By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Two-year-olds were in the spotlight Tuesday afternoon at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, with American Courage fastest in the pacing contests in 1:54.1, while trotting speed honors were shared by Bacardi and Above The Clouds at 1:58.1.
 
Both of the trotting winners needed the photo finish camera to confirm their victories. The Southwind Frank – Strawberry Wine colt Bacardi raced in the pocket behind favored Sevenshadesofgrey, then methodically wore down the frontrunner to post a half-length victory for driver Marcus Miller and  trainer Erv Miller, whose Ervin Miller Stable Inc.  shares ownership of the winner with All-Wright Racing LLC, the Engel Stable of IL LLC, and the Rock And Roll Stable Inc.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – 2019’s Two-Year-Old Pacing Filly of the Year Lyons Sentinel continued her preparations for the imminent stakes season with a 1:54.3 qualifying win at Harrah’s Philadelphia early Tuesday afternoon.
 
The daughter of Captaintreacherous, who was also last year’s leading moneywinning freshman at $801,809, made a frontward move at the half and hung up successive :28 quarters to post an easy 2½ length victory, giving her now two wins and a second in preseason qualifying action. Threelyonsracing owns the Jim King Jr. trainee, who was driven as usual by Tim Tetrick.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – The Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and its complementary Stallion Series program make their 2020 debuts on Wednesday and Thursday at Harrah’s Philadelphia, with over $600,000 to be on the line as two-year-old pacers lead off the action – the fillies on Wednesday, and the colts and geldings on Thursday.
 
In Wednesday’s filly racing, three of the babies have already achieved sub-1:55 marks in qualifying action, including the pair drawing innermost in the race seven division. The Betting-Line – Darena Hanover miss Darby Hanover won at The Meadowlands in 1:54, with a sizzling :26.2 last quarter; she’ll start from the rail for trainer Julie and driver Andy Miller. Right next to her will be the Always B Miki – Western Silk filly Grace Hill, who ships to Philly after a 1:54.4 win at the Toronto area’s Woodbine Mohawk Park. Dexter Dunn will handle the driving assignment behind her for trainer Mark Harder.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Over a surface that had improved from “sloppy” to “good” to “fast” by the time the $14,000 featured mares pace took to the track on the Sunday twilight card at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, Baron Remy showed no rust after 3½ months away from the races, going on to a 1:51.2 victory.
 
Andrew McCarthy made a three-wide move late on the backstretch with the Yankee Cruiser mare to gain contention after a fast pace, and Baron Remy was more than equal to the challenge, getting to two-wide on the turn and then proving her superiority late. The Ron Burke trainee, owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, J&T Silva- Purnel & Libby, and Larry Karr (who had his namesake horse win at Philly earlier in the day), now sports earnings of $629,122.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Rich And Miserable, the 2019 Trotter of the Year at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, returned to northeast Pennsylvania on Saturday afternoon and immediately resumed his winning ways, posting a 1:52.4 victory over a good track in the $20,000 winners-over contest. 
 
Driver Tyler Buter wound up in third early with the gelded son of Explosive Matter as favored Obrigado put up hot early fractions of :26.4 and :55.2, not having to move outside until approaching the 1:23.3 three-quarters. Rich And Miserable quickly got in gear and went by the leader fairly easily for his 17thwin in 49 lifetime starts, good for $417,922. Todd Buter trains the successful trotter for Buter Farm Inc., Lynette Buter, and William and Carol Fuhs.
 
Like Rich And Miserable, Turbo Hill was a 12-time winner in 2019, and like that trotter the son of American Ideal won the feature on his gait on the Saturday Pocono program. Boosting his lifetime bankroll to $207,145, Turbo Hill raced in the pocket, went to the Pocono Pike to gain the stretch lead, then held off a closing Skyway Quinton to his left to post a 1:50.3 victory in the $17,200 contest for owner Tom Hill. Trainer Jennifer Bongiorno rang up her third victory on the card, and George Napolitano Jr. visited the winners circle (he’s actually doing that even though there is currently no ceremony, with no fans) for the fifth time on the card.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – The Explosive Matter sophomore filly Queen Of The Hill went to the lead in her seasonal debut, the $12,600 featured trot at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Friday afternoon, then had to dig down deep to hold off With Out A Doubt by a neck in 1:56.3.
 
Dexter Dunn was in the sulky behind Queen Of The Hill as she was victorious for trainer Per Engblom and owner Al Libfeld. She has now amassed $181,134 in her still-brief career as the stakes season approaches.
 
Queen Of The Hill was second in her Matron Stake contest last year; on the colt side, the Father Patrick colt Patriarch Hanover had that distinction, and he also won for the first time in 2020 later in the card. Matt Kakaley kept the winner of $123,920 off a hot (:27.1, :55.3, 1:24.1) pace, then tipped him wide off cover and won nicely for trainer Ron Burke and Burke Racing Stable LLC, William Switala,  James Martin, and Weaver Bruscemi LLC.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – Trainer Tom Fanning, driver Tim Tetrick, and owner Joseph Smith combined to win the two fast-class events during the “Trottin’ Thursday” card at Harrah’s Philadelphia, while a few younger horses showed themselves ready for stakes action with convincing victories.
 
The top purse event was a $14,400 event taken by the Cantab Hall gelding Mississippi Storm, whom Tetrick put on the lead at the quarter and went on to a handy 1:54 victory, with Morairtime second and favored Trolley third behind the victorious winner of $315,724 for Fanning and Smith.
 
In the co-feature, the engine also provided the path to success for the Trixton gelding No Drama Please, who came in for some drama at the three-quarter pole when Perfect Stick made a big uncovered move to draw even, but the pacesetter shook off that one’s challenge to take a new mark of 1:53.2 and boost his bankroll to $242,676 for Team Fanning/Tetrick/Smith.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – A pair of pacing distaffs with impeccable pedigrees were the stars of the show on Wednesday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia, as the southeast Pennsylvania track began its first full week of racing.
 
The American Ideal – JK Black Beauty four-year-old JK American Beauty came out of the pocket and chased down pacesetting Tango Dancer N, who had upset the “Beauty” in her 2020 debut at The Meadowlands, drawing clear while taking a new mark of 1:50.1. I’m Very Special (fourth in that same Jersey race) closed well for second, 1½ lengths back and a length ahead of Tango Dancer N, but not getting to the winner, who came her own back half in :54.4 to raise her career earnings to $440,027 with the triumph. Yannick Gingras sat in his usual sulky seat for trainer Nancy Takter and the 3 Brothers Stables.