By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania rang down the curtain on its 2025 Game Of Claims Series events in classically dramatic style – there were even a Shakespearean Prologue and five “Acts” to the last contest. And in the final resolution of the $35,000 GOC Championship for high-level claiming trotters, it was 18-1 shot Chakra who got the big end of the money after In My Dreams crossed the wire first but was placed down for causing interference.
 
The prologue to this Final came when the driver assignments were announced, as Anthony Napolitano, third in the Pocono standings, was named on both Altus Hanover and Golden Compass, the only horses to win in all three preliminary legs. Who was “Anthony Nap”’s choice? Surprisingly to many (but noted by good handicappers), he opted for In My Dreams, who had two wins and a second in the series, but hadn’t gone as quickly as the streakers, and drew outside them to boot. (Afterwards, it appeared Anthony made a sharp, but unlucky choice.)
 
The first four “Acts” in this drama were the traditional four quarters of the mile. Golden Compass grabbed the early lead, with In My Dreams going into the pocket by the :26.3 Act I, er, quarter clocking. Macmorris Hanover, who wound up being favored from the rail, was on the move at the first pole, and after a brief skirmish eventually got the lead in the middle of Act II, with the half reached in :56.1.
 
Act III had the most heavily-concentrated part of the drama in the mile. In My Dreams launched uncovered early down the back in front of Altus Hanover, only to put in some funky steps and go out into the three path. That incident didn’t appear to bother the second-over too much, but soon another development did – in getting back to two-wide to challenge the leader, In My Dreams appeared to take racing room away by crowding Altus Hanover, as that one gapped towards the 1:25 three-quarters.
 
The last quarter (Act IV) found the troubled first-over horse putting away the pacesetting favorite fairly easily and going on to cross the wire 2¼ lengths to the good in 1:53.4. The Cantab Hall gelding Chamba, last at headstretch save for an early breaker, was skillfully steered through a small stretch hole by Simon Allard to photo out Altus Hanover and cross the wire second.
 
In the traditional “fifth act,” a final decision of the major dramatic action is usually featured, and indeed the judges launched an inquiry and found that In My Dreams had compromised the chances of Altus Hanover. The official 1-2-3 finish became Chamba, Altus Hanover, and In My Dreams, with Macmorris Hanover and Wabanaki deadheating for fourth, another half-length back. Chamba thus got the winner’s share for trainer Dean Eckley and owner Mark Akins in the memorable mile.
 
A $16,500 claiming handicap trot could be seen as a Consolation for those not making the Game Of Claims Final. And a familiar name turned up in the winners circle – the Chapter Seven gelding Chapolier, who won his only GOC start and thus missed the finale requirement of racing in all prelims. But Chapolier has done alright for himself, as these are his meet statistics from February 17 to April 29: eight starts, eight wins, $70,000 in earnings, wins for five different trainers (three of them twice, two of them once), and a sixth change of barns to take in after Tuesday’s co-feature.
 
Racing resumes at Pocono on Saturday, with live racing starting at 1 p.m. Developing younger horses will be featured on the live program; also, a certain Thoroughbred race from Kentucky will be available for watching and wagering later in the day. Bettors will already be into high gear by no fewer than three carryovers on the Saturday card: the last race High 5 wager will have gone 11 calendar days without being solved by Saturday, and the Pick 4 and Pick 3 will also have carryover pools.
 
Sunday cards at 6 p.m. will be added to the regular racing schedule starting this week, joining the established Saturday – Monday – Tuesday at 1 p.m. schedule. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – Team Cancelliere, owner John and trainer Tom, rolled out their big fast-class pacing guns for their 2025 debuts on Tuesday morning at Harrah’s Philadelphia, and both were easy front-end winners.
 
The Somebeachsomewhere gelding Ruthless Hanover, still the fastest Standardbred ever over a five-eighth mile track by virtue of his 1:46.3 mile here in 2024, came out for his eight-year-old campaign impressively by putting down fractions of :29.3, :58.2, and 1:25.2 en route to a final clocking of 1:53.3 for driver George Napolitano Jr. A race earlier, the Always B Miki gelding Maximus Miki, a 10-time winner over various mid-Atlantic ovals while earning almost $200,000 last year, teamed with Napolitano for a :28.4, :58.4, 1:27.3, 1:55.3 mile in also winning by open engths.
 
Among three-year-old pacers, the Sweet Lou colt Lou’sbodaciousboy, winner of half his two starts at two and returning with Lasix at three, was a length to the good of freshman multiple stakes-winner Royally Hot in 1:55 for driver Andrew McCarthy, trainer Linda Toscano, and owner Conrad Zurich. Breeders Crown finalist Makes Sense returned off a winning qualifier last week and succeeded again, the Papi Rob Hanover gelding coming home in 57.1 in a 1:57 mile for McCarthy, white-hot trainer Robert Cleary, and the partnership of Let It Ride Stables Inc., Celtic Racing, Odds On Racing, and Carl Howard.
 
The video for these qualifiers should be available later Tuesday at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – The Six Pack filly Halfadozen had been the only three-year-old trotting miss to sweep her three Bobby Weiss Series preliminaries, but come the $50,000 Weiss Championship on Monday afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, the crowd still dismissed her at 12-1. The tote board did not dismay her at all, though, as she posted a lifetime mark of 1:55 in taking her Weiss crown and remaining undefeated in four seasonal starts.
 
The bettors may have seen a negative in the fact that in all three of her wins, Halfadozen and driver Dan Dube got a moderate second quarter which helped her in her frontstepping victories, and surely all the talent assembled for the final would not allow her such easy factions. But Dube had Halfadozen out between horses early, cleared the innermost foe midway on the first turn, then saw the outermost opponent lose her gait nearing the :27 quarter.
 
Dube immediately hit the brakes with Halfadozen as no contenders moved in front of the stands, and the pair traveled the second panel in :30 during the :57 half – just the breather she needed. Because the attacks were soon coming fast and furious, and from the favorites – first from favored Gilda Bi first-over, then from far turn sweeper Admiring, and finally from R Jezzy, who had to angle four-wide nearing midstretch and was moving quickest of all late. But Halfadozen had built enough of a margin to withstand the late charger by a neck for trainer Pierre Paradis; Dube co-owns the winner with Jean Claude Dessureault.
 
The Greenshoe filly Dearly Beloved was the only entrant in the $20,000 Weiss Consolation to have won a prelim – she skipped the first leg, won the second, but then ruined her chances for the final with a break in the third. Dearly Beloved was on her best behavior Monday, setting all the pace and coming home in :56.3 to complete her mile in a lifetime best 1:53.4 for driver Matt Kakaley, trainer Jenny Melander, and owner Donald Bartling of SJ’s Caviar fame.
 
Aside from the trotting fillies, the star of Monday’s Pocono show was driver Tyler Buter, Pocono’s leading driver, who perhaps appropriately given the winner of the feature, garnered halfadozen victories, two for each of three trainers – Hunter Oakes, John Butenschoen, and Robert Cleary. Cleary trains perhaps the most impressive winner of the day, the Sweet Lou filly Tie The Knot, who in her second lifetime start took a mark of 1:50.4 for the ownership of Cleary, Let It Ride Stables Inc., and Jesmeral Stable.
 
The Game Of Claims Series come to an end on the Tuesday Pocono card with the $35,000 Championship for trotters who started at a base price of $20,000. There are more angles to handicapping and betting the horses in this final than there are at a championship billiards match; players will also having a double carryover awaiting them on the last race High 5 wager. Free Pocono program pages are available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – The tote board forecast that the $14,000 featured pace for developing horses Sunday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia could come down to two horses, and the punters’ forecast was exactly right, as Twisted Destiny made a successful seasonal debut as the favorite in 1:51.2 over second-choice Dublin Dasher.
 
A son of Bettor’s Wish trained by Chris Ryder for Let It Ride Stables, Alberg Racing LLC, and Enviro Stables LTD, Twisted Destiny was reserved in fourth by driver Dexter Dunn as Dublin Dasher took advantage of the rail and controlled through solid fractions of :27.2, :55.1, and 1:23, with Twisted Destint on the move uncovered down the backstretch and alongside the leader nearing the three-quarters. The front two dueled for the entire last quarter, with Twisted Destiny just having enough in the shadow of the wire to keep his winning streak going to five, including a Reynolds Stake and the PA Stallion Series Final at two.
 
The Rock N Roll Heaven gelding Lyons Steel, who took his mark of 1:48.3 here last year at the age of nine, returned to the southeast Pennsylvania oval for the first time in 2025 and promptly posted a 1:51.4 victory in the $13,000 pace for fast-class veterans. Simon Allard, who has guided the winner of $830,886 to many of his local triumphs, shot his horse right to the front, and even with favored Hunting Zone moving up early then possibly jumping a lightpole shadow on the track before taking back, Lyon Steel may have been hard to deny, setting fractions of :27.1, :56.4, and 1:24.3 before his :27.1 sprint to the wire for trainer Jose Ramos and BD Racing LLC.
 
The schedule at Harrah’s Philly deviates a little from the norm this coming week as a certain Thoroughbred race in Kentucky on Saturday has prompted the track to put on a special live program of Standardbred racing beginning at noon; this Thursday will be dark in “compensation.” The normal schedule of Friday at 12:25 and Sunday at 12:40 will bookend the special live Kentucky Derby Day card. Free Philly program pages will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Strutsville became the only three-year-old pacing filly to win all three of her preliminary legs of her Bobby Weiss Series grouping after she won her $20,000 division in 1:54 on a Saturday afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania that saw the track surface rerated several times due to brief alterations in the weather before the day cleared.
 
In her two earlier wins Strutsville had led at every pole; here she let TH Summer Lovin grab the top before the quick :26.4 quarter (fast track but still seeming a couple of ticks below prime) before going to the lead and getting a :56.2 rest to the half. The price of pacing went up during the dash to the three-quarters in 1:24 as the 25-1 uncovered Cervi actually poked a nose ahead into the far turn, but Strutsville kept her gameness despite Cervi to her right the whole way and a slow-to-clear Albright (also previously two-for-two in the Weiss) narrowing the advantage with every step to her left, getting home a half-length ahead of Cervi and another neck ahead of Albright.
 
Ridge Warren guided the winning daughter of Huntsville as she ran her record to three-for-four in 2025 and six-for-ten lifetime for trainer Ron Coyne Jr. and owners Nancy Retzlaff and Douglas Stout.
 
Sweet Odds also had the chance to have won three Weiss prelims before the May 5 $50,000 final, but after going along on the lead at a good clip over a “good” surface, she couldn’t sustain, with the pocketsitting Lazarus N filly Shesgotthejack equaling her mark of 1:54.2 while defeating 39-1 shot Jordanna Hanover, last at the three-quarters, by half a length for driver Matt Kakaley, trainer Jacob Hartline, and Anatolia Racing LLC.
 
And we may not have yet mentioned the filly who could well be favored in the Weiss final – the Papi Rob Hanover distaff Allegra Hanover. First in her series bow and then missing just a nose to Strutsville after a very rough trip last week, Allegra Hanover came first-up in her Weiss division and showed :55.3 finishing speed to win handily in 1:52.1 (fast track) for driver Dexter Dunn, trainer Gareth Dowse, and owners Martin Valentic, T G Stable LLC, and Bill Boyce.
 
The In The Arsenal filly Defamation took her second straight victory in the Weiss with a two-move victory in a lifetime best 1:53.1 with the track rated “sloppy.” Tim Tetrick had the driving assignment for trainer Jeffrey Smith and owners Joseph and Steven Williams.
 
Pocono also carded a $25,000 pace for fast-class horses, which saw the Bettor’s Delight gelding Always A Thrill return to Pocono and yield early command, then come back as a pocket rocket to win in 1:50.3 over a “fast” surface for driver Ridge Warren, trainer Nicholas Devita, and owner Eric Provost. Always A Thrill won two straight at Pocono before going to Yonkers and adding three more wins in succession; he then missed just a neck in the Hilltop Invitational class before regaining his winning ways at the northeast Pennsylvania oval.
 
Racing this week will finish out with cards on Monday and Tuesday at 1 p.m.; Monday will feature the $50,000 Championship of the Bobby Weiss Series for three-year-old trotting fillies and a carryover into the fifth race Pick-5 pool and the last race High 5 wager, while Tuesday will be headlined by the $35,000 Championship of the Game To Claims Trotting Series for horses who were base-priced at $20,000. The next week, Sunday night cards at 6 p.m. will be added to the mix, joining the Saturday-Monday-Tuesday at 1 p.m. programming, as Pocono kicks off the schedule basically in use until just past Labor Day weekend. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – On Friday afternoon Dougs Babe A enjoyed the switch from Yonkers to Harrah’s Philadelphia, winning the $13,000 handicap pacing feature for females in 1:52.1.  
 
Andrew McCarthy brought the daughter of Western Terror, the 2-1 second choice, to first-over position in the middle of the backstretch, and the pair grinded away against pacesetting favorite Elegant A. It was the favorite who gave way in the stretch and the first-over continuing strongly with her own back half in :55.3, as the Nifty Norman-trained Dougs Babe A won by a half-length over two-holer Misty Coast, boosting her lifetime bankroll to $523,804 for Norman’s Enzed Racing Stable Inc. and partners Tom Vassiliou and Nicholas Tallarico.
 
A pair of $12,000 events for classclimbing horses served as the co-features. The trotters were mastered by the Walner colt Flightline in his 2025 debut, moving down the backstretch uncovered, getting a pocket retuck behind leading Tadbone before the three-quarters, then gobbling that filly up to win going away in 1:55.2, with his own back half in :55.4. Tyler Miller drove the impressive sophomore to the easy win for trainer Julie Miller, and the partnership of Andy Miller Stable Inc., Patrick Hoopes, Mary Kinsey Arnold, and T L P Stable.
 
The contest for pacing distaffs saw the Captaintreacherous filly Almost Persuaded win for the second straight week, reducing her mark to 1:53 in doing so. Driver Victor Kirby kept the sophomore close to the front-end action throughout, then used the inside passing lane to defeat 2025 debutante Bytheliteofthemoon by a half-length. Bryan J. Truitt owns and trains the winner of half her six seasonal starts after not racing at two.
 
Racing resumes on Sunday at Harrah’s Philadelphia at 12:40, with the highlights a $14,000 pace for up-and-coming horses, and a $13,000 race for the fast-class sidewheelers. The following week will see a one-week shift in the Philly schedule, as there will be no racing on Thursday (May 1), then action on Friday (May 2) at 12:25, Kentucky Derby Saturday (May 3) at noon, and Sunday (May 4) at 12:40. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – Resolve To Win overcame a hard trip Thursday to take his second straight victory in the $15,000 fast-class trot at Harrah’s Philadelphia, winning the day’s handicap highlight in 1:53.2.
 
Last week, the altered son of Resolve was put on the lead and never looked back; this week he also took early command for driver George Napolitano Jr. (the track’s leading driver for the young meet and for the day with three victories), but then saw the lead change first to Ferretti near the :27.1 quarter then to Blackhawk Zette, who got a breather to the :57 half.
 
But Napolitano and Resolve To Win, now a winner of three straight and five of his last six starts, went on the grind at the half, and they overpowered the pacesetter near the 1:25 three-quarters. Resolve To Win was safely in control in the latter stages, winning by 2 ¾ lengths over Once In A Lifetime, who boosted in career earnings over $700,000 in his seasonal debut after being seventh at the three-quarters. Resolve To Win, looking to be in the top form of his own $284,011 career, is conditioned by Jeff Cullipher for Pollack Racing LLC.
 
In the $13,500 co-featured trot for developing horses, the Greenshoe sophomore gelding Fashion Green exhibited no rust after being away from the races for nine months, lowering his mark to 1:53.1, quickest trot of the year here. Undefeated in four starts at two, including two PA Sire Stakes and a PA All-Stars contest, Fashion Green and driver Tim Tetrick may have had the backers who knocked him down to 1-20 a little worried as a 176-1 shot had four lengths at the half, but the three-year-old and the four-time defending Philly driving champ got going late at the backstretch, shot to the lead on the turn, and won by 4¾ lengths with neither horse or driver under any duress.
 
It’s a bit early to use the “H” word three+ months away, but trainer Jim Campbell and Fashion Farms LLC have to be thinking they may have a world-class horse after his striking 2025 bow.
 
Younger horses were also featured in a pair of $12,000 contests. In the trot, the Bar Hopping colt Give Me A Yankee and Bay Breeze Hanover were both 4-5 on the tote board, with the former having $2 more on him to win than the latter, but the race wasn’t quite that close – Give Me A Yankee secured command at the quarter, then drew off in the last split to win by three lengths over Bay Breeze Hanover. Give Me A Yankee recorded a lifetime best of 1:55.2 for driver Simon Allard, trainer Mark Akins, and the A 1 Racing ownership of the driver and the trainer.
 
In the pace for males, 21-1 shot Xpert proved himself ready in his sophomore bow, the American Ideal colt taking a lifetime mark of 1:53.3 while winning his third straight race over the two-year span. Trainer-driver Pat Lachance had Xpert out in a lively flow third-over, and as the inside horses tired in the lane, Xpert roared to the fore, defeating second-over Top Tier by a neck for owner Jeff Dauplaise.
 
Filly and mare pacers claim the spotlight during Friday’s 12:25 program, while their male counterparts will be the focus of Sunday’s 12:40 card. There will be no racing at Philly on Thursday, May 1, but there will be a special Kentucky Derby Day card live program on Saturday, May 3, beginning at noon, with the regular Friday and Sunday cards completing the week’s action. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Trainer Lou Pena and the Todd’s Auto stable of Todd Cerenza came to Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on Tuesday afternoon with newly-acquired trotters Altus Hanover and Golden Compass, each horse looking to complete a sweep of the Game Of Claims Series’ three preliminary rounds.
 
The horses accomplished their mission – but Pena and Cerenza left Pocono without either horse, as both were claimed out of their $17,000 races for a $30,000 claiming price.
 
Altus Hanover, driven by Anthony Napolitano won the fastest GOC split – indeed, he posted the fastest trotting mile of the year at Pocono, 1:52.3, in edging out Macmorris Hanover, driven by his brother George, by a neck. Macmorris Hanover (who was claimed out of all three legs, where he had a win and two seconds) drew just inside “Altus” and forced his main rival in behind him through splits of :27, :56.3, and 1:24.2, but Altus Hanover came out of the hole a little bit fresher and won the photo decision while also setting a lifetime mark.
 
“Anthony Nap” also had the seat behind Golden Compass, another horse claimed out of all three legs, and they surmounted post seven on the engine to win by 2¼ lengths in 1:54.  So Joe’s Auto / Pena made $5000 on this week’s upgrade in claiming price, plus today’s $8500 winners share of the purse, thus profiting $13,500 minus expenses on each horse in a week’s time. But neither horse will be going in their name next Monday in the $35,000 Game Of Claims Championship.
 
In My Dreams, who was unclaimed in all three legs, had a chance to join in the Prelim Sweepers Club, but after going first-over and providing good cover to 2025 debutant Max, he could not hold that one safe in a 1:54.3 battle to the wire. Max, who won by a length, was driven by George Napolitano Jr. for red-hot trainer Nicholas Devita and the Queen Of Hearts Stable.
 
Winning his second straight start in GOC competition was Do It Again IT, an Italian-bred who went uncovered and then bettered 85-1 shot Beach Dreamzzz by a neck to take a new mark of 1:54.2 for driver Tyler Buter, trainer Hunter Oakes, and the partnership of Flying A Racing Stable and H O Racing Inc. But Do It Again IT won’t be in the final because GOC rules require starting in all three prelims, and the foreign-bred did not go in the first leg.
 
And if a horse coming off two wins but not getting to the Championship seems hard, imagine the feelings of Chapolier, who is undefeated in seven starts this season at Pocono! But he had worked his way to success (despite the outermost draw in his last three outings) while in for prices from $25,000 to $30,000, and since the first two prelims went for a lower base price, Chapolier’s connections – trainer Dean Eckley, co-owner with William Hartt – kept him out of the first two legs, thus making him Championship-ineligible.
 
Chapolier picked up a 1:54.3 win Tuesday by a half-length over Cantkeepmiasecret, with George Napolitano Jr. matching the two series wins on the day of his brother Anthony (who drove Cantkeepmiasecret, and who topped all drivers Monday with four total successes). And Chapolier was claimed as well – for the fifth time at the meet, with $138,000 in checks exchanged on him alone. (Eckley / Hartt made $16,500 in purses since taking the horse two races back.)
 
The final GOC winner was Wabanaki, who greatly helped his chances of making the final (after 5-2 finishes) by quarter-moving then holding off Gabby’s Wild Child by a neck while lowering his mark to 1:55 for driver Braxten Boyd, trainer Per Engblom, and VIP Internet Stable LLC.
 
Racing resumes at 1 p.m. at Pocono on Saturday, with four $20,000 divisions of the third and final prelim of the Bobby Weiss Series for sophomore pacing fillies, containing three double winners in the Weiss to date – but only two could emerge as sweepers, since one prelim matches two “doublers.” A solid $25,000 fast-class pace also adds to the Saturday Pocono program. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Flanked virtually the entire stretch by strong members of Team Orange Crush, the Chapter Seven colt Karinchak persevered strongly on the lead to win Monday’s $50,000 Championship of the Bobby Weiss Trotting Series for sophomore males in 1:53.2, equaling the fastest trotting mile of the year at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania.
 
Three-time defending Pocono driving champ Matt Kakaley got away third with Karinchak as Te Quiero Lindy (Tyler Miller) used the rail to advantage and grabbed the early lead, with his uncoupled stablemate and favorite Green Mel (Andy Miller) settling in fourth. Kakaley, perhaps sensing that a likely last half scenario could be going first-over with the chalk on his back, roused his colt before a :27.3 quarter, making the lead heading towards the second turn and a :55.4 half.
 
It was Green Mel who was left to first-over duties from that positioning, and he advanced a position to the 1:24 three-quarters, then dropped inside when Te Quiero Lindy vacated the two-hole to get in gear for the homeward battle. With Green Mel threatening inside him and Te Quiero Lindy still a major force outside him, Karinchak dug in for the victory, taking a new mark by half a length over Green Mel, with that one’s barnmate another length back in third.
 
Karinchak was the only Weiss double prelim winner in this section after suffering interference in the first leg and then posting consecutive triumphs before his big win in the final. Ray Schnittker trains the talented three-year-old, and he also co-owns him with Ted Gewertz, Arden Homestead Stable, and Steven Arnold.
 
There were also three $20,000 divisions of the third and final prelim of the Weiss sector for sophomore filly trotters. The only distaff to sweep all three prelims was the Six Pack miss Halfadozen, with driver Dan Dube using a familiar tactic, slowing the half then turning on the afterburners, and here this pattern also worked a treat, as Halfadozen came home in :56.4 to win by 8¼ lengths in 1:56.3. Dube co-owns the Pierre Paradis-trained filly with Jean Claude Dessureault.
 
While Halfadzoen could name her victory margin, the other two divisions needed the photo-finish camera. The Orange Crush Millers won the fastest Weiss filly division with the Bar Hopping distaff Santa Cristina, who set the pace and withstood favored Admiring, a double Weiss prelim winner, by a nose, earning a new speed badge of 1:54.4. Tyler Miller guided the winner for trainer/mother Julie Miller and Willow Oak Racing LLC.
 
In the other Weiss cut, the Tactical Landing miss R Jezzy (ironically, bred by Andy Miller, but not the one of the orange variety) overcame the overland route to catch favored Gilda Bi by a neck in 1:55.1 for trainer John Butenschoen and lessees M and L Delaware / Armitage Farm.
 
R Jezzy was driven by Tyler Buter, who notched a six-bagger on the card to widen his advantage at the top of the Pocono standings to double digits. Robert Cleary and meet leader Ron Burke each sent out three winners on the program – and Buter drove all three of Cleary’s charges, and two of Burke’s.
 
The third and final prelim in the Game Of Claiming Trotting Series, with a $17,000 purse to be offered in each of six divisions for horses base-tagged at $30,000, will highlight the 1 p.m. Tuesday card at Pocono; there will also be carryover into 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 – Coming into the richest race of the young season at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, the $50,000 Championship of the Bobby Weiss Pacing Series for three-year-old males, five of the eight entrants had won two of their three Weiss preliminaries. Yet winning the Championship was the only horse who waited until the final prelim before getting a series success – the Heston Blue Chip colt Charge Me Up, who got the job done in a lifetime best 1:51.3.
 
Excluding a trot, the average clocking of a Saturday Pocono race would have looked like this: :27, :56.2, 1:23.3, 1:52, the wind on the warm day reflected in the fractions’ pattern. So the feature certainly went true to form, as splits of :26.4, :55.4, and 1:22.4 were put up by second choice Ooglesville, with Charge Me Up (favored from the rail despite not winning until the final prelim) right behind him in the pocket and the rest of the field, a couple of whom had trouble early, not in the main action the last three-eighths. The winner pulled out near headstretch and outfooted the pacesetter to tally by 3¼ lengths.
 
The Weiss Championship was the richest race in a giant afternoon for Charge Me Up’s connections – driver Tim Tetrick, trainer Nicholas Devita, and owners David Hamm and Glenn Phillips. Not only did they win the Weiss Championship for males, they also won the group’s consolation, and in the same time of 1:51.3. The Huntsville gelding Dune Buggy came from seventh under patented Tetrick second-over handling, winning by two lengths in breaking his maiden for the same sponsorship as Charge Me Up, with Devita Racing Stable Inc. sharing in this one’s ownership.
 
And the afternoon’s riches didn’t stop there for the Team, as there were four $20,000 second preliminary divisions of the parallel Weiss Series for fillies, and the Cattlewash filly Albright became one of three misses to win her second straight in this Weiss grouping, just missing her mark with a 1:53.1 pacesetting clocking for the Charge Me Up gang. Tetrick would have a fourth stakes triumph (he won five races on the day overall) when he got the In The Arsenal filly Defamation to break her maiden in 1:55 for trainer Jeffrey Smith and owners Joseph and Steven Williams.
 
The other double Weiss winners among the distaff set, both establishing new marks, included the fastest winner, the front-ending Strutsville, who won by a nose over big favorite Allegra Hanover in 1:52 for driver Ridge Warren, trainer Ron Coyne Jr., and owners Nancy Retzlaff and Douglas Stout while giving Huntsville the only stakes siring double, and Sweet Odds, a Sweet Lou filly who was a pocket rocket in 1:53.1 for driver Jason Bartlett, trainer Per Engblom, and Morrison Racing Stables.
 
Just as the pacers were featured on Saturday, this coming Monday’s 1 p.m. card at Pocono will highlight Weiss Series trotters, with the males going into their $50,000 Championship and the females racing in three $20,000 divisions of their third and last prelim. There will also be a carryover going into the fourth race Pick 3 wager. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.