jr. went past the middle splits in :55.2 and 1:22.3, and he had a good hold on his horse as he finished out with a :27.1 kicker. Captain Crusader A came up the inside to edge Blue Lou for second behind the winner, who over three years later still is the world’s fastest Standardbred on a 5/8-mile track by virtue of his 1:46.3f mile in May of 2023.
 
In a $13,000 fast-class pacing subfeature, Taranaki, a roan son of Huntsville, was in control of the pace throughout the mile, putting up fractions of :26.4, :54.3, and 1:22 en route to an easy victory in 1:50. Johnathan Ahle (who two races earlier had posted the highest win price of the year at Philly, $126.80, with the aptly-named Sudden Impact), was in the sulky behind Taranaki for trainer Paul Jessop, also co-owner with Laurie Molnar.
 
Smooth Dream went out to take early control in the $14,000 top pace for developing horses, got to the quarter in :27.1 then got a breather to a :56.2 half, and passed the three quarters in 1:23.3 before stopping the timer in 1:51. The altered four-year-old son of Cattlewash, a multi-stakeswinner in the New Jersey program at three, had to be good to hold off a tough challenge from pocketsitter Charlies Wish, but Johnathan Ahle kept the Noel Daley trainee going to win by three parts of a length or owners Bay Pond Racing Stable, CTC Stable, and KDP Stable LLC.
 
Johnathan Ahle and Troy Beyer each brought home three winners on the afternoon; George Napolitano Jr. and Trae Porter checked home first twice each.
 
Racing will resume at 12:25 Harrah’s Philadelphia on “Trottin’ Thursday,” with the usual assortment of high-caliber diamondgaited horses ready for competition. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Saturday morning rain lasting into the early afternoon made for a Pocono Downs at Mohegan Sun racing surface rated “sloppy” for seven races and then “good” for the last five, but at least Pocono got its card in (Philly had to cancel because of air quality Friday; the Clearfield Fair was rained out Saturday). However, atypically for the mountain track, favorites and front-enders had a rough time in the off going, with only two of twelve of each category winning.
 
Captinhammerhead A, a Yonkers regular, lowered his mark by three seconds winning the $29,500 featured fast-class pace in 1:48.4. George Napolitano Jr. reserved his pacer near the back during cutthroat fractions of :25.4 and :54, then moved the son of Captaintreacherous into a generally-lively outer tier well before the 1:21 three quarters, then swung him wide.
 
George’s brother Anthony had gone uncovered with Control Rocks, made the lead, and past midstretch it looked like one of the brothers would win. They were in tight quarters momentarily (Control Rocks suffered “b.e.” and Captinhammerhead A got an “i”), but the Aussie regathered momentum and won for trainer Scott Blackler and owner Chad Koval.
 
And spare a thought for the very game Congressional, who was the first on top, yielded and was shuffled after the front-end war claimed victims, quickly swung from one-wide to four-wide upon clearing headstretch, was still seventh nearing midstretch, and came flying to miss just a half length, photoing Control Rocks for the deuce.
 
In the $18,500 co-feature fast-class pace, the American Ideal gelding American Fling closed from parts unknown to be along in 1:50.4 for driver Ridge Warren and trainer Randy Bendis, the latter co-owner with Pollack Racing LLC. American Fling also used three-wide sweeping tactics en route to his win as the third choice, with the two favorites sixth and seventh after hard work on or near the lead.
 
Trotters were featured in two $17,500 races for developing diamondgaiters, with both divisions seeing the winner take a new mark of 1:52.4. One winner was the Archangel mare Black Velvet AS, who overcame a two-move trip and an equipment malfunction to finish a head to the good of 38-1 shot Wapiti Blue Chip. Brett Beckwith was in the sulky for trainer Anette Lorentzon and owner ACL Stuteri AB.
 
The Southwind Frank gelding Frank Leahy never left the “safety” of the inside until midturn, then closed with a rush to post a three quarters length win over LMC Wagon Wheel in the only feature raced while track was still rated “sloppy.”The meet leaders, driver Tyler Buter and trainer Ron Burke, combined behind the winner, owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC.
 
Buter and Burke won three of the first five races to further their meet advantages and also lead their respective categories on the day. Doubles were also notched by driver George Napolitano Jr. and Ridge Warren.
 
During Sunday’s 5 p.m. twilight card, the penultimate Sunday program at Pocono in 2026, $210,455 will be contested in the second preliminary round of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and Stallion Series for two-year-old pacing fillies, with three Sire Stakes cuts and four Stallion Series sections. There will also be a double carryover into the fifth race Pick 5, and a carryover into the first race Pick Four.
 
(And looking ahead, an interesting name appears as driver for two horses Tuesday – Hall of Fame horseman Brian Sears, down to handle two charges of Hunter Oakes after having not driven in a purse race since November 2023.)
 
Free Pocono program pages are or will be available on www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – After heat and then thunderstorms all but shut down the last two “Trottin’ Thursdays” at Harrah’s Philadelphia, on Thursday afternoon (July 16) the conditions, while still hot, allowed for the races to go on, with some excellent [performances highlighting the day.
 
The Sebastian K S gelding Benjamin Hanover had had to settle for second behind Ari Ferrari J in the last two $16,000 fast-class handicap trots at the riverside oval, but on Thursday he was able to parlay a pocket trip into a 1:52 victory for his 34th victory in 71 career starts. Ari Ferrari J, handicapped outside in the seven-horse field, had to work to a :27.2 quarter to wrest command from “Benjamin,” but after middle splits of :56.3 and 1:24.2 the latter was right-lined by Philly’s top driver Tim Tetrick on the far turn, and in a good stretch battle used the two-hole trip as a springboard to victory. Benjamin Hanover came his own last fraction in :27.2 to defeat Ari Ferrari J by 1¼ lengths for trainer Scott Di Domenico and owner Angela Cornell.
 
Goo For Broke, a Googoo Gaagaa mare who had been producing good closing rallies, switched things up in the $13,000 fast-class co-feature, going away quickly to get the lead, yielding to favored Kierkegaard S, then utilizing the Pocono Pike to defeat the chalk in 1:53 by a half length, with first-over Arrowhead Hanover just another neck back. Andrew McCarthy guided the winner for trainer Per Engblom and owner Timothy Betts.
 
The Tactical Landing trotting colt Southwind Alamo had had open-length wins in his 2026 overnight races – otherwise he had been facing such stars as Apex, Diabolic Hill, and American Power and was not out of place. Leaving that powerful crowd behind for a spot in a $14,000 trot for developing horses, Southwind Alamo sat behind fractions of :27.2 and :55.3, steamed up uncovered before the 1:23.4 three quarters, then called his own margin late in 1:52, coming home in :55 for a new mark and missing by a tick the 2023 divisional track record effort of French Wine. Johnathan Ahle handled the powerhouse diamondgaiter, who is trained by Ron Coyne Jr. and who is owned by Coyne & Pachuta Stable, Blair Corbeil, Richard Carney, and Mike McAllister.
 
Virtually all of the connections of Southwind Alamo are also the braintrust behind the filly Abbey Blue Chip, who was the odds-on pacesetter in the $13,500 subfeature for up-and-comers. But being a grinch and spoiling that double was the gelding Cindy Loo Goo, who pounced from the pocket and lowered her mark to 1:53.1 with a 1¼ length triumph over the crowd’s choice. The same team that engineered the upset in the subfeature fast-class event also combined in this subfeature -- driver Andrew McCarthy. trainer Per Engblom, owner Timothy Betts, and sire Googoo Gaagaa; Shanamphilankilou Inc. is also a co-owner of Cindy Lou Goo.
 
The team of McCarthy and Engblom took the horsepersons’ crowns for the day. McCarthy had the lines behind five winners, three of which came from the Engblom barn; Andrew’s other two were for Nicklas Andersen. Tim Tetrick had three victories, and meet leader teamed with meet leader as Tetrick got home one of Joe Bongiorno’s two training victories. Simon Allard also had a sulky double.
 
Friday’s feature at Philly is for fillies and mares, topped by a $13,000 fast-class event for pacing distaffs. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr.
WILKES-BARRE PA – Team Melander, driver Mattias and trainer-brother Marcus, won two of the four $30,000 divisions of a Pennsylvania All-Stars event for two-year-old trotting fillies. Team “Buterschoen,” driver Tyler Buter and trainer John Butenschoen, won the other two.
 
But neither team did as well as red-hot sire Captain Corey, whose offspring won three of the four sections.
 
Both of the Melander horses were by Captain Corey; both were six-figure yearlings; both were betting favorites; and both set the pace through most of their miles. The fastest of the four winners, Two Day Hangover (dam Sherry Lyns Lady), was making her career debut, but she was ready for a 1:55.1 victory, 1¼ lengths ahead of Slave To Fashion, for Brittany Farms LLC and Marvin Katz LLC.
 
The other of the brothers’ winners, Birr Castle (dam Melania), followed up on a victory in a PA Sire Stakes in her career bow with a 1:56 mile Tuesday, withstanding potential pocket rocket Orinoco by a half length for Pheasant Hill Farm.
 
The third Captain Corey stakes success was the Buter / Butenschoen horse Winner Hanover (dam Won An Done), and she enjoyed the biggest victory margin, 4¾ lengths over One Tequila after setting the pace. Winner Hanover suffered interference in her first outing, but she bounced back nicely for a maiden mark of 1:57.3 for owners James Crawford IV and Rich Preziotti.
 
The second of the Buter / Butenschoen winners was Patty’s Girl, a Father Patrick – Day At The Spa miss owned by Bay Pond Racing Stable. Patty’s Girl made an auspicious first start with a victory in 1:55.2, getting passed down the back by favored Cabaletta Hanover yet able to rally to defeat that foe by a half length.
 
Buter, Pocono’s leading driver, had his two stakes successes as part of a natural five-bagger, his total wins on the day. The victories came in races five through nine – which happen to be the races of the Pick 5 wager at Pocono, which, ironically, went unsolved, necessitating a carryover to Saturday’s card.
 
In addition to Buter’s five-timing exploits, George Napolitano Jr. drove three winners. And as mentioned, driver Mattias Melander had two victories, as did trainers Butenschoen and Marcus Melander, the only conditioners with multiple winners.
 
Saturday’s 1 p.m. Pocono card will feature carryovers in the two “Five” wagers – the Pick 5, as mentioned, and the High 5 in the last race. A crack field of fast-class pacers will highlight the racing, competing for a $29,000 purse. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Nordic Catcher S did not look like a horse who was coming off a 345-day layoff, as the 2025 Hambletonian winner, who had not raced since that million dollar day, was ready for the $27,500 featured fast-class handicap trot at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on Tuesday afternoon, winning in 1:51. The time was only two-fifths of a second off the 13-year-old divisional track and world record of Uncle Peter.
 
The key to the race was the first turn, when driver-trainer Åke Svanstedt could get enough gate jet out of the son of Face Time Bourbon and could clear to the lead early, looping favored Dame Good Time, who had set a world record 1:50.2 here two starts ago. Dame Good Time had little choice but to press on towards the top, going on past the fast :26.1 quarter to get command in front of the stands.  
 
Dame Good Time was able to get a breather to a :55.4 half before accelerating with the wind to a 1:22.4 three quarters. Nordic Catcher S was able to draft along in the pocket for a half mile, and when Svanstedt moved him out headstretch, he lived up to his name and caught Dame Good Time, who fought hard, by a length. The 6-5 second choice, now 11-6-4-1-$827,035 lifetime, is owned by Åke Svanstedt Inc. and Little E LLC, and now that he fits back into a picture that includes On To Norway, Super Chapter, Antognoni S, Lexus Kody … this class should give us quite a summer and fall.
 
The $21,000 subfeature saw Gap Kronos S achieved an unusual feat: he has now trotted his career fastest mile of 1:51.4 at two, three, and now four. Driver-trainer Åke Svanstedt, taking the top two races of the day, took the lead from favored Southwind Coors past the quarter, kept on rolling throughout the mile, then under active encouragement held off that rival by a head. The son of Face Time Bourbon is owned by Bruni Racing Team Inc., Part Of Dream Inc., and Magnifico LLC.
 
In the $18,500 third-level fast-class trotting feature, the Archangel gelding Pierre In Paris enjoyed a drop in company and took a new mark of 1:52.2 in winning for the Pocono leaders, driver Tyler Buter and trainer Ron Burke. Pierre In Paris tucked third early, then made his move on the far turn and trotted past pacesetter Lefties Righties, with the favorite winning by a length for Zippett Racing Stable. Joseph Di Scala Jr., and Yannick Gingras.
 
George Napolitano Jr. guided home four winners; Tyler Buter had three, and Åke Svanstedt the two feature horses. Svanstedt, Lou Pena, and Jill Wine all had training doubles.
 
An eventful race week at Pocono comes to a close with a 1 p.m. card Tuesday, which will feature four $30,000 divisions of the Pennsylvania All-Stars event for two-year-old trotting fillies. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
DAYTON PA -- The Pennsylvania Fair Circuit swung right back into action with a “2-Day Fair Sire Stakes Event” at the Dayton Fairgrounds, with two-year-olds racing on Saturday and the three-year-olds in action the next day.
 
The very first horse to post parade before the first race of the meet would turn out to be the pacer who authored not only the fastest mile of the meet, three-year-olds included, but also the fastest freshman mile of the young fair season. That would be the Always B Miki – Cheyenne Deo colt Kurt, who froze the stopwatches in 2:01, his second straight success at the fairs, under the guidance of Eric Neal. Owned by Stephen Brochu, Kurt is trained by Bill Daugherty Jr., renowned for his success rate with trotters, but here showing his ability to get a pacer to top form.
 
The other division of the colt pace went to the only horse who has won at each of the first three fair stops this year --   Lucas Hanover, a Stay Hungry – Latte Lady gelding who won here in 2:05 for trainer-driver Todd Schadel, co-owner with wife Christine.
 
The fastest freshman trotter at Dayton was the Father Patrick – Wind Of The West filly Western Twister, who made her fair debut a successful one in 2:04.3. Eric Neal was in the sulky for trainer Tom Loughry Jr. and the famous Brocious Racing Stable Inc.
 
On Sophomore Sunday, the fastest time was posted by that rarest of creatures on the Fair Circuit – a horse who had been claimed in her last start! A winner of two straight conditioned claimers at The Meadows, the Tall Dark Stranger filly Lovebug Hanover attracted P T Stable and trainer Kevin Johnson enough to halter her, and she paid immediate dividends by switching to the twicearound circuit and winning in 2:01.1 – maybe not the 1:52.1 she had gone two back, but enough to grab her Dayton three-year-old honors, even over the colts, with Kyle Bolon driving.
 
Fastest trot for the three-year-olds was by the Captain Corey gelding Clark, another contributor to driver-trainer Steve Schoeffel getting off to a fast start at the fairs. The 2:02.2 winner is owned by Kathy Schoeffel, Brady Brown, and Marian Schilling.
 
Todd Schadel and Steve Schoeffel were the top win producers at Dayton, with six and four respectively on both the driving and training sides.
 
The next racing on the PA Fair Circuit will be at the Clearfield Fair, the only stop that races over four days, this coming Saturday (the 18th) through Tuesday (the 21st). Two-year-olds race the first two days, three-year-olds round out the action. Post time is 5:30 on the first and last day and 1 p.m. on the middle two; declarations for all four days of racing will be due on Thursday (the 16th) at 10 a.m., as is standard.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Two longshot daughters of Papi Rob Hanover used speedy tactics to post clear wins in their respective divisions of three $30,000 Pennsylvania All-Stars races for two-year-old pacing fillies during the Sunday twilight card at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania. The other cut was won by the favorite, a daughter of Captaintreacherous who came from behind to win by the smallest possible margin.
 
Faster of the two “Papi Rob” All-Stars winners was Aestas (dam Air Miles Hanover), coming off a Stallion Series win but still dismissed at 10-1. Corey Callahan, perhaps noting the tendency for front enders to do warm on the warmish evening, sent Aestas right to the point and put down fractions of :28.3, :57.2, and 1:25.1 before getting a :27 last quarter from her as she lowered her speed badge to 1:52.1 while holding off Sister Girl Blues by 1¼ lengths. Steve LeBlanc trains the winner for Glenn Dyke.
 
Fauvette Hanover (dam Fashion Ecstasy) started from the rail and kept adding “1”s to her charted line behind her post, with splits of :27.4, :57.1, and 1:25 preceding her 1:52.4 maiden victory. Iwillalwayslouvelou was 1¾ lengths behind the 9-2 winner, who was driven by Jason Bartlett for trainer Britney Dillon, also co-owner with William Hartt.
 
Loyal To The End (Captaintreacherous - Lifetime Trust) was game to the end to let the chalkplayers escape with some dignity, coming first-over and then just beating out Pocono Pike-shooting Positive Process by a nose in 1:53. Fractions in this race were :28, :58, and 1:25.4; Loyal To The End paced her own last quarter in :26.4 to keep her perfect in two purse starts (a Stallion Series win preceded this one). Andrew McCarthy sulkysat for trainer Noel Daley and the partnership of Let It Ride Stables Inc., Jesmeral Stable, Hutchison Harness LLC and CT Stables LLC.
 
The pacing stakes fillies’ trotting counterparts also put on a show, with the baby  Chapter Seven – Plunge Blue Chip filly Kountry Plunge setting the pace then speeding home in :56 - :27.2 to defeat a game rival, Secret Lover, by a neck in 1:54.1. Both fillies were making their betting bows after winning two qualifiers, and both have promising futures. Kountry Plunge is trained by driver Åke Svanstedt, and she is owned by OBM Stable, Svanstedt & Midnight Sun, Bender Sweden Inc. and Ecurie Diocles AB.
 
Tyler Buter and Anthony Napolitano, 1-2 in the Pocono sulky derby, were the only horsemen having multiple victories, with Buter tallying three times and “ANap” winning twice.
 
Three levels of fast-class trotters will be the features on Monday’s 1 p.m. card at Pocono, with the $27,500 handicap headliner marking the return of 2025 Hambletonian winner Nordic Catcher S, who has not raced since that triumph last August 2; among the “welcoming committee” will be Dame Good Time, winner of five of his last six including a world record 1:50.2 mile at Philly. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.