By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – Skyway Bebop and Bang Bang Boinga were the winners of the twin $15,300 trotting features during the Thursday afternoon card at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
 
Skyway Bebop had the faster victory, with the Guccio mare recording her fifth win in her last six starts with a 1:55.1. Tony Morgan sent the Tim Crissman trainee right to the lead, then weathered a spirited attack from the first-over Big Bad Swan in a good stretch duel, with Skyway Bebop proving a head more photogenic for Niss Allen Inc.
 
The other co-feature went to the Explosive Matter gelding Bang Bang Boinga, who put up a loud “bang-bang”/”boom-boom” stretch battle with Boom Boom Bay (also by Explosive Matter) before holding that one off by a neck in 1:56.1, the clocking just a fifth off his lifetime best which he has turned in at three, four, and now five. Todd McCarthy guided the wire-to-wire winner for trainer Joseph Poliseno and owner Ellie Sarama.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Trainer Ray Schnittker and driver Mark MacDonald combined on a trio of winning sophomores during Wednesday morning qualifying competition at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
 
The Walner trotting filly Brickhouse Babe, second in the Doherty Final last year and a double winner in the Kindergarten Series, trotted her back three-quarters in 1:26.1 while stopping the timer in 1:56.2 for the ownership of trainer Schnittker, Mary Kinsey Arnold, Steve Jones, and Paul Bordogna.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – The Explosive Matter gelding Papi Hanover enjoyed a downturn in company on Tuesday afternoon at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, taking the $12,500 featured fast-class trot in 1:56 over “sloppy” going.
 
Driver Ridge Warren sent the winner of $163,421 to the lead nearing the quarter while passing the original frontstepper Darty, controlled the pace, then could keep away the resurgent pocketsitter by three parts of a length. Karen Fread trains the winner, and she is also co-owner with Randy and Michael Toth along with James Mims Jr.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA -- The Weiss Series fillies had their day in the sun – and it was a bright sun – on Monday afternoon at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, with Silent Crossing and Mimi Ocean Hanover winning their $50,000 Championship events.
 
In the Weiss pace Championship, the Captaintreacherous filly Silent Crossing completed a sweep of the series, winning all three of her prelims and then adding the final in wire-to-wire fashion while reducing her mark to 1:53.2. Mark MacDonald got the lead with the winner at the :26.3 quarter, then got a breather to the half in :57.1. Second choice Southwind Java, who had won both of her Weiss starts, stuck right to the leader, and in fact came out from the two-hole to contest the lead near the 1:24.4 three-quarters.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Alta Madeira N, close without winning since shipping in to The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, finally made her local breakthrough during the Sunday twilight card, taking a new mark of 1:52.2 in winning the $17,000 featured distaff pace. 
 
Driver Jim Marohn Jr. moved the daughter of Alta Christiano N from third at the :27 quarter, taking the lead away from odds-on favorite Beach Crazy; the winner got a cheap half of :56.4, then increased the tempo to hit the three-quarters in 1:24.2. Through the stretch Beach Crazy had her shot up the Pocono Pike, and Milieu Hanover was closing well in her 2022 debut, but Alta Madeira N prevailed to the line by three-quarters of a length over Milieu Hanover for trainer Rob Harmon and owner Michael Spaccarelli.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – Driver Tony Morgan, second on the all-time North American list of winningest drivers, achieved the 17,000th victory of his sulky career in the first race at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Sunday afternoon.
 
Driving 14-1 shot Commander Hill, Morgan got his horse away third, stayed inside, then got room up the inside as Ain’t It Fun vacated the two-hole headstretch to challenge and then pass leading Northern Baccarat. The race boiled down to Ain’t It Fun and Commander Hill, and Morgan’s horse appeared to have a slight advantage when Ain’t It Fun went offstride just before the wire, ending that one’s chances and allowing for the milestone moment.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – The Sunshine Beach gelding Colonel Bayama got a golden two-hole trip behind pacesetting favorite Meet The Creeper, then came out in the lane and proved stronger to take the $14,400 featured pace at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Friday afternoon.
 
Meet The Creeper stormed away to grab control quickly, with driver Troy Beyer steering Colonel Bayama up to ride in the pocket behind fractions of :26.3, :55.2, and 1:23. The outer tiers never threatened, so Beyer was able to get Colonel Bayama off the rail turning for home, and the pair passed the chalk by three-quarters of a length in 1:51.1, a new lifetime mark for the Todd Buter trainee, who is owned by Leona Morrissey.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – Delaware invader Heavensdor Hanover got a good trip in the pocket, then went to the lead along the inside in the stretch and captured the $15,300 trotting feature at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Thursday afternoon.
 
Driver Tim Tetrick got the altered son of Donato Hanover away well in the field of six, then sat in the pocket behind Buxton as that one cut fractions of :28, :58.1, and 1:27.1, with Divine Spirit joining the leader outside of him in first-over position at the three-quarters. While these two backed off in the lane, Tetrick had plenty of horse, and Heavensdor Hanover won by a neck over late-gaining Spunkin’srocketman for trainer Wayne Givens and the partnership of Legacy Racing Of DE Inc., Carolyn Mac Isaac, and Ross Warriner.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – The combination of driver Matt Kakaley and trainer Mike Spaccarelli Jr. have been atop their respective horsemen’s standings since about the start of the 2022 season at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, many of their wins coming with overnight stock. At qualifiers on Wednesday morning at Pocono, they teamed with three horses owned by Fiddler’s Creek Stables LLC to show there are some very nice younger horses in the barn as well.
 
2021 Messenger winner American Courage won a second qualifier at Pocono, and the final times of 1:52.4 - :27.3 for the son of American Ideal should be regarded as no less impressive than the 1:52.2 - :27 he turned in last week, for it was 70 degrees then, and 44 degrees in the mountains this morning.
 
The Captaintreacherous sophomore colt Layton Hanover, out of a ¾ sister to I Luv The Nitelife, was purchased by Fiddler’s Creek in partnership with D’Elegance Stable IX, T L P Stable, and Carmen Iannacone at the end of March, and he looked like a good investment after riding the pocket then coming home in :28.2 to freeze the timer in 1:54.3.
 
The Downbytheseaside colt Double Double, whose third dam produced champion Caviart Ally, posted a victory in his second charted line, going wire-to-wire and winning by a neck in 1:56.
 
Racing resumes at Pocono on Saturday afternoon at 1:30 p.m., with the $50,000 Bobby Weiss Championship for sophomore trotting colts the headliner, along with their pacing counterparts in their final Weiss prelim. Program pages for Saturday are now available at https://www.phha.org/downsmsppps.html.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – The Dontyouforgetit mare Lady’s Image now has ten 1-2 finishes in eleven seasonal starts after winning her debut – and farewell – for owner/trainer Brandy Wine, taking the $12,000 claiming handicap trot feature at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
 
Driver Braxten Boyd reserved the formful mare just off a :28 / :57 early battle between Buzz and favored R Herbie Chip, then sent her up sweeping around the parked chalk and reached Buzz nearing the 1:25.1 three-quarters. Lady’s Image was able to trot away from the embattled leader for the second straight week, winning in 1:55.2 by 4¾ lengths while closing into the wind. Brandy Wine lost the winner for the $22,800 she paid for her after her last win, but still she makes a $6000 profit minus training expenses – and still might reunite if the trotter stays in for a tag.