By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
​WILKES-BARRE PA – Bad To the Bone N, who in his last start missed a head in the fastest mile in North American harness racing on any size oval this year (as of this writing), just behind South Beach Star’s 1:48.2 here, had an easier time on Saturday afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, winning the $18,500 pacing side of the featured events with a 1:50.3 mile. 
 
Matt Kakaley had the Bettor’s Delight gelding on the top mid-first turn, and after the :26.4 opener he got a “loafing” middle half, putting up splits of :55.2 and 1:24. The Hunter Oakes trainee turned on the jets in the last quarter, sprinting home in :26.3 to be 1¼ lengths ahead of Odds On Osiris for Elite Harness Racing LLC, who had three winners on the card.
 
In the $18,500 top-class trot, the Cantab Hall four-year-old Dandy showed good early mobility to gain the pocket, then powered by in the stretch to reduce his mark to 1:52.3 while also notching the fastest trotting mile of the year on the local scene. Robbie Pev set the fractions of :27.2, :56.1, and 1:25 but fell        2¾ lengths shy of withstanding the hard-trying diamondgaiter, who is driven by owner Jackie Ingrassia and trained by her husband Frank.
 
You don’t see the words “claimer” and “$100,000+ seasonal earnings by May 13” together often, but you also don’t see the words “ten straight wins” strung together either. But all those terms apply to the Art Official gelding Park Official, who ran his winning streak to double digits with a victory in the $16,500 to-level claiming handicap in 1:52. 
 
Pocketsitting The Dark Shadow came out and on to give Art Official a battle and record his narrowest victory in the string, but the courageous winner, now tied for the most 2023 victories among United States pacers, held on for driver Anthony Napolitano by a head in 1:52.1. Owner Debbie Avery claimed the Marta Piotrow-trained gamester (who amazingly lost his first 34 career starts) for $30,000 on March 18, and since has won seven races and $69,500 with him.         
 
There have been four sub-1:50 miles at Pocono this year, and the Luck Be Withyou gelding Luckwithbealex has three of them after taking a new mark of 1:49.1 in a $17,000 pace. Anthony Napolitano moved the vastly-improved four-year-old to the lead going by the stands and he had enough to withstand potential pocket rocket RIP Wheeler by a length for trainer Lance Hudson and owner William Hartt.
 
Sunday’s 6 p.m. program will find the Pennsylvania-sired “glamour division,” the three-year-old pacing colts, making the first of two consecutive Sunday appearances at the mountain oval, here in three $30,000 divisions of their Pennsylvania All-Stars contest. Ken Hanover would appear to have the best credentials among these sophomores, coming off a 1:49.4 win in a Sire Stakes at The Meadows in his last start. Program pages for all Pocono races are or will be available at https://www.phha.org/downsmsppps.html.   

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – South Beach Star was parked most of a :53.3 first half en route to winning in 1:48.2 at Pocono last week; on Friday at Harrah’s Philadelphia, the Somebeachsomewhere gelding saved the :53.3 half for the back of the mile, holding off favored Lou’s Pearlman by half a length in 1:49.1 to take the $20,000 Open handicap pace. 
 
David Miller left swiftly with the sharp pacer, yielded to Lou’s Pearlman before the :26.2 quarter, then moved off the first turn to reclaim the lead and got a rest to the :55.3 midpoint. At that point the afterburners kicked in, as South Beach Star paced :27.1 down the back to a 1:22.4 three-quarters fraction, then blazed home in :26.2 to finish out the powerful mile.
 
The Mark Silva trainee earned approximately $180,000 before this, his fifth year, but he really has found himself as of late for All Star Racing Inc., winning four straight and finishing willingly and alertly – a combination that spells trouble for the next few fields he faces.
 
In the companion Open handicap pace for females, last year’s three-year-old champion Treacherous Dragon fired off the gate to take the lead past a :26.1 opening panel, then herself got a respite and reached the half in :55.3. The Always B Miki mare Incaseyoudidntknow, steadily close in many Matchmaker events at Yonkers (and a prelim winner), came uncovered from fourth at the half and grinded up to challenge the leader nearing the 1:23.1 three-quarters, and in the stretch it was the 12-1 Incaseyoudidntknow who proved the stronger mare by three parts of a length at the end of the 1:51.3 mile.
 
Andrew McCarthy handled the impressive winner for trainer Les Givens and owners Jim Magno and Joe Fonte.
 
Undercard miles producing fast times included a 1:49.2 coast-to-coast triumph by Da Delightful in a $13,000 pace, setting fractions of :26.3, :55, and 1:22.1 and then still having a :27.1 kicker to down pocketsitter Pat McGarry A by 1½ lengths. The son of Bettor’s Delight was driven by David Miller for trainer/owner Mark Silva (the same trainer/driver who brought you South Beach Star).
 
In a $16,200 pace, another son of Bettor’s Delight, the gelding Burnham Boy N, held off favored Komodo Beach by a half length in 1:49.4. Joe Bongiorno sent the Kiwi to the top and put down splits of :26.2, :55.1, and 1:21.4 in a solid score for trainer Chris Ryder and the partnership of Enviro Stables LTD and Ken Jacobs.
 
Sunday’s card at 12:40 features a $20,000 Open trot with It’s Academic the likely favorite after a powerful victory at The Meadowlands; the next Harrah’s racing after that will be on Wednesday at 12:25, as the track begins its basic spring/summer schedule of Wednesday through Friday at 12:25 and Sunday at 12:40. Program pages for all Philly cards are or will be available at https://www.phha.org/harrahspps.html.      

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – Ammo, the Sweet Lou colt who won his division’s Breeders Crown Championship last season, won easily in his 2023 purse debut, taking a $12,600 division of the featured pacing class at Harrah’s Philadelphia in 1:51.2 on Thursday afternoon.
 
Ammo had shown his sharpness with a qualifying win in 1:51 here over Confederate, who was second in the Breeders Crown, and the winner of $397,395 faced no Confederates here today. After a battle to the :26.3 quarter, David Miller sent Ammo on his way, and the willing colt put up midsplits of :55.3 and 1:23.1 en route to his easy victory, 6¼ lengths to the good of Mayweather Hanover for trainer Joe Holloway and the partnership of Val D’Or Farms and Ted Gewertz.
 
Ammo’s section of the day’s four features was the only one for males; the ladies contested the other three. Trainer Holloway and driver Miller came back to produce the fastest of the females, the Always B Miki miss Cantgetuoutamymind, beaten only a length in the Kindergarten Final and Thursday a 1:52.1 success story on her 2023 bow. Cantgetuoutamymind, setting the pace, had to be ready because Southwind Bella paced her last half in :53.4 uncovered from midpack, but Cantgetuoutamymind kept the advantage to the wire by a half-length.
 
The other two winners took lifetime marks. Daffled Hanover was a pocket rocket in 1:52.4, with the Captaintreacherous filly defeating Flippin Awesome for driver Tim Tetrick, trainer Scott Di Domenico, and Triple D Stables Inc., while the Sweet Lou mare Little Cindy Lou took the lead when the pacesetter Strawberry Fields literally went off-course on the far turn, with the winner stopping the timer in 1:53.3 for driver Troy Beyer and Team Cancelliere, trainer Tom and owner/brother John.
 
The terrific $20,000 Open handicap paces for both sexes that have been the hallmark of recent weeks continue Friday at 12:25 at Philly. A Rocknroll Star will be starting from the outside in a field of six as he goes for his eighth straight success in his event, while last year’s sophomore champion Treacherous Dragon will try to beat the outermost post eight in the feature for mares. Sunday at 12:40 will feature an Open handicap trot with millionaires It’s Academic and Amigo Volo; after that, Wednesday racing at 12:25 rejoins the regular schedule and will be in place for the bulk of the spring and summer. 
 
Program pages for all Philly cards are or will be available at https://www.phha.org/harrahspps.html.         

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – There were three $15,500 divisions of the top-level claiming handicap trot featured on the Tuesday afternoon card at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania.
 
In the first division, Nasey was made the 7-5 favorite despite his last six lines showing “break / win / break / win / break / win.” This week the Pilgrim’s Chuckie gelding was “win,” making the lead soon after the first turn for driver Braxten Boyd and maintained a length advantage over pocketsitter Truman Jr. Hanover to the wire in 1:54.3. Tee Wine trains the always-interesting trotter for Jemaxpo Racing Stable LLC.
 
The second division also went in 1:54.3, and like the third division produced a very close finish. The Archangel gelding Lexus Ranger is now two-for-two over the local oval for driver Jim Pantaleano, trainer Pierre Paradis, and Elite Racing LLC., able to come up the inside from third-in to beat both second-place Unresolved Debt (second-over) and third-place Its A Horse (pocketsitter) by a head.
 
The photo finish unit was also needed in the 1:55.3 third division, where Simon Got Lucky equaled his lifetime mark after closing from sixth at the three-quarters to defeat pacesetter Town Victor by a nose, with pocketsitting railshooter Lady’s Image (who was claimed for $30,000) just a head away from taking it all. Allard, who topped all drivers with four wins on the day, guided the Bar Hopping gelding for trainer Mark Akins and A 1 Racing.
 
Racing resumes at Pocono on Saturday at 1 p.m. with an outstanding card of fast-class horses; on Sunday at 6 p.m. the Pennsylvania “glamour division,” the three-year-old pacing colts, begin a two-week stay at the mountain oval with three $30,000 divisions of their Pennsylvania All-Stars event. Program pages for all Pocono races are or will be available at https://www.phha.org/downsmsppps.html.  

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – The classy mare P L Notsonice controlled the pace in Monday afternoon’s $12,500 featured trot at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, drawing clear late to stop the timer in 1:53.
 
Dagon Hanover was quickest away from the gate, with Marcus Miller (top driver on the day with three successes) keeping the victorious daughter of Kadabra close early, then moving to the lead just past the :28.1. A stretch tailwind helped her to reach the halfway point in :56, and she then went on to the three-quarters in 1:24.3 with only Dagon Hanover staying close. The pair stayed 1-2 to the wire, with P L Notsonice winning by a margin of 3½ lengths while taking her earnings to $342,416; Steven Brabrook conditions the winner for Elite Harness Racing LLC.
 
The racing week closes out Tuesday afternoon at Pocono at 1 p.m., with three $15,500 divisions of the top-level claiming handicap trotters set to go. Racing resumes then on Saturday at 1 p.m., with Sunday’s 6 p.m. card featuring the “glamour division,” the three-year-old pacing colts, in Pennsylvania All-Stars action. Program pages for all Pocono races are or will be available at https://www.phha.org/downsmsppps.html.  

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – The first races of the 2023 stakes season at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania took place on Sunday night, four $30,000 divisions of a Pennsylvania All-Stars event for three-year-old pacing fillies, and despite a “good” track the miles yielded uniformly quick clockings.
 
Fastest of all of the All-Star sections was produced by one of the three stakes favorites to come home first, the Stay Hungry filly Relentless Julie, a two-time winner in the Weiss Series who regained her winning ways while reducing her mark to 1:50.4. The filly has shown her best races to come from off the pace, and she again closed strongly for driver Anthony Napolitano in winning by 1½ lengths over Hungry For Kisses for trainer Travis Alexander and Fiddler’s Creek Stables LLC.
 
One of the other chalk horses to visit Victory Lane was the familiar C Is For Cookie, the Betting Line filly who swept the Weiss Series and here posted her fifth win in a row, responding when asked for speed by Jason Bartlett to equal her mark of 1:51.3, last quarter :27, while three-quarters of a length ahead of Diamondsnpearls. Linda Toscano conditions C Is For Cookie for Birnam Wood Farms.
 
The other winning favorite was Always B Naughty, a daughter of Always B Miki who was sent to the front by driver Joseph Fonseca and won confidently by 1¼ lengths in 1:51.2, using a :27 last quarter to withstand Hungry For Love. Nancy Taker trains the winner of three straight, and she co-owns her with J L Benson Stables Inc. and R.B.H. Ventures Inc. 
 
The only All-Stars race that saw the favorite not win boiled down to two drivers making their first appearances of the year at Pocono, though they certainly are very familiar to local fans – Dexter Dunn and Tim Tetrick. In this division it was Dunn and the Sweet Lou filly Proud Mary successful in her seasonal bow, though she was extended to turn back Hello Yes Hi and Tetrick by a nose while taking a new mark of 1:51.2. Chris Ryder trains the filly for Let It Ride Stables Inc. and Bottom Line Racing LLC.
 
In an $18,500 fast-class pace, South Beach Star made onwatchers sit up and take notice when he won in a blistering 1:48.2, more than a second faster than any other Pocono mile this season. David Miller left with the Somebeachsomewhere gelding, then bypassed a three-tuck nearing a :26.4 quarter, going on to battle with early leader Bad To the Bone N, who kept the challenger out almost to a :53.3 half. South Beach Star went on to the three-quarters in 1:20.4, then still had a :27.3 kick in him to withstand the resurgent Bad Tothe Bone N by a head. Mark Silva trains the horse, who looks like could fit in with anyone’s top level, for All Star Racing Inc. 
 
The $16,500 top claiming handicap pace saw the Art Official gelding Park Official win his ninth straight race, here in 1:52.1 while gamely holding off late pressure for driver Anthony Napolitano, trainer Marta Piotrow, and owner Debbie Avery. “ANap” was the night’s top driver with three sulky successes.
 
Racing continues here at Pocono on Monday and Tuesday at 1 p.m.; the next stakes event at The Downs will be the first of two straight weeks of appearances for the glamour division, the three-year-old pacing colts, as they go in a Pennsylvania All-Stars event next Sunday. Program pages for all Pocono races are or will be available at https://www.phha.org/downsmsppps.html.  

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – The veteran Explosive Matter gelding Rich And Miserable went directly to command and never looked back, winning Sunday’s afternoon’s $20,000 Open trot at Harrah’s Philadelphia in 1:54.1.
 
Driver David Miller used his favored horse to put second choice Warrior One in behind him in the :27.1 opening quarter, and then in a short field Rich And Miserable was able to get a big breather to a :57 half and a 1:26 three-quarters, with Focus Pocus moving outside to challenge nearing the latter station. But Rich And Miserable had more than enough in reserve to trot out in 28.1 for his 47th career victory; Focus Pocus was able to photo Warrior One, 1¼ lengths behind the winner of $769,619, who is trained by Todd Buter for Buter Farm Inc. and Lynette Buter.
 
Once In A Lifetime, a Father Patrick colt who set a divisional track record of 1:54.2 in winning his Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Championship at two, lowered his lifetime best to 1:53.4 while making a successful sophomore seasonal debut in a $14,400 co-featured trot. Once In A Lifetime gained from the pocket into a :28 last quarter to defeat pacesetter The American Eagle by a half-length for driver Tim Tetrick, trainer Jim Campbell, and Sad Frog Farms.
 
The twelve-year-old Crazed gelding JL Cruze showed he still knows the way to the winners circle, catching pacesetting favorite Mystical Wynn by three-quarters of a length while winning a $13,000 fast-class co-featured trot in 1:54.4. Tim Tetrick also handled this winner, with Eric Ell training the 57-time winner with a bankroll of $1,829,816 for owners Ken Wood, William Dittmar Jr., and Stephen Iaquinta.
 
In all, Tim Tetrick had six winners on the day, upping his lead in the 2023 drivers derby to 42-30 over fellow Hall Of Famer David Miller.
 
Racing resumes at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Thursday at 12:25. The current schedule includes Thursday and Friday racing at 12:25 and Sunday action at 12:40; Wednesdays at 12:25 will be added to the mix on May 17. Program pages for all Philly cards are or will be available at https://www.phha.org/harrahspps.html.   

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – Hazeville took a new mark of 1:51.2 in winning the $14,400 pacing feature during a Kentucky Derby Day Saturday afternoon card at Harrah’s Philadelphia. 
 
Unraced at two and a New York Sire Stakes winner at three, Hazeville was ready to go in his second start of the 2023 season. Driver Simon Allard sent the Huntsville gelding straight to the lead and rattled off splits of :27.2, :56, and 1:23.3, then handled the last quarter challenge of Louie The Looper by a half a length.
 
Hazeville is owned by David Rovine Stable LLC, VIP Internet Stable LLC, and Howard Taylor, and is being trained by Tom Fanning in his four-year-old campaign. For the second straight day, driver Allard led the local drivers colony with three driving successes.
 
The week’s racing at Harrah’s Philadelphia closes Sunday with a 12:40 card, featuring a $20,000 Open trot. Next week the track will race Thursday and Friday at 12:25 and Sunday at 12:40; the following Wednesday, the 17th, Wednesday comes back to the live schedule as the track goes into its basic four-programs-per-week schedule. . Program pages for all Philly cards are or will be available at https://www.phha.org/harrahspps.html.   

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – A Rocknroll Star has certainly become a pacing star in the Mid-Atlantic area, as the altered son of A Rocknroll Dance (still the local track recordholder for sophomores) took a lifetime mark of 1:50.2 while winning his seventh straight race in the $20,000 Open handicap on Friday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
 
The recent form of A Rocknroll Dance did not frighten horses away from leaving inside him (he was assigned the outside in the field of six) – first Komodo Beach got the top, then Carbine took over nearing the midpoint on the first turn, with the streaking winner gradually working his way up to the lead for driver Marcus Miller in :26.1. Midsplits of :54.4 and 1:23 would usually not be called “breathers,” but they are mild fractions for this caliber of horses, and A Rocknroll Star drew clear in upper stretch, measuring off Carbine by a length, with Komodo Beach another neck back in third.
 
The Robert Cleary-trainee, owned by Joseph and Vincent Barbera, had won three straight races before adding Lasix on April 8, and this was his fourth straight win since starting the medication. A Rocknroll Star has already earned $83,270 this year while climbing the class ladder.
 
In the $20,000 Open handicap pace for distaffs, all the favorites got into a big battle for forward positioning through most of the mile, with the unusual Philly result of the two longest shots on the board, Rockin Philly (9-1) and Dresden (25-1), coming home off cover, with Rockin Philly holding off her opponent by a length in 1:51. Completing a sweep of the Open paces for sire A Rocknroll Dance, Rockin Philly was driven by Andrew McCarthy for trainer Noel Daley and Morrison Racing Stables while raising her lifetime earnings to $616,926.
 
Simon Allard was the last race of the day to top the drivers colony with three wins, including two for trainer Ron Burke.
 
Harrah’s Philadelphia will present a special LIVE card of harness racing on Saturday, beginning at 12:40; there will also be racing on Sunday at 12:40, headlined by a $20,000 Open trot. Program pages for all Philly cards are or will be available at https://www.phha.org/harrahspps.html.                   

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – Everybody in the five-horse $14,400 featured trot at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Thursday afternoon was involved in the action at one point or another, with the winner last year’s freshman champion in his Massachusetts program, Inter Mischief, who took a new mark of 1:54.1 in his 2023 bow.
 
Donzel Hanover and Cocktail Fashion left side-by-side, with the former putting the latter in behind, then surrendering command to Inter Mischief by the :27.3 quarter. Senna moved late on the first turn and completed the first of two last-to-first sweeps in the race, reaching the half in :56.3, and then being joined down the back by favored Fashion Annie, who moved up strongly from last as the field went to the three-quarters in 1:25.3.
 
Fashion Annie went on to get the advantage on the far turn, but Anthony Morgan had gotten Inter Mischief out behind that filly, and in the stretch the two seasonal first-timers battled. Inter Mischief gained the upper hand late in winning by a half-length for trainer Jamie Sullivan, co-owner of the International Moni colt with Frank Chick.
 
The chalk won five of the first seven races (average win price $5.91), but then failed to click in the second half of the card (average win price $14.11). Also, three horses came from second-over to post a victory on Thursday – two more than during the entirety of the racing last week. David Miller had the last of the winning cover horses, which gave him daily driving honors with three successes.
 
Racing resumes at Philly on Friday at 12:25, with a card that features $20,000 Open paces for both sexes; there will also be a Superfecta carryover of $1931.71 into the first race’s wager. There will be a special Kentucky Derby Day live card at Harrah’s on Saturday at 12:40, and then the racing week will come to its normal conclusion on Sunday at 12:40, a card which will feature a $20,000 Open trot. Program pages for all Philly cards are or will be available at https://www.phha.org/harrahspps.html.