By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA -- Two out of three favorites prevailed in $30,000 divisions of a Pennsylvania All-Stars event for three-year-old trotting colts Sunday evening at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, with the fastest winner, the Father Patrick colt Security Protected, scoring in 1:53 after closing furiously in his seasonal bow.
 
Tim Tetrick tucked fifth with Security Protected early, then came out third-over and was not particularly well-served by his cover in a race with fractions of :27.2, :56.4, and 1:24.4. But Tetrick tipped the Marcus Melander trainee four-wide in the lane, and the pair rallied from sixth, 4½ lengths behind at the stretch call, to get the decision by a half-length over railshooting White Shoe Hanover, coming his own last panel in :27.2, for Judith Taylor, Brad Grant, and Order By Stable AB.
 
The other All-Stars chalk was the Cantab Hall colt Blackhawk Zette, who opened his season with five straight wins at The Downs, including a sweep of his Weiss series, before finishing second in the Dexter Cup. Here he rebounded to his winning ways, inheriting the pocket after a :27.3 opener, staying there through a :56.3 half, then moving outside before the 1:25.2 three-quarters. Blackhawk Zette trotted smartly on to command, then was 2¼ lengths clear of closer Skydiver while lowering his mark to 1:53.3 under the guidance of Matt Kakaley for trainer Robert Baggitt Jr. and J L Sadowsky LLC.
 
The only outsider winning an All-Stars division was the Bar Hopping gelding Usain Hanover, who made two speed moves during fractions of :29, :57.3, and 1:26, then sprinted home in 27.3 to withstand Luke The Spook by half a length, with the 1:53.3 final clocking a lifetime best. Usain Hanover had gone 2-1-1 in the Weiss Series prelims before breaking in the final, and a subsequent break in an overnight caused the crowd to release him at 8-1, but he was at his best Sunday for driver Tyler Buter, trainer Nifty Norman, and Enzed Racing Stable Inc.
 
If you had been told before the evening’s racing that Pocono would see its fastest trotting mile of the season, and it would be produced by a sophomore, you’d have been right – but the 2024 standard didn’t come in a stakes race. Instead, the Chapter Seven gelding Dame Good Time put on the big speed show, going to the top past a :27 opener then hanging up numbers of :56 and 1:24.1 before stopping the clock in 1:52.1, not only a new mark but also within three-fifths of a second of Pinkman’s nine-year-old local divisional standard. Dame Good Time is now two-for-three since being taken over by trainer Trevor Alexander for owner John Cummings, with Scott Zeron keeping his usual perch behind the horse.
 
Racing continues on Monday and Tuesday at Pocono with 1 p.m. cards; the Pick-3 wager beginning in Monday’s race four will feature a carryover. Free Pocono programs are available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – Ruthless Hanover, who paced the fastest mile ever in harness racing history over a 5/8-mile track, 1:46.3, in the Auger Memorial on Super Sunday last year at Harrah’s Philadelphia, showed absolutely no rust after not racing in six months, winning the $13,000 fast-class handicap pace in an astounding 1:47.1 on Sunday (May 19).
 
Andrew McCarthy made his intentions known immediately with the seven-year-old Somebeachsomewhere gelding, putting Ruthless right on the lead, reaching the first quarter in :26 before getting a “breather” to a :53.4 half, then going :26 again down the back, hitting the three-quarters in 1:19.4. The speed demon had left the field far behind by the last-named station, and he won by nine lengths with McCarthy looking like a passenger.
 
The powerhouse showing is likely to earn Ruthless Hanover another invitation to the Auger Memorial, part of Super Sunday 2024 at Philly next Sunday, but that leaves Team Cancelliere, trainer Tom and owner John, a dilemma – what to do with Mac’s Delight?
 
That Bettor’s Delight four-year-old gelding has been super-sharp in his three starts this campaign, including his 1:49.1 win in a $14,500 pace on Sunday. Andrew McCarthy kept Mac’s Delight in third behind fractions of :26.3 and :54.4, then moved him first-over on the way to the 1:22 three-quarters, with the champion distaff Twin B Joe Fresh, making her first start as a four-year-old, on his back. But Mac’s Delight stayed strong to keep the late kick of the mare 1¼ lengths at bay.
 
So if you have a Ruthless Hanover, does Mac’s Delight go in the $100,000 Auger as an entrymate? One answer may be a $50,000 Invitational pace, the #senditin Philadelphia Invitational, scheduled for the Super Sunday card. The connections of Twin B Joe Fresh quite possibly may be asked if they want a spot in the $100,000 Betsy Ross distaff pace, as she was very good and figures to only improve.
 
The horse who was the fastest of the year at Philly when the day started was the three-year-old Total Stranger in 1:49.1, and in the day’s first race he lowered that mark a tick – for four races anyway -- while pacing fractions of :26.3, :54.1, and 1:21 en route to a 6¾ length victory in the $12,000 event. Since the 1:49.1 was the maiden win for the Bettor’s Delight colt (a full brother to Tall Dark Stranger), this 1:49 perforce becomes his lifetime speed badge after winning for driver Tim Tetrick, trainer Nancy Takter, and the ownership of Judith Taylor, Caviart Farms, and Chuck Pompey.
 
Total Stranger is not Pennsylvania-sired, so he won’t be in the Sire Stakes/Stallion Series leg scheduled on next Sunday’s great card. But there will be some overnight races – though the lowest level will be “nw5.”
 
Racing next week at Philly will be on Thursday and Friday at 12:25, followed by the Super Sunday card at 12:40 next Sunday, featuring all the great paces described above plus the $100,000 Maxie Lee Memorial Trot. Wednesdays at 12:25 will come back to the riverside’s oval on June 5. Free Philly programs are available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Captain Albano, last year’s champion two-year-old pacing colt, made his 2024 debut a success when he captured one of four divisions of the $157,776 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes second preliminary at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on Saturday afternoon.
 
Racing over a “sloppy” track (all eight of the stakes races save the first Stallion Series event were conducted in the slop), the son of Captaintreacherous was outside most of the :27.1 first quarter to take command, then yielded to Ivy Park and sat in the two-hole behind that one through middle fractions of :55.2 and 1:23.4. Todd McCarthy moved “The Captain” to the Pocono Pike and saw his colt gain immediately upon getting clear ground, and the driver looked confident in his horse even though the official margin was just a head over his game foe at the end of the 1:50.4 mile.
 
Captain Albano now has eight wins and two seconds in his ten-start career, with a bankroll of $465,402. Noel Daley trains Captain Albano for Patricia Stable, L A Express & Sjoblom Inc., and Michael Dolan.
 
The team of Let It Ride Stables Inc. and Odds On Racing are part-owners of two of the other Sire Stakes winners, including the fastest victor, Rush In, who got home in 1:50.2 to take his second straight Sire Stakes start. Scott Zeron made a power uncovered move down the backstretch after fractions of :26.2 and :54.4, cleared to the lead before the 1:22.1 three-quarters, and drew off by four lengths over Captain Skippy. Linda Toscano trains the Heston Blue Chip colt, now four-for-six after not racing at two; South Mountain Stables and Island Sun Stable also share in his ownership.
 
Breeders Crown champion Gem Quality now has two Pocono stakes wins in as many starts in this campaign, following up his Pennsylvania All-Stars win of last week with a 1:51 success here. Driven by Dexter Dunn for trainer Chris Ryder and owners Brad Grant and Enviro Stables in addition to Let It Ride / Odds On, the Captain Crunch colt sat fourth through :27.1 and :55.3 opening splits, got underway raw before the 1:23.3 three-quarters, then won by 1¾ lengths over Armada Hanover.
 
In the other Sires cut, the Sweet Lou gelding Sweet Beach Life forced a :27.1 initial quarter before sitting pocketed behind midfractions of :55.4 and 1:22.4, then used the Pocono Pike to record a new mark of 1:50.4. The winner caught pacesetting Solid Character by a length for driver Matt Kakaley, trainer Travis Alexander, and A Sweet Beach Life Stable.
 
Women Layer is undefeated in five 2024 starts and the only double Stallion Series winner after a 1:51.4 victory in one of four $20,000 StS events. Todd McCarthy picked up a Stallion Series win to complement his victory with Captain Albano by guiding the Sweet Lou gelding for trainer Brett Pelling and owners Howard and Judith Taylor, Order By Stable AB, and Jerry Silva.
 
Sweet Lou got a third siring credit in the day’s stakes with the gelding War Machine, a $55.00 upsetter who took a new mark of 1:52.3 for driver David Miller, trainer Ron Burke, and the partnership of Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Lawrence Karr, and Phil Collura. Captaintreacherous sired two Saturday stakes winners, including the colt Arson, a 1:52 winner when the track was still rated “good,” for driver Mark MacDonald, trainer Tim Twaddle, and Thestable Arson Group and Hutchinson Harness LLC.
 
The meet’s leading driver, Matt Kakaley, and trainer Travis Alexander completed a Sires-Stallion Series double with Target Acquired, a Betting Line gelding who lowered his lifetime best in 1:51.2, the day’s quickest StS clocking, for Fiddler’s Creek Stables LLC. The Kakaley/Alexander pairing also won the last race of the day to become the only horsemen with three successes on the card.
 
A sizable portion of this division is likely to be at Harrah’s Philadelphia in eight days time, as the third PA-sired prelim for this bracket is part of their Super Sunday card on May 26. The best of the Sire Stakes group will be back at Pocono on September 9 to race in their $252,000 Championship.
 
Sunday’s 6 p.m. card at Pocono Downs will be headed by three $30,000 divisions of a Pennsylvania All-Stars contest for sophomore trotting colts, with many Hambletonian hopefuls looking to sharpen their form and earn their way onto the big card the first Saturday in August. Also, Sunday’s Pick-5 wager beginning in race five will have a carryover. Free Pocono programs are available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
 
CHESTER PA – Bares All, in only her fourth lifetime start, reduced her record by over three seconds to 1:52.3, winning the $12,000 distaff pacing feature at Harrah’s Philadelphia Friday afternoon.
 
Jack Pelling left quickly with the daughter of Heston Blue Chip, who yielded to second choice Paige Perfect before the :28.2 quarter, who in return yielded to race favorite Peace Talks in front of the stands. Peace Talks took the field past the half in :57.1 and the three-quarters in 1:25, with Bares All charging at the leader as the field approached the final turn.
 
The front two put on quite the stretch donnybrook, with Bares All just barely getting home a head ahead of the chalk at the camera for trainer Robert Cleary and Let It Ride Stable Inc.
 
Tony Morgan, second on the list of North America’s all-time winningest drivers, increased his career total to 17,623 visits to Victory Lane by guiding five horses home first Friday. Three of the Friday five-bagger were trained and owned by Chris Temming.
 
Two national stars make their 2024 debuts during the Sunday 12:40 card at Philly: Ruthless Hanover, who paced the fastest mile ever on a 5/8-mile track, 1:46.3, while winning here last spring, and Twin B Joe Fresh, outstanding as a filly at two and three and now graduating to mare status. Also on the Sunday card is Total Stranger, a full brother to Tall Dark Stranger, who paced the fastest local time of the year, 1:49.1, in breaking his maiden last time out. There will also be a carryover into the seventh race’s Pick-3 wager. Free programs for Harrah’s Philly are available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – A week from this coming Sunday, May 26, Harrah’s Philadelphia will be holding its annual Super Sunday, with three $100,000 Invitationals (pace, trot, mare pace), a $50,000 Invitational, and a preliminary round of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes for three-year-old pacing colts.
 
This Sunday’s card at Harrah’s Philly has no such big-money races on the schedule, but it does contain three horses of national interest – two of which may be racing seven days afterwards.
 
Ruthless Hanover, who last season paced the fastest mile ever on a five-eighth mile track, 1:46.3, at Philly, makes his seasonal debut in the fast-class pace. Now seven, the altered son of Captaintreacherous, trained by Tom Cancelliere and owned by his brother John, has made only 54 career starts, but he’s made the most of his 22 victories, including his win in the Auger Memorial on Super Sunday 2023. In that race he laid down supersonic splits of :25.2, :53, and 1:19.2 en route to his world record clocking.
 
Ruthless Hanover has had two qualifiers to prep for his 2024 bow, in the latter missing a half-length to A Rocknroll Star in 1:50.4 at The Meadowlands. Andrew McCarthy has been tapped for the fifth race driving assignment behind Ruthless Hanover.
 
A race later, the star distaff Twin B Joe Fresh, winner of $1,440,263 at two and three while battling the great Sylvia Hanover, makes her first start of the year against a field of fellow four-year-olds, her opposition being all males. Twin B Joe Fresh is well-remembered by eastern Pennsylvania fans for her memorable clash with “Sylvia” in last year’s Lynch Memorial at Pocono, where the pair dueled through a :25.4 third quarter before Sylvia Hanover lapsed from stride, with Twin B Joe Fresh taking full advantage.
 
Twin B Joe Fresh, who has a mark of 1:48.2, comes to this race off a pair of qualifiers at The Meadowlands, the latter a win in 1:51.2 - :26. She also has drawn post four, with Dexter Dunn to be in the bike for trainer Chris Ryder; those two are also co-owners with Peter Trebotica and Barry Spak.
 
Sunday’s first race features the horse who recorded the fastest mile of the local season, 1:49.1. That would be Total Stranger – who accomplished the feat while breaking his maiden. A son of Bettor’s Delight and a full brother to champion Tall Dark Stranger, Total Stranger, good but not a winner at two, came out of the box roaring for trainer Nancy Takter and the partnership of Judith Taylor, Caviart Farms, and Chuck Pompey, Like the other two other horses featured in this release, he’ll start from post four, with the meet’s leading driver, Tim Tetrick, to be piloting him.
 
Ruthless Hanover might defend his Auger title on the 26th, and Twin B Joe Fresh, who beat older mares in the Fan Duel last year, might be in the Betsy Ross mare pace, but Total Stranger is Ontario-sired, and thus cannot be in the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes on Super Sunday. (It’s doubtful a horse two races removed from maiden status would try such a huge step up to an Invitational level, but there may be a conditioned race for him that day.)
 
Sunday post times at Philly are 12:40 p.m.; free programs are available at www.phha,org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – The Credit Winner gelding Credit Con, already a six-figure earner in 2024, added to his sizable bankroll by winning the featured $13,000 fast-class handicap trot on Thursday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
 
Jack Pelling hustled the Jenn Bongiorno trainee out of the gate first, then yielded to sit on the back of Herodotus through fractions of :27.3, :55.4, and 1:24.2. Credit Con was itching to go on the far turn and Pelling pulled him outside, then easily overtook his frontstepping rival to win in 1:53.1, 1¾ lengths clear on the wire. The winner of $110,700 already this season and $572,286 lifetime is owned by Ben Modello.
 
The $11,000 fast-class subfeature handicap trot went to Sinatra De Vie, minding his manners after some recent breaking issues to post a 1:53.3 triumph. Jonathan Ahle sent the Southwind Frank gelding up uncovered after the evergreen JL Cruze, who took over after a :27.2 opener then put up midsplits of :56.1 and 1:25.2, and Sinatra De Vie outtrotted the leader to the wire by 1¼ lengths for trainer-owner Eric Foster.
 
Other sub-1:55 winners on the “Trottin’ Thursday” card were Eurobond (1:53.3) and The Gruffalo (1:54.4).
 
David Miller won four races on the afternoon to send his local win total to 23, one behind co-leaders Todd McCarthy and Tim Tetrick. Two of Miller’s winners came for trainer Per Engblom, who now tops the conditioners ranks with twelve successes.
 
Friday’s 12:25 card at Philly is topped by a $12,000 distaff pace set to go as the twelfth race. Sunday ‘s 12:40 Philly presentation has three interesting pacing entrants: two are world champion Ruthless Hanover (1:46.3f here at the end of last May) and Twin B Joe Fresh, the iron-tough millionaire mare, both making their campaign debuts. The third is the fastest horse at the young Philly meet by virtue of his 1:49.1 win in a maiden event: Total Stranger, a full brother to champion Tall Dark Stranger.
 
Free Philly programs are available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania hosts the “glamour division” for North American harness racing – the three-year-old colts and geldings – with stakes races for both gaits this Saturday afternoon and Sunday evening, both highlighting the best of the Pennsylvania-sired horses.
 
On Saturday afternoon there will be four divisions of the $157,776 second preliminary leg of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes for the sophomore males, along with four $20,000 divisions of the complementary Stallion Series races.
 
In the Sire Stakes, there will be plenty of attention on race eight, as it will mark the debut of last year’s divisional champion, Captain Albano. A son of Captaintreacherous trained by Noel Daley for the ownership of Patricia Stable, L A Express & Sjoblom Inc. and Michael Dolan, Captain Albano went seven for nine in his two-year-old season and pulled down $445,680 in earnings, winning the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Championship and both events during Lexington’s Grand Circuit meeting. He has had two qualifiers before his 2024 bow, winning in 1:52.3 - :25.3 last week, and Todd McCarthy will be driving him as he starts from the middle of a seven-horse field.
 
Captain Albano was second in last year’s Breeders Crown to Gem Quality, a son of Captain Crunch who starts from the outside post seven for driver Dexter Dunn in the twelfth race PaSS division. Trained by Chris Ryder for Let It Ride Stables Inc., Odds On Racing, Brad Grant, and Enviro Stables Ltd., Gem Quality already has a 2024 Pocono stakes triumph to his credit, winning a Pennsylvania All-Stars contest in 1:53 last week.
 
Let It Ride Stables Inc. and Odds On Racing also share ownership, with South Mountain Stables and Island Sun Stable, in Rush In, a Heston Blue Chip colt who was the fastest winner in the first Sire Stakes prelim at The Meadows two weeks ago, a 1:50.1 tally for trainer Linda Toscano. Scott Zeron will handle sulky duties behind Rush In from post one in his tenth race event.
 
The other division, slotted for race six, finds the two early favorites being Tenacious Hanover, another Toscano-Zeron partnership, who rebounded from an early break to be second in his PaSS race, and Solid Character, an All-Stars winner last week for driver David Miller and trainer Ron Burke.
 
Sunday’s evening program will feature three $30,000 divisions of the Pennsylvania All-Stars race for this bracket’s trotting males, the first stakes action of the season for most of the entrants. Team Melander figures to take down a good share of the money in these events, as they have five horses entered, all coming off races at Pocono and Philly and sporting an 8-5-2-1 record among them so far.
 
The $1.25-million Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Championship card for three-year-olds will be held at Pocono during a Monday afternoon card on September 9, and many of these fast sophomores should be around to go after really big money during that program.
 
Free Pocono programs are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Don’tmesswithles and Tennessee Smooth emerged as the winners in the twin $16,000 featured paces for developing horses getting close to the top of the conditioned ladder during the Tuesday afternoon card at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania.
 
Don’tmesswithles, a Captaintreacherous gelding, had yielded the lead to High Voltage Deo and rode behind that one without catching him late when “Deo” had posted the fastest time of the year at Pocono, 1:49.3, in their last start. Many thought that the same scenario was about to play out as “Les” made the early lead and his opponent charged up to challenge, but this time High Voltage Deo made a momentary break just before clearing, and driver Jim Pantaleano urged Don’tmesswithles on to keep his rival parked past a :26.4 quarter before ceding command.
 
High Voltage Deo went on to post midsplits of :55.4 and 1:23 while facing midrace pressure, and this week’s exertions took their toll on the leader, as Don’tmesswithles dashed to the Pocono Pike and got up by three-quarters of a length in a lifetime best 1:50.3. Howard Birney trains the handy and fast winner for Walter Birney Jr.
 
The other feature field of six saw several exchanges of the lead through and past a :27 opener, with Reggie The Fourth, a Weiss Series champion, finally seizing the throttle and putting up fractions of :56.2 and 1:24.1. Tennessee Smooth, a Well Said gelding trained by Brandy Wine for Brett Boyd Racing Inc. and Geoff Howles, was sitting last when pulling outside down the back, and when he caught no cover he simply powered on raw for driver Braxten Boyd, working to the leader on the far turn and then beating him out by three parts of a length while earning a new mark of 1:52.
 
Beach Cowgirl, a Captaintreacherous mare, set a world record of 1:50 in winning her Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Championship at Harrah’s Philly as an undefeated freshman. Last year she was a cut below the very best fillies, but she showed she may be able to handle another go at the swiftest females with an authoritative 1:50.3 win in a $14,500 distaff pace, regaining the lead near the quarter and drawing away by 3¼ lengths, with back splits of :54.1 - :27. Ron Burke now trains the winner for Joseph Di Scalia Jr., Zippett Racing Stable, and Scarlett Stables LLC.
 
All three feature-winning drivers recorded a double, as did Marcus Miller, but they had one fewer visit to Victory Lane than George Napolitano Jr. Jacob Hartline had the only training double.
 
This weekend Pocono will host many of North America’s premier three-year-old males, with Pennsylvania Sire Stakes action during Saturday afternoon’s card, including last year’s divisional champion Captain Albano and Breeders Crown winner Gem Quality, while Hambletonian-hopeful trotters will meet Sunday evening in three divisions of a Pennsylvania All-Stars event. Free Pocono programs are available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Trotters were in the Monday afternoon spotlight at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, with two $15,000 divisions of a trot for developing horses the features.
 
The faster winner of the highlight events was the E L Titan sophomore gelding Super Duper Cooper, undefeated in two 2024 starts after setting a new mark of 1:55.1 Monday. Owned by Timothy Craig, James Crawford IV, and Carl Austin Jr., Super Duper Cooper overcame a first-over journey by going his back half in :56.1, winning by 4½ lengths.
 
Super Duper Cooper was one of three winners on the card for trainer John Butenschoen, who tallied with three different drivers. The three-year-old was driven by Jason Bartlett, who also won three times, all for different trainers; Bartlett tied for the day’s sulky honors with Tyler Buter, who also won for three different trainers, including Butenschoen.
 
The other feature had a much closer finish, with winner Can Have It All coming from seventh and last at the half to win by a head over Stars Over Dover, with the first five finishers within 1¾ lengths at the wire. The victorious altered sophomore son of Cantab Hall took a new record of 1:58.2 for driver Anthony Napolitano, trainer Peter Pellegrino and Room4040 LLC Stables.
 
Two Tactical Landing sophomore geldings posted fast clockings in lower-rung races: Reggianito won his second straight while lowering his mark for 1:55.2 for trainer Butenschoen, driver Matt Kakaley, and the ownership of Berg Brothers Racing LLC and Rich Preziotti, while Naked Cowboy broke his maiden in 1:55.4 for driver Anibal Borjas and trainer Tony Alagna, the latter co-owner with Geoffrey Dubrowsky.
 
A pair of $16,000 paces head the Tuesday afternoon 1 p.m. card at Pocono, with a Superfecta carryover helping the pool in the day’s first race. On Saturday, the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes “glamour division,” the three-year-old pacing males, will come to town in four divisions, with last year’s freshman champion Captain Albano making his seasonal debut and 2023 Breeders Crown winner Gem Quality looking to follow up on his Pennsylvania All-Stars victory earlier this racing week; they will not be facing each other (for now anyway).
 
Free Pocono programs are available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – The tri-features on Sunday evening at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania were $15,000 paces for high-priced claiming horses. Despite the hefty investment, two of the three winners were claimed – but it was the one who wasn’t who took the fastest division.
 
The Thinking Out Loud gelding Wise Thinking put in a late move reminiscent of his father’s North America Cup win to take the very first race on the card in a lifetime best of 1:51.3. Tyler Buter handled the driving assignment for trainer Jennifer Bongiorno and Ely Stable.
 
The other two top claiming winners, Tuxedo Bay (driver Marcus Miller, 1:52.3) and Winbak Willy T (George Napolitano Jr., 1:53.2) were both coming off of victories, so that is perhaps why they attracted the claiming attention, with $20,000 given for each horse to change hands.
 
Skydiver also notched his second straight win, in a $14,000 trot, but when he changed hands as a yearling, it took a bid of $350,000 to take home the Muscle Hill-Ariana G colt. The sophomore won here in 1:56, with back fractions of :56.2 - :28, while winning for the brother team of driver Mattias and trainer Marcus Melander, with the developing youngster owned by Brixton Medical Inc. Marvin Katz, and Hatfield Stables.
 
Matt Kakaley guided three horses home first to lead all drivers on the night and solidify his position atop the local sulkysitters colony.
 
Pocono will be racing on Monday and Tuesday afternoons, with the cards starting on each day at 1 p.m.; Monday’s program has a double carryover of $2066.55 on the Pick-5 wager, which begins in race five. Free Pocono programs are available at www.phha.org.