By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – A sentence containing the words “Pocono Downs” and “no front-end winners” is quite rare, but speed could not sustain to the wire in any of the fourteen races on Monday’s card at the Mohegan Pennsylvania oval – and only two favorites proved worthy of the crowd’s enthusiasm.
 
The $15,500 co-featured pace for males had most of its lead facts consistent with the unusual trends of the day. The winner was making his first start of 2026; he was the only three-year-old in the field; he was the winner furthest back at the half, seventh; he posted a new mark and the fastest time of the day, 1:50.3; no horse won his race by a bigger margin; and he paid the biggest win price on the card, $60.40. (Oh, he was driven by Tyler Buter and trained by Ron Burke – so at least two notes of normalcy did register.)
 
Not that Another C Note hadn’t shown promise as a two-year-old: he finished second, beaten only a length, behind Brandon Blvd’s 1:49.1 at The Red Mile. But in his first start of the year and against good stock, Another C Note was dismissed at long odds, which he promptly ignored, picking up great cover behind Bettor’s Desire as, after initial splits of :27 and :55, that one went head-to-head with 1-9 favorite leader Moneyhill GB to a 1:22.2 three-quarters.
 
The last-named two continued to battle through the lane, and Lafitte made his bid from the pocket up the Pocono Pike, but it was Another C Note, a Captaintreacherous colt, who shifted on down into overdrive late and won going away by 2½ lengths, with Lafitte, Moneyhill GB, and Bettor’s Desire next in that order at the wire behind the winner, owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Let It Ride Stables Inc., and Scott Dillon.
 
In the $15,500 co-feature for female pacers, the Sweet Lou mare Point Breeze, who last week made a break in her first start since her Breeders Crown elimination in 2024, was ready for her best and prevailed despite a hard trip in 1:53.2. Anthony Napolitano started her raw from beyond midfield early and grinded up to challenge Churchview Meow IR, taking the favorite through a :26.4 third quarter. Down the lane it was Point Breeze who proved to have the most foot, defeating longshot two-holer Swift Sarabi by a head, with the pacesetter only a neck away from taking it all. Trainer Nicholas Devita and owner John Cummins saw their patience rewarded on Monday.
 
Many hopefuls for the upcoming Weiss Series, for developing three-year-olds, got in their final preps for the Weiss action that begins this Saturday (April 4)– in fact, one of today’s winners is already back in to go in his division’s first leg Saturday. The Sweet Lou pacing colt Crazy Train got the golden journey in the two-hole and made the most of it to win in 1:52.4 for driver Ridge Warren, stamping himself as ready for the Weiss for trainer Travis Alexander and owner Gino Toscani as one of the day’s two successful chalks.
 
Through the pari-mutuel chaos, four different Superfectas were unsolved and produced a carryover into their next race; one of those contests was the day’s thirteenth, the last Superfecta of the day, so there will be a carryover into Tuesday’s first race. Other pools starting out with money on Tuesday will be the fourth race Pick 3, which has a double carryover; the fifth race Pick 5; and the last race High 5.
 
Tyler Buter had three wins as he continues to lead the Pocono drivers while trying to double up on last year’s win title; Simon Allard and Ridge Warren had doubles. On the training side, Ron Burke had two winners (both driven by Buter), as did Travis Alexander.
 
Tuesday’s 1 p.m. card will be highlighted by a $15,500 trot for those aiming up the classladder, in addition to other three-year-olds looking to be Weiss-bound. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – The Captaintreacherous gelding Federer served up the fastest mile of his career, 1:50.3, despite temperatures not far above freezing, in winning the $20,000 fast-class pace Saturday afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania.
 
Braxten Boyd reserved the winner of four of his last six starts behind quick early numbers of :27.1 and :54.2, then found good cover second-over, springing wide off that cover before the 1:22.1 three quarters. Federer gained through the far turn and grabbed command early in the lane, then kept the horse on his back, Borninlockdown GB, 1¾ lengths behind to the wire. Cory Stratton trains the winner for El Dorado Stable.
 
Driver Brett Beckwith, who won six races here last Saturday, and meet-leading trainer Per Engblom combined their talents to sweep the trotting divisions of the $17,500 class co-featured on the card, withboth contests going to mares in 1:55.3.
 
One fell to Farah Trio IT,  a mare by Nad El Sheba (named after the famous racing area in Dubai), whose seventh 2026 victory put her into a nine-way tie atop the  North American standings in terms of races won (she is one of two trotters on the list, and four of the nine are female). Farah Trio IT has achieved her win total in just nine seasonal starts, here letting the early dust settle before rushing to the lead and winning by two lengths over Mr Pasadena for Evans Nation, Engblom Farm LLC, and Hickory Hollow Stables.
 
Goo For Broke was stuck three-deep to the eighth then two-wide until the three-eighths, yet still was able to best D’Wood, racing in the pocket after himself seeing hard early usage, by 1¾ lengths in the other spotlight trot. Goo For Broke, by Googoo Gaagaa, has been victorious in three of her last five outings for owner Timothy Betts.
 
In the sole section of the subfeature for pacers, the Bettor’s Delight gelding Renaldo N won in his first start of the current year, defending the two-hole early and then coming up the Pocono Pike to catch pacesetter Jackson Courier, also a returnee to the races, by 1¼ lengths in a lifetime best 1:53. The Joshua Graber-owned winner tallied for Team Tritton, the wife-husband combination of driver Lauren and trainer Shane.
 
Colin Kelly, enjoying an excellent start to his year that sees him among the top dozen North American drivers in both wins and earnings, paraded to Victory Lane four times on the afternoon; Anthony Napolitano had three winners, while joining Beckwith with a double was Simon Allard. Besides Engblom, Deborah Daguet sent out two winning charges.
 
$15,500 featured events for developing horses, one on each gait, will highlight the Monday 1 p.m. card at Pocono. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Driver Tyler Buter won the 2025 dashwinning championship at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania and is again ahead so far in this meet at least partially because he can get his horses to give the last bit of energy and desire they have to take the victory. Buter showed this ability again when, for the second day in a row, he won the Pocono feature by a nose.
 
In the $15,500 headliner trot on Tuesday, Buter left from the outside post eight with the Captain Corey sophomore gelding Captain Vodka, got a tuck fourth, then went up uncovered down the back, getting the lead on the far turn. Dusty Dungarees had vacated the pocket to follow Captain Vodka, and the two battled the length of the stretch, with the wheels of Dusty Dungarees appearing to be slightly ahead at one point past midstretch. But Captain Vodka fought on and held the slimmest margin tripping the photo finish beam, lowering his mark to 1:55.2 while staying unbeaten in two seasonal starts for trainer Robert Baggitt Jr., who is also co-owner with Christine Baggitt and J L Sadowsky LLC.
 
Captain Vodka is eligible for the Bobby Weiss Series, Pocono’s annual showcase for developing three-year-olds of all classifications, and with the series starting on Saturday, April 4, three other horses, all males, also stamped themselves as horses to watch. Two of this trio are in Captain Vodka’s trotting male division: Confident Volo, who lowered his mark to 1:55.2 in his seasonal debut; and Nose Jammer, who now has ten career wins entering this “nw 2 p/m races” series because he was a top fair horse last year, and here reduced his mark to 1:57.1. Breaking his maiden was the pacing gelding Sounds So Sweet, who stopped the clock at 1:54.2.
 
“T. Buter” was the leading driver and the leading trainer on the day with three victories; Tyler was the driver, while horses trained by Todd Buter also found their way home first on three occasions. Todd was the only multi-successful trainer; driving doubles were notched by Simon Allard, Matt Kakaley, and George Napolitano Jr.
 
Racing resumes at Pocono Downs on Saturday, with a 1 p.m. card offering fourteen races. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Zuma Beach and Perfidious Crown were very close in the betting in the $17,500 distaff feature pace at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania Monday afternoon, with the latter even money against the former’s 6-5. However, it was the Downbytheseaside mare Zuma Beach who got the major share of the purse, and by just as close a margin as emerged in the betting.
 
Zuma Beach and driver Tyler Buter, who had three wins on the afternoon to stay ahead as he tries to repeat his driving championship here in 2025, left inside her main foe and made the top, then yielded to sit the two-hole behind Perfidious Crown in fractions of :27.4, :56.1, and 1:25.3, on a day with freezing temperatures and a “sloppy +1” racing surface for the features. Perfidious Crown went on strongly to the wire, but Buter moved his charge to the outside for the drive and just got by the pacesetter at the very end of the 1:54.4 mile. Andrew Harris trains the winner and co-owns her with Ray Lasky and Nathan Cockerham.
 
The only driver to have more successes on the day than Buter was Mark Herschberger, who scored four victories, including capturing both of the subclasses of the card’s female sidewheelers’ focus. In the $15.500 pace for horses just one level below the feature on the classladder, he sent the Always B Miki mare Youllfindout uncovered down the backstretch, and Herschberger did find out that his mare could clear to the lead and then resist a resurgence by Sandyboots Yankee, in that one’s first start of the year, winning by a length in 1:56.1. Nik Drennan conditions the favored winner for his Drennan Stable LLC, Joseph Davino, Brad Shackman, and Daniel Schrock.
 
The $15,000 distaff contest for fast-class types saw Sheer Artistry N and Herschberger swing wide off cover and get home first in 1:53.2, covering her own back half in :55.1, outstanding considering the conditions. Dandy’s Mercy took early control from the pole and tried to front the field the entire way, but she came up a neck shy; favored Sweet Hayley Jane A was third, another half-length back, after not quite having enough pace up the Pocono Pike after a pocket trip. Ashley Bako trains Sheer Artistry N, a daughter of Art Major, for owner David Kryway.
 
Trotters on their way up the classladder will contest $15,000 in the featured trot during Tuesday’s 1 p.m. card at Pocono; bettors will find carryovers awaiting them in the fourth race Pick 3 pool and the fifth race Pick 5 wager. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Brett Beckwith won six races during the Saturday afternoon card at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, the most for any driver during a single 2026 program at the northeast Pennsylvania oval.
 
There were three divisions of a $17,500 class for developing horses featured on the card, one for pacers and two for trotters, and Beckwith took one on each gait on a day that produced low- to mid-40s temperatures and a stretch tailwind. The pace proved one of four successful teamings between Beckwith and the combine of trainer Enrico Robinson and owner Pollack Racing LLC, as the Captaintreacherous gelding Lochlan Hanover charged home from third-over to win by a neck over Captain Luffy in a new mark of 1:51.3.
 
Beckwith took one of the trots with Shoresy, who won his fifth in a row and fourth straight at Pocono after making an early move to command, playing a bit of “possum” on the far turn, and then drawing off through the stretch in 1:55.2. The son of Cantab Hall, owned by Timothy Betts and Shanamphilankilou Inc., has won all of his quintet of starts since entering the barn of the meet’s leading trainer, Per Engblom, a doubler on the day.
 
The other diamondgaited headliner went to the Muscle Mass gelding Royal Comet, who lowered his mark to 1:54.3 for driver Colin Kelly and trainer Tony Alagna; his owner, basketball star Sam Bowie, grew up some 90 miles away from Pocono in Lebanon PA. Royal Comet was the top trotter in his class in Iowa at two and three and is continuing his successful ways: he has won 18 of 33 lifetime starts, and has been 1-2-3 in all but one of his outings.
 
The last of the wins for Team Beckwith / Robinson / Pollack came in the pacing division of a $15,000 fast-class event, with Hunting Zone, an altered son of Huntsville, keeping control from the pole throughout, then defeating pocketsitting favorite Borninlockdown GB by a head in a 1:50.3 mile that saw five horses separated by less than a length at the finish.
 
The fast-class trot was won by the Mosaique Face gelding Aquarius Face S, rallying up the inside to succeed by a half-length over Dribbling Bi in 1:53.4, a lifetime best, for the meet’s leading driver, Tyler Buter, and giving trainer Engblom his second victory. Engblom Farm LLC co-owns the winner Ellerstromgruppen AB.
 
Buter needed this win to retain his spot atop the Pocono standings, as Anthony Napolitano won three times on the card to leave him just one off Buter’s total at day’s end. Two of his Saturday wins were part of trainer Darren Taneyhill’s winning trio on the card, including the Somebeachsomewhere gelding Macadoodledoo, who changed shedrows after a claim by owner Mark Jakubik, stepped up in class, and overcame the outside post in the fastest mile of the day, 1:50.2.
 
Beckwith, who won with the other Taneyhill trainee and who has raced at Pocono on Saturdays only so far this year, vaulted up to a tie for fourth in the local standings; he is on top of the win columns at The Meadowlands and Saratoga. Taneyhill moved up to second on his side of the statistics.
 
Racing at Pocono resumes on Monday at 1 p.m., with distaff pacers in the highlight races. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.    

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Moni Multiplier turned a $2 win wager into $22.00 for his backers by winning the $15,500 featured trot on St. Patrick’s Day at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, a Tuesday when the temperature in Fahrenheit degrees dropped more than half from Monday’s high right to the freezing mark.
 
The International Moni mare sat in the two-hole behind a moderate pace set by favored Bruha, then left-turned into the Pocono Pike and caught the frontstepping chalk by 1¼ lengths. Moni Multiplier now sports a seasonal record of 5-2-1-0-$17,275; she was acquired after the first of the year by JML Racing LLC and trainer Neal Ehrhart.
 
Moni Multiplier was driven by Anthony Napolitano, whose three wins at the mountain oval Tuesday saw him end the card second in total driving wins in both the day’s and the meet’s sulky success stories.
 
Just ahead of “ANap” in both categories is 2025 champ Tyler Buter, who had four wins Tuesday. He won the last two races on the card to generate a $3.40 Late Double, which ordinarily wouldn’t merit a mention except 1) both winners were trained by Ron Burke, now second in that stat while going for his fifth local crown in six years, and 2) it’s unusual to see the last two winners on a Tuesday have career earnings of $4,606,860, but that’s the combined career total of This Is The Plan and Southwind Gendry.
 
Many three-year-olds raced Tuesday while preparing for the rich Weiss Series competition, which starts in early April. Having the most success in this area was the Alagna Armada, with trainer Tony combining with driver Anibal Borjas to put maiden marks on trotting filly Even It Up and pacing colt Vizcaya; they also added a second with a 70-1 shot.
 
Racing resumes at Pocono on Saturday with a first post of 1 p.m. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Louies Girl N made her 2026 debut on Monday afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, and she rallied nicely to win the $25,000 fast-class distaff pacing headliner in 1:54.2 on a day with a strong stretch headwind and a “sloppy” surface rating for the feature races.
 
Team Cushing saw their Turn The Page N win the last two Pocono female features and Sweet Hayley Jane A take last week’s co-feature for the distaffs; this week they tried “Hayley” in the top class. Despite 42-1 odds, the Aussie-bred went right to the lead in :27, got a big breather into the strong wind while reaching the half in :58.1, and then opened up on the field to hit the three-quarters in 1:25.4. Jason Bartlett moved Louies Girl N from third down the back to a vacant pocket, came out after the leader in the lane, and wore down the game pacesetter by three quarters of a length.
 
Trained by Pocono meet leader Per Engblom for Peaceful Acre Farm, Louies Girl N posted her eighth straight victory and remained unbeaten since last May 8. On that day, she won her last Kiwi start, shipped Stateside and rose through the ranks with six straight victories at Yonkers last fall, then was ready for success in her seasonal bow. She does not look like she would be out of place against the very best of this continent’s FFA female sidewheelers.
 
Pocono’s Monday co-feature was a $17,500 event also for distaff pacers, and Perfidious Crown became one of the few speed horses to hold up on the day, parked to the three-eighths to gain command and then still able to rattle off a :55.1 back half to be a handy winner in 1:53.3. The daughter of Tall Dark Stranger was driven by Anibal Borjas for trainer Tony Alagna, whose Alagna Racing LLC co-owns the two-time winner in five seasonal starts with Let It Ride Stables Inc. and Big Als Stables.
 
Braxten Boyd, who won USHWA’s Rising Star Award last year, topped the local drivers on the day with three successes; Simon Allard and Anthony Napolitano won twice each.
 
The racing week concludes at Pocono on Tuesday with a 1 p.m. card: the feature is a $15,500 event for on-the-rise trotters, and the day’s racing could also serve as a showcase for some Weiss Series prospects, with that annual Pocono series for developing three-year-olds starting Saturday, April 4. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Pylon-hugging horses did not get a major share of the money on Saturday afternoon at a cool Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, as horses in the two-wide lane  during the second half of their miles during a  crosswind session were most effective, including the Sweet Lou gelding Admiral Hill, a 1:51 winner in the $27,500 featured fast-class pace.
 
Finding nobody to provide him cover entering the backstretch after fractions of :27 and :54.3, the victorious winner of $811,733 proceeded up raw for driver Brett Beckwith, kept gaining after the 1:23 three-quarters, forged to the lead in early stretch, then withstood the horse on his back, the hard-luck Catalpa Rescue A (second in the last three Pocono weekly features), by 1½ lengths. Admiral Hill, owned by Morrison Racing Stables, was part of a training triple for the meet’s leading conditioner, Per Engblom.
 
There were a trio of $17,500 co-features for developing horses, one for male pacers and two for trotters. The sidewheelers were topped by the Captaintreacherous gelding Federer, who initially stayed in then slipped to the second tier, roared wide in the lane, and came from fifth at the stretch call to win in a lifetime best of 1:52.2 for trainer Cory Stratton and El Dorado Stables. Driver Anthony Napolitano completed a quartet of winning steers with Federer.
 
Matching “ANap” with four sulky successes is the only driver ahead of him early in the 2026 standings, last year’s top dashwinner Tyler Buter, whose four-bagger included taking both of the top trots. The quicker of the pair of diamondgaited spotlight races went to the Gimpanzee mare Winnpanzee, who found second-over cover in her seasonal debut, then was strongest late in 1:55.2. Ron Burke, leading trainer at Pocono four of the last five years, conditions the trotter for Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC and Brad Grant.
 
Buter also guided the winner of the other top trot, Shoresy, with the pilot again finding the second-over trip and then coming home well for a 1:57.1 tally. The son of Cantab Hall is also trained by Engblom, and Shoresy has now taken his last four starts for Timothy Betts and Shanamphilankilou Inc.
 
The top race on Monday’s 1 p.m. card at Pocono will be a $25,000 contest for top distaff pacers; bettors will find carryovers going into the first race Pick 4 and the fifth race Pick 5. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – The Bar Hopping gelding Bruha took the early lead in the $15,500 trotting feature Tuesday afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, yielded to fellow 6-5 shot Brother Love, then came back on up the Pocono Pike to record a 1:55.3 decision.
 
Melissa P closed well from far back but came up 1½ lengths shy, with Brother Love another half length behind. Bruha, who had $32 more wagered on him than the pacesetter, recorded his second victory of the year for driver George Napolitano Jr. and trainer Cote Keim, the later co-owner with Michelle Rickey.
 
The Bobby Weiss Series, four events divided by gait and sex that annually showcase three-year-olds on their way to better things, takes place at The Downs in April, and some sophomores are already showing the form that will be needed to do well in the Weiss competition. One highly-regarded pacer who won Tuesday, the Captaintreacherous gelding Barrow, made two moves to overcome the outside post eight and take a new mark of 1:51.3 for driver Bradley Chisholm, trainer Brett Pelling,  and the ownership of Let It Ride Stables Inc., Morrison Racing Stables, and Jesmeral Stable. Fillies eligible to the Weiss who broke their maiden Tuesday include the trotting filly Captainess Sawyer and the pacer Sweetloveofmine.
 
Three drivers recorded three victories Tuesday at Pocono, and among them the trio have won the last sixteen dash titles here: Tyler Buter (the defending champion), Matt Kakaley (2011 and 2022-2024), and George Napolitano Jr. (2010 and 2012-2021). Two trainers posted doubles: Chelsey Faurot and Josue Garcia.
 
The next card at Pocono will be on Saturday at 1 p.m.; it will feature the fastest local pacers in a $27,500 contest, and it will have a carryover into the last race High Five wager. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Team Cushing – trainer Heidi and driver Ron, the latter also the co-owner with Kevin Sywyk -- swept into Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on Monday afternoon and promptly swept the two featured paces for top distaffs.
 
Last week the Vincent mare Turn The Page N came to the mountain oval and parlayed a perfect pocket trip to victory in the $27,500 distaff feature; in the same class this week the route couldn’t have been more different or harder, but the mare went on courageously in a 1:52.2 clocking.
 
The Kiwi import had cover past the  :26.2 opening quarter and was then left raw as Lydeo surged past favored Fearless Bettor at the three-eighths. Despite having to take all the air in middle splits of :55.2 and 1:23.4, Turn The Page N gained unceasingly and made the lead nearing the top of the stretch. The second-over (AVF Claire), third-over (Strutsville) and fourth-over (Miki In Luv) came barreling through the lane and were all within three parts of a length of the winner at the wire, but Turn The Page N was dead-game, with the winning margin a head and the two-wide horses finishing in the order listed above.
 
As hard-fought as was the victory of Turn The Page N, the Team’s Sweet Lou mare Sweet Hayley Jane A won just as easily in 1:51.3, taking the $17,500 co-feature for females and completing the trans-Tasman double. After fractions of :27.1 and :56.1, Sweet Hayley Jane A went to the three-quarters in 1:23.3 and started leaving the field behind, crossing the wire 4¾ lengths ahead while lowering her mark by 4 4/5 seconds.
 
The featured event for male pacers was a $15,500 contest for developing horses, with the Lazarus N gelding Lazarus Star continuing the good afternoon for Down Under-connected horses by making two tough moves and then holding off Bettor’s Desire, who was on his back, by a nose, taking a new mark of 1:52.1. Braxten Boyd guided The Meadowlands invader for trainer Mark Silva and All Star Racing Inc.
 
The Pocono tote board provided an early-season fireworks display as Frank The Great was along late to win his race and return $150.00 for every $2 win ticket. This March 9 “bomber” came far earlier than the first 2025 rank outsider – June 17, when Rwehomeyet paid $180.20, the only win mutuel in the last three years to top that of Frank The Great.
 
The last six races at Pocono on Monday were won, in order, by George Napolitano Jr., Ron Cushing, Tyler Buter, Mark Herschberger, Ridge Warren, and Anthony Napolitano – with each of the six completing a driving double and sharing the day’s honors. The aforementioned Heidi Cushing had the card’s only training double.
 
Tuesday’s 1 p.m. Pocono program will feature a $15,500 class for up-and-coming trotters; there will also be a double carryover into the fifth race Pick 5 wager. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.