By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – “Trottin’ Thursdays” returned to Harrah’s Philadelphia, with the $15,000 fast-class trot going to the Resolve gelding Resolve To Win, who had to work harder than many 1-5 shots do but still got the job done in 1:55.
 
Resolve To Win, a winner of two straight and four of his last five, made the front end mid-first turn and put down splits of :27.4, :57, and 1:25.4. Several horses contended in the lane – Chapheart, off three straight wins at Dover, holding gamely first-over; pocketsitter College Tuition, first or second in all seven 2025 starts; and the third-in mare Chake in her 2025 bow – but Resolve To Win lived up to his name, with Chapheart second, just a neck behind, and Chake and College Tuition not far off in the next two spots respectively.
 
The victory was the third successful collaboration of the day between driver Tim Tetrick, trainer Jeff Cullipher, and the ownership of Pollack Racing LLC.
 
The $13,500 co-featured trot was taken by the Greenshoe gelding Loranga, who was moved to the lead early by driver David Miller and was able to avoid last-half clogging in the outer tiers, maintaining his advantage nicely to the end of the 1:56.2 mile. Jenny Melander conditions Loranga for Friendship Stables LLC.
 
In one of two $12,000 trots, My Degenerate, a Muscle Hill gelding who set a Philly track record of 1:53.1 at two, made his sophomore debut a victorious one as he won in 1:55. Andy Miller successfully quarter-moved with My Degenerate and had a good lead much of the last half, then was tapped late by Miller to keep his mind to business as he won for trainer Julie Miller, like Andy part of Team Orange Crush, and the combine of Knutsson Trotting, Lindy Farms of Connecticut, Preferred Equine Marketing, and Andy Miller Stable.
 
In the other section, Deville Hill, a son of What The Hill, was sent right to the front by driver David Miller and enjoyed an open margin most of the way, holding off a late charge from pocketsitter Run Beckus Run by three quarters of a length in a 1:58 mile. Paul Stafford Jr. trains the four-year-old for owner Thomas Ceraso Jr.
 
There will be racing on Friday at 12:25, with the well-sponsored trio of Show Me, Modigliani S, and Greenma all coming off wins as they appear to be the main contenders in the $12,000 featured event. Harrah’s Philadelphia will then be dark in observance of Easter Sunday. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Three three-year-olds, all well-pedigreed but all maidens at two, may show more sign of their bloodlines at three if wins during Wednesday morning qualifiers at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania are any indication.
 
The Cantab Hall colt Hatfield, a full brother to the $1.8-million winner T C I, moved to the lead down the backstretch and went on to win in 1:57.3. Driver Jason Bartlett was successful three times during the morning session, and the trotter was one of two winning teamings of Bartlett and trainer Andrew Harris.
 
The other Bartlett / Harris success came with the filly Treacheryinthedark, a daughter of Captaintreacherous and a three-quarter sister to the million dollar winner Seven Colors. Treacheryinthedark gained through most of the last half and stepped her last quarter in :28.1 in posting a 1:56.2 victory.
 
Fastest of all the sophomores on the day was the Always B Miki gelding Lifeblood, whose second dam produced American Jewel ($1.8M+) and Luck Bewith You ($1.4M+). Lifeblood put out a back half of :56.3 to triumph in 1:54.3 for driver Braxten Boyd and trainer Hunter Oakes.
 
The Sweet Lou gelding No Trespassing was not a maiden entering the day – he took a mark of 1:51.1 winning a Simpson Stake here last year. He just missed tying the fastest three-year-old clocking by a tick, producing :27.4 final quarter speed in winning for driver Scott Zeron and trainer Deborah Daguet.
 
Fastest of all the winners in the morning set was the veteran Always A Virgin gelding Virgo, who came home in :54.3 to win in 1:53 to give Hunter Oakes another success on the day and complete Jason Bartlett’s triple.
 
The Pocono qualifiers can be viewed at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
​WILKES-BARE PA – Matt Kakaley, three-time defending dashwinning driving champion at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, recorded the 7000th visit to the winners circle as a driver when he guided Franzo to Victory Lane in the second race at the northeast Pennsylvania oval on Monday afternoon.
 
Horses whom Kakaley, 37, has driven have earned $117.4M for their owners, putting him 22nd on the all-time list of moneywinning drivers, with many more years of success in front of him. Last year, horses he drove earned a personal yearly best of nearly $9.9 million, tenth-best figure in North America, and he was sixth on the continent with 539 victories, just below his personal high of 2023, when he triumphed 561 times. This year he is also tenth in North America in the driving earnings category. Kakaley has captured six driving crowns at Pocono during his career – four as the winningest driver and two UDR trophies.
 
In addition to Kakaley’s milestone 7000th win, Pocono also featured eight $16,000 divisions of the Game Of Claims Trotting Series for horses valued this week at $25,000. Anthony Napolitano guided half of the octet of winners; three of the eight repeated after their first prelim victories; and five of them changed barns after their success Monday.
 
Three of “ANap”’s winners changed hands. Included in that number is Golden Compass, claimed out of a victorious first round race, and then again claimed after Napolitano won with him in 1:55 (by 10¾ lengths) for trainer Herbert Lux III. Anthony’s other winners who will be relocating are Wallet, taken from trainer Travis Alexander after the fastest GOC division in which he earned a new mark of 1:53.4, and Macmorris Hanover, overcoming the outside post eight  in 1:54.4 for trainer Peter Pellegrino, who had two wins in Monday’s series and three overall, but losing this winner to a claim.
 
The fourth GOC win for Anthony was by far the closest contest of the day, as he got the most after a pocket trip from Yo Lucky Moni to win by a nose over Run Run Elegant in 1:58.3 for trainer Maria Alvarez – and at $36.20 the only series horse to pay better than 5-1.
 
Another horse claimed last week and this, and winning both times, was Altus Hanover, also stopping the timer in 1:55 while driven by Anthony’s brother George for his one-week trainer, Peter Pellegrino. The third two-for-two horse in this Game Of Claims event is In My Dreams, driven by Braxten Boyd to victory in 1:55.2 and now a winner of three straight overall for trainer Lou Pena.
 
Boyd added a second series sulky success when he won in 1:55.2 with Chamba, the fifth winner to be claimed, for trainer Tee Wine. Also, Do It Again IT went the fastest mile of his short North American career when he won another section in 1:54.4 for driver Tyler Buter and trainer Hunter Oakes.
 
Racing resumes on Saturday at Pocono with a 1 p.m. card, headlined by the $50,000 Bobby Weiss Series Championship for three-year-old pacing males in the tenth slot, with five of the eight entrants having two preliminary wins but nobody achieving a sweep of the three prelims. Their filly counterparts will have four $20,000 divisions of their Weiss’s second leg, with three first-round winners going head-to-head-to-head in race four. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – Many three-year-olds gave strong indication that they are ready to commence a good sophomore campaign while winning in Tuesday morning qualifiers at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
 
Driver Andrew McCarthy, trainer Juan Cano, and owners Hot Lead Farm led off with a sweep of the “Daily Double.” They won with the 2024 Breeders Crown finalist and Pennsylvania Stallion Series champion Gigglingonthebeach, a pacing daughter of Papi Rob Hanover who came out of the pocket and stormed home in :55.1 to stop the timer in 1:54.3, and with the trotter Conversano, a daughter of Muscle Hill out of the $500G+ winner Celebrity Ruth, also a pocket rocket in a 1:55.1 triumph. Andrew McCarthy would wind up with four qualifying victories on the day.
 
Fashion Green, the Greenshoe trotting gelding out of another $500G+ winner, Fashion Athena, was perfect in four starts as a baby, and he resumed his winning ways in his first trip behind the gate of 2025, winning in 1:54.2 – :55.1 - :27.3 as he also rallied from the two-hole. Tim Tetrick had the sulky seat behind the promising sophomore for trainer Jim Campbell and owner Fashion Farms LLC.
 
Fastest winner of the day was the Captaintreacherous colt Captain Fear, who never looked back while romping by 13¾ lengths in 1:53.1 -- :55.3, the quickest time he’s crossed the wire first. Andy Miller handled the sulky chores for trainer Tom Fanning and owners Howard Taylor and Falcon Racing LLC.
 
Twisted Destiny beat I’m The One by three parts of a length in the PA Stallion Series Championship for two-year-old pacing males last year; they both won their return qualifiers last week, and today they again went head-to-head. And Twisted Destiny won again, but he had to work hard, coming from last and pacing his last half in :53.4 to defeat I’m The One by a neck in 1:54.1. Patrick Ryder drove the impressive Bettor’s Wish colt out of $1.8M-winning Tug River Princess for trainer/father Chris and the ownership of Let It Ride Stables Inc., Alberg Racing LLC, and Enviro Stables LTD.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Three-year-old trotters were spotlighted in $20,000 preliminary divisions of their respective Bobby Weiss Series at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on Monday, with males going in their third and final preliminary before next Monday’s $50,000 Championship, while the distaffs contested their second prelim. There were three divisions for each sex.
 
 The Chapter Seven colt Karinchak became the only horse among the male contingent to double within the three prelims when he set a new lifetime mark of 1:55.1. Matt Kakaley (who later left Pocono to drive at Yonkers Monday night with 6998 career triumphs before his Gotham sojourn) put his horse on the lead, got a breather to the half, then came his back half in :56.3 to win over Te Quiero Lindy for trainer Ray Schnittker, also co-owner with Ted Gewertz, Arden Homestead Stable, and Steven Arnold. Karinchak, who got home first by three-quarters of a length, suffered interference in his first series start but has been perfect thereafter.
 
It looked like Bondsman was going to join Karinchak as a double Weiss winner, but as he got past pacesetting Big Shot by a head at the end of a 1:56.2 mile he went offstride and was placed second for a lapped-on break. So the Propulsion gelding Big Shot, second in both his series starts including to Karinchak last time out, was elevated to the top spot, and the alert Pocono judges determined that according to PA rules Big Shot would get to take the time as a new mark for driver Anthony Napolitano, trainer Nicholas Devita, and owners David Hamm and Glenn Phillips.
 
Also lowering his mark, the Greenshoe gelding Green Mel won the other cut for males in 1:55.3 following a third and a second in his earlier prelims. Team Orange Crush – driver Andy and trainer/wife Julie – are the braintrust behind Green Mel, who is owned by Willow Oak Racing LLC and Michael Anderson.
 
Halfadozen and Admiring are now both undefeated in two Weiss starts on the filly side: both won in 1:55.4, and both rated the half then outsped their rivals home.
 
The Six Pack filly Halfadozen took a new mark as she won by a neck over Entertaining Me – the same margin by which she defeated that rival in the first leg. Daniel Dube, co-owner with Jean Claude Dessureault, was in the sulky for trainer Pierre Paradis.
 
As close as was Halfadozen’s race, the win by Admiring was a romp, as the Walner miss was ten lengths ahead at the end of her mile. David Miller got the job done convincingly with Admiring for trainer Nifty Norman and owners Tony Holmes and June Zent.
 
A sweep of the filly action by betting favorites came about when Dearly Beloved, who did not race in the first Weiss round, won by seven lengths while lowering her mark to 1:56.1. The Greenshoe filly used the same rate-then-go on tactics as did her fellow first-place fillies for trainer Jenny Melander and owner Donald Bartling. We mentioned Matt Kakaley’s 6998 wins earlier – the win behind Dearly Beloved was career score #6997.
 
Both the leading driver and trainer at the Pocono meet widened the lead atop the standings – Tyler Buter had four trips to the winners circle, including bookending the card with Ron Burke trainees, as Burke sent out three successful horses overall.
 
The racing week concludes on Tuesday with a 1 p.m. card, highlighted by eight $16,000 divisions of the second prelim of the Game Of Claims Trotting Series for horses base-tagged at $25,000, with two first-round winners squaring off in both races six and ten. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – Mad River remained undefeated after two 2025 starts, taking the $13,500 handicap pacing feature for developing horses at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Sunday afternoon in 1:53.
 
Andrew McCarthy spotted the three-year-old Sweet Lou colt, owned by David Sarafian, fourth early, then commenced a brush past a :27 quarter that carried him to the lead in a :55.2 half. Mad River remained in control through a 1:23.1 three-quarters, and though tiring a little late he still had enough to defeat Discovery, parked the mile, by 1¾ lengths.
 
Per Engblom is the trainer of Mad River, and he is also the conditioner of one of the winners in the $12,000 paces for young horses one level below the feature, the Captain Crunch mare Access Granted, who stopped the timer in 1:54.3. Tim Tetrick gave the winner a trip similar to that of Mad River, moving from midpack and brushing to the lead in the second quarter, then pacing to the wire three lengths to the good in the distaff class. Access Granted is owned by Morrison Racing Stables.
 
In the co-featured section for male pacers, another Captain Crunch offspring, the four-year-old gelding T H Tyson, circled up from last at the half with a bold steady gain, then forged to the lead approaching midstretch to win in 1:52.4 after coming his own last half in :54.3. A checkgetter in the Governor’s Cup at two, but then only a two-time starter at three and coming off a 345-day absence, T H Tyson showed plenty of desire in his comeback win for driver Patrick Ryder, trainer/father Chris, and the patient partnership of Mac Nichol, FAC Racing LLC, Robert Mondillo, and Carl Sackheim.
 
Four-time defending Philly driving champion Tim Tetrick had three victories Sunday; doubles were achieved by drivers Andrew McCarthy, David Miller, and George Napolitano Jr. and by trainers Per Engblom and Shaun Vallee.
 
Racing resumes at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Thursday at 12:25 p.m., with the return of the popular “Trottin’ Thursday” cards; the $15,000 diamondgaited feature finds Resolve To Win installed as the early choice. Harrah’s will also race Friday at 12:25, then will be dark on Easter Sunday. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Two sophomore pacing males came to Saturday’s Bobby Weiss Series action at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania looking to sweep their three series preliminaries. But neither was successful, and instead three horses joined them as double prelim winners from Saturday’s $20,000 four divisions of action, promising a wide-open $50,000 Championship next Saturday. There were also five divisions of the first Weiss leg for these horses’ female counterparts.
 
The only male winner in the Weiss Series who was successful over Saturday’s harsh conditions (40 degrees, “sloppy +2” going) and notched his first series victory was the Heston Blue Chip colt Charge Me Up, who overcame his outside post to equal for the fastest of all Weiss cuts, 1:53.2, and also gave her braintrust -- driver Tim Tetrick, trainer Nicholas Devita, and owners David Hamm and Glenn Phillips -- a win in both the male and female Weiss action. Oogleville, who won in his first two legs, was pushed by the winner to regain the lead in front of the stands, and then he fell short of withstanding the Pocono Pike challenge of the winner by three parts of a length.
 
All of the other Weiss winners for the males added a third round victory to triumphs they had notched in the first leg. That included the Betting Line gelding Flight In Motion, 14-1 when he won two weeks ago and here 8-1 as he closed past double previous winner World Of Wishes by a neck in 1:54.1 for trainer Eddie Dennis and the partnership of Mulligan Stables and Jason Johnson Inc.
 
Tyler Buter drove Flight In Motion as part of his four-bagger on the day, and he won another division of the Weiss male action with the Bettor’s Wish gelding Cover The Spread, also a neck winner (in beating 65-1 shot Ima Perfect Choice) while here clocking in 1:55.3 as the favorite after being dismissed at  40-1 when winning his other Weiss division. Tyler’s father Todd conditions the Oldford Racing LLC winner, who got his picture taken postrace despite going first-up.
 
The 1:53.2 clocking by Charge Me Up was equaled by the Papi Rob Hanover gelding Gold Glove Hanover, who was hard-used early but kept on going to win for the father/son team of trainer Brett Pelling and son Jack. Last week the Pelling Racing LLC winner couldn’t overcome post eight, but a better draw plus a good performance brought him back to Victory Lane today.
 
Papi Rob Hanover, sire of Gold Glove Hanover, was both the only sire to win on both the male and female Weiss sides, and also the only doubler within either sex when he sired two filly winners. One of them was the filly who may be the present favorite to win her group’s May 5 final, Allegra Hanover, who won her seasonal debut in 1:53 - :26 at Hoosier then here won the fastest Weiss filly cut in 1:54.4, pouncing home in :27.4 from the pocket for trainer Gareth Dowse and owners Martin Valentic, T G Stable LLC, ad Bill Boyce. “Papi Rob” rounded out his siring exploits of the day with 15-1 Savage Blonde, who broke her maiden in 1:57.3 for driver David Miller, trainer Carter Pinske, and Pinske Stables.
 
Team Tetrick / Devita / Hamm-Phillips  got their filly Weiss win with the Cattlewash miss Albright, a 1:56.1 winner, while the Huntsville filly Strutsville has now won half her seasonal and lifetime starts after stopping the timer in 1:55 for driver Ridge Warren, trainer Ron Coyne Jr., and owners Nancy Retzlaff and Douglas Stout. The biggest margin in all the Weiss divisions, the Sweet Lou distaff Sweet Odds, left her second-place opponent 7½ lengths in arrears as she broke her maiden in 1:55.2 for driver Jason Bartlett, trainer Per Engblom, and Morrison Racing Stables.

More Weiss Series action, for developing three-year-old trotters, will feature on Monday’s card at Pocono, which begins at 1 p.m. There will be three $20,000 divisions for both sexes: the males will have their third and final preliminary, with no one able to win in both prelims contested thus far, while each division of the second Weiss prelim for fillies contains a winner from the first week. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA –Harrah’s Philadelphia opened its 2025 racing season Friday during a special evening card, and although the weather was not very cooperative (mid-40s temperatures and a “sloppy +2” surface), the featured trotting classes put on a good show.
 
The big story of the night was eight-time Philly dashwinning champion George Napolitano Jr., currently the leader at Pocono and translating his hot form to the southeast Pennsylvania track with six wins on the night, including two of the three feature races. In the headline $13,500 trot, “George Nap” never looked back with the You Know You Do gelding Knowyoucando, taking over before the quarter and having firm control in the latter stages before stopping the clock in 1:56.2. Jeff Cullipher trains the winner, now a winner in half his four seasonal starts, for Pollack Racing LLC.
 
The four-year-old Bold Eagle gelding Modigliani S got an early spot in the $12,000 co-featured trot, then made a break, but he recovered quickly and reslotted fifth. Andrew McCarthy (himself visiting Victory Lane three times during the first card of the season) was then able to back out Modigliani S behind the live cover of Give Me A Yankee down the backstretch, followed that one as he went to the lead, then caught him by three-quarters of a length in 1:59.1. Nifty Norman had the horse ready after over two months away for owner Lella Montgomery.
 
All Wrapped Up mastered the $11,000 fast-class field upon reuniting with Harrah’s Philly, making two speed moves and handily defeating opponents with over $3 million in lifetime earnings in a 1:56.1 mile. Joe Bongiorno conditions the Archangel gelding for Jennifer Bongiorno Stable LLC and Howard Taylor.
 
Harrah’s Philly concludes its short inaugural opening week on Sunday with a 12:40 start; a $13,500 handicap pace for developing horses will be the sixth race feature. Philly will race through June on a schedule of Thursday and Friday at 12:25 and Sunday at 12:40, with the exception of being dark on Easter Sunday (April 20) and adding a Saturday card at noon on Kentucky Derby Day (May 3). Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

 By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – The all-time winningest driver at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, George Napolitano Jr., reclaimed the seasonal lead in the driving dash derby with six winners on the Tuesday program at the mountain oval, include three amidst the eight $15,000 divisions of the first preliminary of the Game Of Claiming Trotting Series for horses base-tagged at $20,000.
 
Two of “George Nap”’s win came in successive races in 1:55.4, both with horses he had already guided to victory in the young meet: with Altus Hanover for trainer Peter Pellegrino and Room4040 LLC Stables, and with Vegas Ticket, who had been claimed in his previous start and returned immediate dividends for trainer Brandon Presto and owner Rocco Stebbins.
 
George’s other GOC win came in the only series race decided by a photo finish: newcomer Erin caught pacesetting Macmorris Hanover by a head in 1:56.3 for the meet’s leading trainer Ron Burke and owners Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, FAC Racing LLC, and Yannick Gingras. The 1-2 finishers were both claimed out of the race; 11 Game Of Claims horses were haltered in all for  $229,000, and on the entire card 14 horses, a 2025 high, changed hands for $271,500, just below March 1’s total of $275,000.
 
The only winner to go faster than the double 1:55.4s mentioned above was In My Dreams, who has found his form in two straight first-over wins, this one in 1:55.3 for driver Anthony Napolitano (himself a tripler on the card), trainer Lou Pena and P T Stables. In My Dreams, at 9-1, was one of only two GOC horses who paid better than 5-2 in the generally-formful competition; the other was 10-1 shot Papa Doc, roaring home from the clouds to win his seasonal bow in 1:57.1 for driver Simon Allard, trainer Mark Ford, and owners George and Rose Bonomo.
 
Besides Erin, two other first-leg winners were purchased from their race. One was Golden Compass, who went down the road in 1:56.1 for driver Mark Herschberger, trainer Travis Alexander, and the partnership of Joe P Racing LLC and Oldford Racing LLC. The other was Brave By Design, succeeding in 1:57.1 for driver Braxten Boyd, trainer Jill Wine, and Wine Stable, and having the distinction of changing barns both before and after the race.
 
Three-time Pocono defending driving champion Matt Kakaley rallied Keystone Apache to the other series win of the day, winning nicely off cover in 1:56.4 for trainer Frank Calcagni and RBH Ventures Inc.
 
Racing resumes at The Downs on Saturday at 1 p.m., highlighted by Bobby Weiss Series action for three-year-old pacers of both sexes racing for $20,000 a contest: three divisions of both the Weiss third preliminary round for male horses and the second prelim for females. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
​CHESTER PA – The draw is complete for the first racing card of 2025 at Harrah’s Philadelphia, which will take place on Friday with a special evening post time of 6:30 p.m.
 
The feature is the $13,500 twelfth race trot. Furst Igor S, from the barn of hot trainer Per Engblom, has recently won at this “nw 5 races” level at Yonkers, but he also has been having recent problems with holding stride. Three of his opponents show wins in the adjacent “nw 4 races” class at Pocono among their lines. The fast-class trotting feature, racing for $11,000 and slotted as race eight, has such strong Philly veterans as Mississippi Storm and Eurobond among the entries.
 
There will be another draw Wednesday (April 9) for the racing on Sunday April 13.
 
Four-time defending driving champion Tim Tetrick is scheduled for opening night action, and is his perennial nemesis George Napolitano Jr., second in the standings at both Pocono and Philly last year and fighting for the top spot at the 2005 meet at Pocono already.
 
After opening night, Harrah’s Philly will go with a schedule through June of Thursday and Friday at 12:25 and Sunday at 12:40, with two exceptions: Easter Sunday April 20, which will be a dark day, and Kentucky Derby Saturday May 3, when a special noon card of live racing has been added to the schedule.
 
Another set of qualifiers was held at Philly on a chilly Tuesday morning. The Muscle Hill sophomore trotting gelding My Degenerate crossed the wire in 1:54 last week but made a break in the race; he then put right back in on Tuesday and stayed errorless in 1:54.2. He was one of three winners for trainer Julie Miller and driver-husband Andy Miller.
 
The 1-2 finishers in last season’s Stallion Series Championship for freshman pacing colts, held at Philly, won separate qualifiers for father-son connections: victorious Bettor’s Wish colt Twisted Destiny, who won Tuesday in 1:55.1 for trainer-father Chris and son-driver Patrick Ryder, and second-place I’m The One, victorious here in 1:57 for trainer/father Brett Pelling and driver-son Jack Pelling.