By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – By A Hoff Hanover made one strong uncovered move down the backstretch to sweep to the lead, then drew off to an easy victory in a lifetime best 1:55.2 while winning the $15,000 trotting feature on a hot Tuesday afternoon at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
 
George Napolitano Jr. kept the son of Donato Hanover just off the pace in third through early fractions of :28 and :57.1, then got a high-energy brush out of him, carrying the pair to the lead by the 1:26.2 three-quarters. Favored Kaseville could not make much late impact though getting to second as By A Hoof Hanover won by 4¼ lengths for trainer Mark Ford and owners George and Rose Bonomo.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – The two-year-olds will be turning out in force for their first career starts on Wednesday morning at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, with four fields of freshmen, twenty in all, facing the starter during the session, which will start at 10 a.m.
 
Six of the babies are trained by Todd Schadel, who has been the dominant force on the Pennsylvania Fair Sire Stakes circuit in recent years, in addition to having his share of stakes success at the pari-mutuel tracks. The fair season in Pennsylvania starts in four weeks at Butler PA, with the pari-mutuel Sire Stakes and Stallion Series beginning this year’s campaign later that week, and Schadel looks to prepare several good prospects he can slot on all levels as appropriate.
 
Replays of the qualifiers will be available soon after the Wednesday morning session is complete on the PHHA’s website – www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – The two-year-old Father Patrick - N F Happenstance trotting filly March Forth was a very good second in her first charted line, being timed in 1:59.3 during Tuesday morning qualifiers at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
 
Driver Jack Parker Jr. got the filly away third, then had her finishing well to be 13 lengths behind last year’s New York Sire Stakes champion Molotov Cocktail, a Chapter Seven colt who went fractions of :29.1, :59, 1:27.3, and 1:57 for driver Scott Zeron and trainer Linda Toscano.
 
One of the top two-year-old pacing colts of 2021, the Captaintreacherous gelding Hammering Hank, came home in :54.3 - :26.4 to finish second, three lengths behind the Delaware champion Heinikin By The Bay. The winning Southwind Lynx sophomore gelding rattled off splits of :28.4, :57.3, and 1:26 before finishing out in :27.1 in completing the 1:53.1 mile, fastest of the day’s qualifiers, for driver Tim Tetrick and trainer Kevin Switzer. Tetrick, in addition to his recent betting card heroics here, won six of the day’s eight qualifiers.
 
Replays of the Tuesday Philly qualifiers will be up shortly, if not already there, at the PHHA’s website www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – The “glamour boys,” the three-year-old pacers, were at Pocono for the Memorial Day Monday holiday card, competing in the second preliminaries of their respective events: three divisions of a $138,758 Pennsylvania Sire Stake, and four $20,000 cuts of the complementary Stallion Series.
 
The acclaimed Betting Line colt Night Hawk lived up to his accolades in his Sires division, winning in 1:48.4 – a new mark, the fastest mile of the year at Pocono, and tying Let It Ride N yesterday at Philly for fastest mile in eastern Pennsylvania in 2022.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – Infinity Stone has now won three starts in a row after capturing the $15,300 featured trot on Wednesday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
 
The gelded son of Il Sogno Dream was sent right to command by Yannick Gingras, and the pair strung the field out through fractions of :28.1, :57.2, and 1:25.3; another :28.1 quarter was more than enough to leave AP Hall Of Trix 1½ lengths behind at the end of the 1:53.4 mile for trainer Per Engblom. Gingras co-owns the developing trotter with Frank Canzone.
 
Infinity Stone had a victory here on May 5 in 1:52.4, which has held up as the fastest trotting mile of the year at Harrah’s Philly. Whether that time will stand the onslaught of the top Invitational trotters coming to town Sunday afternoon for the $100,000 Maxie Lee Trot remains to be seen.
 
Swan In Motion enjoyed the drop in company from winners-over stock and captured the $13,000 fast-class trot in 1:54.2, one of four winners on the day for driver Corey Callahan. The son of Swan For All put all early challengers in behind during a :28.3 opener, then looked as if he might have an easy time of it after hitting the half in :57.4. But the mare Cindy Michelle, who had tucked fourth, then launched a first-over bid and raced up to the pacesetter, forcing a 1:26.1 three-quarters and holding very well in the lane to be only 1½ lengths behind the winner. Dylan Davis trains the lifetime winner of $551,270 for owner Howard Taylor.
 
Racing resumes on Friday at 12:25; after that, the $600,000+ Super Sunday card, annually one of the best programs of the local year, will start at 12:40. In addition to the Maxie Lee Trot mentioned above, there will be the $100,000 Commodore Barry Pace and $100,000 Betsy Ross Pace for distaffs; Pennsylvania Sire Stakes action marking the 2022 debut of freshman pacing filly champion Niki Hill; three $30,000 Open events; and Stallion Series action. In all, there will be 15 races during the Super Sunday card that will delight fans of harness racing and pose interesting challenges to handicappers/bettors. Program pages are or will be available at https://www.phha.org/harrahspps.html.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – Maybe 2022 will be the year that the royally-bred Bee Forever will develop into a top horse – the gelded son of Horses of the Year Muscle Hill and Bee A Magician took a step in that direction Wednesday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia, winning his seasonal debut in 1:54.1 in the $14,400 featured trot.
 
David Miller allowed the four-year-old to go at his own pace past the half, sitting third as College Tuition put down fractions of :28.2, :58, and 1:26.1. Bee Forever had been asked to move uncovered down the backstretch and trotted up to the leader on the far turn, then was himself able to come home in :27.3 in catching the pacesetter by 1¼ lengths, with Miller sitting calmly, either confident or not wanting to disrupt the late bloomer’s concentration.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – One of the best cards anywhere in the racing season so far during 2022 will be proudly presented at Harrah’s Philadelphia this Sunday afternoon, as the top trotters and pacers in many varieties will be racing on the track’s $600,000+ “Super Sunday” card.
 
There will be three $100,000 Invitational events: the Maxie Lee Trot, the Commodore Barry Pace, and the Betsy Ross Pace for females, with the two defending champions on the pace coming back to try to defend their titles. There are two divisions of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes for three-year-old pacing fillies, including the first start of the year for last year’s champion Niki Hill, and five attendant Stallion Series cuts, with over $230,000 on the line for these distaffs. And there will be $30,000 Open races in the “#senditin” series, paralleling the Invitational divisions.
 
Here’s a brief look at each classification in the Sunday spotlight.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – The Sebastian K S gelding Kaseville had an easy time on the front end early, then had plenty left late to deal with challengers in winning the $15,000 featured trot on Tuesday afternoon at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
 
Driver Jim Pantaleano hustled Kaseville to the lead and got By A Hoff Hanover to drop in behind before the :28 quarter, as heavy favorite Muscle Dynasty made a miscue on the first turn and dug himself a big hole. Pantaleano took advantage of the lack of any challenge to back the half off to :58.3, then had reserves in the tank when Flanagan Destiny advanced uncovered towards the 1:27.1 three-quarters, and was 1¾ lengths ahead of that rival at the finish while tying his mark of 1:56. By A Hoff Hanover held third in a photo over the recovering Muscle Dynasty.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – The five-year-old trotter Amigo Volo has been a “slow starter” as far as season-long form during his career. At two, he went two-for-six before going four-for-six to end his year; at three, he was two-for-seven early but seven-of-eight late in winning divisional honors; and at four, he was zero-for-seven before coming around to a five-for-ten finish to his campaign.
 
The altered son of Father Patrick has come out sharp for his 2022 campaign, winning at first asking during a Tuesday morning qualifier at Harrah’s Philadelphia in 1:53.4. The two-time Breeders Crown champion sat second through early fractions of :28.3 and :57.1, moved to challenge for command nearing the 1:25.4 three-quarters, then came home in a strong :28 – it’s seldom you see a horse behind at the three-quarters winning by 21¾ lengths, but that was the result for Amigo Volo against overmatched opposition.
 
The career winner of $1,690,914, driven by Dexter Dunn for trainer Nifty Norman for the ownership of Pinske Stables and David J. Miller, looks like he’ll be back in the free-for-all battles soon.
 
The next top trot on the calendar, though, is this Sunday, which might be a bit quick for Amigo Volo to reemerge off one qualifier. But just about every other top-level older horse should be at Harrah’s Philadelphia this Sunday, May 29, for the track’s annual pre-Memorial Day “Super Sunday” of racing, featuring three $100,000 Invitations: the Maxie Lee Trot, the Commodore Barry Pace, and the Betsy Ross Pace for distaffs. The draw for those races will be held in late morning on Wednesday.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – The Kadabra gelding Magical Journey enjoyed a journey from New York City to the Pocono mountains, winning the $11,000 featured trot in 1:55.1 on Monday afternoon at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
 
Tom Jackson had the winner of $285,296 away fastest of all, yielded the lead to favored Willie B Worthy just past the :28 quarter, then retook command before a :56.4 half. No one could make much of an impression except the pacesetter and the pocketsitter to and past a 1:25.3 three-quarters, and the favorite’s stretch comeback came up 1¼ lengths shy. Deborah Daguet trains the winner for the ownership of D Racing Stable Inc. and Earl Hill Jr.
 
Tyler Buter, a solid third in the Pocono driving standings behind Matt Kakaley and George Napolitano Jr., topped the sulky colony with four winners during the afternoon program.
 
The racing week concludes with a Tuesday card at 1:30 p.m. Program pages are available at https://www.phha.org/downsmsppps.html.