By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – The highlight of an otherwise-dreary day at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Thursday afternoon was the 7000th career driving victory of “The Captain,” Corey Callahan. 
 
This milestone win for Callahan, who has guided horses to $102.4 million in earnings lifetime, may have been even better for the likable 44-year-old, because the winner Star Razor is trained by his brother Shaun and is co-owned by his father Nick along with Yorwollahan Racing Team (of which Corey is a member) and Greg Godbout. They were all joined in the winners circle by other, mostly youthful, members of Clan Callahan after the Dejarmbro gelding Star Razor went wire-to-wire in 1:54.4 to give him his fourth straight victory. (“The Captain” nickname, by the way, comes from Corey’s days playing ice hockey for the University of Kentucky.)

Hayek has certainly shown an affinity for the Philly  racing surface, winning his third straight in as many recent starts, recording a 1:54 win over a “sloppy +2” oval while taking Thursday’s $22,500 handicap trot.
 
Having beaten lesser opposition in his two local starts, the winning E L Titan gelding had the chance to draw for an inner slot against a field which had won a collective $5.7 million, and Dexter Dunn put the opportunity to maximum use, getting Hayek into pocket position behind the swift-leaving JL Cruze, where he sat through splits of :27.3, :56.2, and 1:25. Dunn sensed his horse was full of trot and vacated the two-hole on the far turn, with his horse responding quickly and winning by 1 1/2 lengths over JL Cruze, who retained second in a photo over Scirocco Rob, winner of the last two races in this class but finding the outside post eight just a bit too much here.
 
Hayek boosted his lifetime bankroll to $350,271 for trotter Per Engblom and the partnership of Evan Katz, David Rovine Stable LLC, and Frank Canzone.
 
The continued patience in waiting for the four-year-old year of Bee Forever, the majestically-bred son of Muscle Hill – Bee A Magician, again paid off for owner Melvin Hartman, Herb Liverman, and David Mc Duffee, as he remained undefeated in four 2022 starts after a 1:55.1 off-track triumph in the $15,300 co-feature. The gelding tucked fourth then was sent uncovered by Dexter Dunn, sweeping the features, heading into the backstretch, where he roared by the pacesetter nearing the far turn and stayed clear to the wire, coming his own back half in :56.2. Nifty Norman’s trainee shows a very large capacity, maneuverability, and determination – not quite the smoothest horse yet, Bee Forever may still soon be among the better trotters on the North American scene.
 
Racing will continue at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Friday at 12:25 and Sunday at 12:40; programs are or will be available at https://www.phha.org/harrahspps.html.

By:Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – There were four $11,700 events for two-year-olds at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Wednesday afternoon, with two very promising pacers grabbing the headlines.
 
In the colt pace, Scott Zeron made the most of a rare midweek appearance at Philly by steering the Heston Blue Chip – Bettor B Steamin colt Fulton to victory in his first purse start. Fulton set the pace from the rail, hanging up splits of :28, :57.1, and 1:25.3, then was steamin’ late with a :26.4 last quarter to defeat favored Secret Captain by three parts of a length in an eye-opening 1:52.2, a time equaling the fastest mile turned in anywhere by a two-year-old this year and bettering that distinction for 5/8-mile tracks by over two seconds. With a last quarter like that, it’s likely you’ll be hearing more about the fast freshman, trained by Linda Toscano for Let It Ride Stables Inc. and Bottom Line Racing LLC.
 
The filly pace, a couple of races later, provided another baby to keep an eye on, the Stay Hungry – Zellweger Blue Chip miss Ginger Tree Coco, who became the second-fastest pacer on a 5/8-mile track this year with a 1:53.3 victory. David Miller sent her right to the front in a :28 quarter, got a rest to the half in :58.1, then came home in :55.2 - :27 to withstand the possible pocket rocket (and favorite) Square Deal by a length. Steve Cook trains the talented distaff for Sam Beegle, Ginger Tree Ventures LLC, Knollview Stable, and Robert Reber Jr.
 
On the trot, the fillies produced the faster mile, with the well-established team of driver Tim Tetrick, trainer Jim Campbell, and owner Fashion Farms LLC sending out debutante Fashion Annie and seeing her win in 1:58.4. A rare Philly winner from well off the pace, the daughter of Donato Hanover – Fashion Athena (thus a three-quarter sister to Millies Possesion) passed Planter’s Punch to win by 1¼ lengths while stepping home in :57.2 - :28.3.
 
It looked as if Tetrick and Campbell might also combine to win the colt trot, as Wild Bill Kelso was closing strongly before making a stretch break; the mishap left little doubt that the Possess The Will – Cant Top This gelding Can’t Stop Will would make his lead stand up to the wire, which he did in 2:00.3. Andrew McCarthy, who topped all drivers with five victories, drove the Jeffrey Smith trainee for owner Amy Butewicz.
 
Rouser Hanover, a five-year-old son of Captaintreacherous, has only 11 lifetime starts, but he now has six wins, four of them this season, after equaling his lifetime mark of 1:50.3 in a $14,400 pace. Andrew McCarthy made two speed moves in a :27.1 quarter, then pushed his main rival Jo Pa’s Warrior until yielding the lead heading into the bridge turn and the :55.2 half. The new leader was able to shake off first-over pressure past the 1:23.1 three-quarters, but he did not quite have the same late steps as Rouser Hanover, who roared out of the pocket on the far turn and gradually put distance between himself and the leader, winning by two lengths. Tony Alagna trains the developing “youngster” for the patient Big Als Stables.
 
“Trottin’ Thursday” at Harrah’s Philadelphia will feature a $22,500 handicap trot, with Scirocco Rob assigned the outside starting slot in the field of eight after winning the last two weeks. There will also be a $2260.46 carryover into the third race’s Super Hi-5 bet. The racing begins at 12:25; program pages are available at https://www.phha.org/harrahspps.html.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – As the PHHA noted in its recap of baby qualifiers at Philly yesterday, this is probably the last writeup on the Pocono morning sessions for two-year-olds: some overnight races have contained freshmen; their fair stakes season starts next week; and their pari-mutuel stakes season begins the week after that.
 
Here is a summary of the Wednesday morning two-year-old qualifiers at Pocono (there were no repeat winners):
 
TWO-YEAR-OLD PACING COLTS – The Huntsville – Lotsa Matzah colt Human Cocktail rallied from the pocket in :27.3 to defeat Full Support by a neck in 1:55.3 for trainer/driver Gareth Dowse and owner Stephen Demeter. Just a tick behind was the Stay Hungry – Swift N Shout colt Swift Operator, not only trained by Erv Miller but also driven by the two-time North American UDR champion.
 
TWO-YEAR-OLD PACING FILLIES – Hallelujah Hanover had the quickest clocking in this division, as the daughter of Captaintreacherous – Hana Hanover (a $1M-winning world champion) dashed home in :57.2 - :28 to complete a 1:56 victory for trainer/driver Ray Schnittker and Grozcona Racing Stable LLC.
 
TWO-YEAR-OLD TROTTING COLTS – Trainer/driver Schnittker also took honors in this section with the Muscle Hill – Girl With A Past gelding Civil Union, who fronted his field in 2:00.4 for Schnittker and co-owners Paul Bordogna, and Mary Kinsey Arnold.
 
TWO-YEAR-OLD TROTTING FILLIES – The quicker of two divisions went to My Belfast Angel, a Muscles Yankee – Vixen distaff driven to a 2:02 win by Matt Kakaley for trainer Andrew Adamczyk for owner Joseph Meaney.
 
The baby qualifiers can be viewed on the PHHA’s website, www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – The Explosive Matter gelding Sortie made an explosive sortie around the second turn to the lead, then went on to capture the $12,500 featured trot on Tuesday at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono in 1:54.2. 
 
Driver Braxten Boyd had Sortie in midpack as they field passed the stands when, sensing a slow pace, he got his trotter fired up quickly and moved him to the lead entering the backstretch. A :27.2 burst in the third quarter left all but favored Vic’s Winner well behind, and through the stretch Sortie kept his only rival at bay, winning by 1¾ lengths for trainer Steve Brabrook and owner Jaypaul Hoover while boosting his career earnings to $417,805.
 
The two-year-old trotters made their first pari-mutuel starts at The Downs on Tuesday. First up were the colts, and they put on a good exhibition, with trainer/driver Tom Jackson able to keep the Trixton – Ophelia colt Optrix rolling after coming first-over late on the backstretch, scoring a 1:59.4 decision by a nose over favored Scotty Deo, with closer Kobe B just a head away from taking it all in third. Jackson also co-owns the gritty colt with Tyler Gunderson, Jenna Corneilson, and Howard Taylor.
 
The winner in the filly race went even quicker: a 1:58.4 was put up by the International Moni – Seaside miss Tipsy Moni, who had two back quarters of :29.1 to complete the engine victory. Tyler Buter drove the precocious youngster, who had won both her baby qualifiers in 2:02, for trainer/owner D. R. Ackerman.
 
George Napolitano Jr. swept the late double to handle four winners on the day; Matt Kakaley brought three horses home first. These two are now tied at the top of the Pocono drivers win standings at 116.
 
There’s top racing when Pocono resumes racing on Saturday at 1:30 and Sunday at 5:00. Saturday features a $27,500 winners-over pace, with Little Brown Jug winner Southwind Ozzi looking for his sixth win in his last seven starts, but needing to overcome the outside post eight. On Sunday over $200,000 in Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and Stallion Series action is highlighted by divisional leader Treacherous Dragon, fresh off her win in the Fan Hanover final. Program pages will be available at https://www.phha.org/downsmsppps.html.  

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – With two-year-olds already in pari-mutuel competition, and with Pennsylvania stakes season for the freshmen opening next week at the fairs and the following week at the betting tracks, today’s host of qualifiers for babies at Harrah’s Philadelphia may be the last concentrated presentation of many morning sessions for the newcomers.
 
Here are the highlights divided by gait and sex:
 
TWO-YEAR-OLD PACING FILLIES: The team of driver Dexter Dunn and trainer Chris Ryder swept all three of the divisions for this group. Fastest was the Sweet Lou – So In Love miss Love You Do, who came first-over to catch Team Colors by a nose in 1:57 -- :57 -- :27.4 for Let It Ride Stables Inc. and Bottom Line Racing LLC; the same braintrust saw their Sweet Lou – Drop The Ball filly Butterfingers win her second straight baby qualifier in 1:57.3 -- :56.3 -- :27.4.
 
TWO-YEAR-OLD PACING COLTS: Dexter Dunn was also the driver of the faster winner in this section, Nolaughingstock, a colt by Heston Blue Chip – Laughandbehappy, who frontended his field in 1:56.2 -- :56.3 -- :27.3 for trainer Michael Hall, co-owner with Let It Ride Stables Inc., who obviously had a big day.
 
TWO-YEAR-OLD TROTTING FILLIES – The Donato Hanover – Motivational miss Portulaca may decide to stay and bloom in PA – she won a baby event here, broke in a race at Magical Acres, then came back to Philly and took her second win, a wire-to-wire tally in 1:59 -- :57.4 -- :28.2 for driver David Miller and trainer Kathleen La Montagne, also owner with Donald La Montagne.
 
TWO-YEAR-OLD TROTTING COLTS – The only division for baby trotting colts was won by the Father Patrick – Sherrys Lady colt Once In A Lifetime, who rallied from the pocket to win in 2:02.2 -- :58.4 -- :29.2 for driver Tim Tetrick, trainer Jim Campbell, and owners Sherry and Emily Forlan while taking his second straight trip to the gate.
 
Replays of the baby qualifiers can be found at the PHHA website, www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Captain Keen and Black Hawk Down both went to the lead and held the advantage to the wire in capturing the $15,000 features on Monday afternoon at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono. Also deserving a first paragraph mention is Team Miller, with Marcus driving six winners on the card, five for trainer/father Erv.
 
The Always A Virgin gelding Captain Keen and driver Jim Pantaleano didn’t have an easy path en route to grabbing the top going to the :27 quarter, even in the five-horse pacing feature field, but then had things relatively stress-free during middle splits of :55 and 1:23. In the stretch Major Show tried to catch him in the Pocono Pike, but Captain Keen held him off by a three-quarters of a length while lowering his mark to 1:51.1 for trainer Mike Simons, co-owner with Destiny Racing Stable LLC.
 
In the trotting headliner, the Kadabra gelding Black Hawk Down kept his head while all about him were losing theirs, enabling him to post fractions of :28.2, :57.3, and 1:26.2 while going on to a career best of 1:55.4 while a length ahead of Fashion On A Star. Braxten Boyd drove the winner for trainer Hunter Oakes and Elite Harness Racing LLC.
 
Otherwise, much of the rest of the day belonged to Team Miller. The pair accounted for both of the first two-year-old betting races of 2022 here, both on the pace and with both debutantes coming off winning qualifiers: the Captaintreacherous – Bittorsweet Terror colt Barbossa Hanover, stepping home in :27.4 to complete a 1:55.1 mile for Bowie Racing LLC, and the filly Frondeur, a daughter of A Rocknroll Dance – Redhot’s Memory who flew home in :27.2 at the end of a 1:56 mile for Shim Racing LLC.
 
Just as hot as the Millers were the Pocono bettors – eight favorites won on the fourteen-race card, with the other six races taken by the second choice.
 
Tuesday will feature trotters at Pocono – two $13,000 events for two-year-olds, one for each sex, and a $12,500 contest for fast-class performers. Tuesday’s action begins at 1:30 p.m.; program pages are available at https://www.phha.org/downsmsppps.html.  

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Manon is four-for-four this season, two of them in the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes, after she won the faster $67,991 division of the third preliminary for three-year-old trotting fillies on Sunday night at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
 
Tim Tetrick handled the talented Bar Hopping filly cautiously early, letting the front end sort itself out, then went to the top past previous PaSS winner Samosa before the :28 quarter. Middle fractions of :56.4 and 1:25.3 left Manon with plenty left in the tank for the stretch, and she cruised home in :27.4 to wind up a length ahead of the game Samosa in the 1:53.2 mile.
 
Third in her only start at two, Manon has shown impressive development this year for trainer Lucas Wallin and the Harbor Racing Stable LLC.
 
Mon Cheval, second in both of the first two legs of the Sire Stakes and coming off a Pennsylvania All-Stars victory, posted her second straight win in the other Sires division. Taking the lead in front of the stands for driver Andrew McCarthy, the daughter of harness racing royalty – Father Patrick and Shake It Cerry – set the rest of the pace as she pleased, then dashed home in :27.3 to beat out Tie One On by three-quarters of a length in 1:54.2, a clocking matching her lifetime best, set in her All-Stars race.
 
Mon Cheval is trained by Nancy Takter for Solveig’s Racing Partners, another in a long string of success stories for that pairing.
 
If you want to talk about the fastest three-year-old trotting filly of Sunday at Pocono, you’d have to go to the fastest of four $20,000 divisions of the companion Stallion Series races, where the Southwind Frank speedster Baptism, winner of an All-Stars race in 1:52.2 in her last start, went a tick faster here to lower her mark and tie for the fastest trotting mile of the year at Pocono. 
 
What Should I Goo gave close chase from the two-hole through blistering splits of :27.1, :55, and 1:23.2 and is to be commended for staying within a length at the wire. But Baptism looked in command in the latter stages in winning her third straight (her second Stallion Series win) for trainer/driver Åke Svanstedt and the partnership of Diamond Creek Racing and Crossover Racing.
 
Two horses kept their 2022 records perfect in winning their StS cuts. The quicker was the Donato Hanover filly Chake (SHAH-kay), who won her fifth straight in her first stakes start, a 1:54.3 lifetime best on the engine for driver Tim Tetrick, trainer Per Engblom, and owner Daniel Sarafian. Also successful was the Cantab Hall miss I’ll Have A Lindy, a four-time winner including three times in Stallion Series preliminaries, who defeated Rosaline by a neck in 1:56.4 for driver Scott Zeron, trainer Domenico Cecere, and the Greathorse ownership.
 
The other StS cut saw trainer/driver Todd Schadel, who’s been on a tear with his two-year-old trotting fillies, translate that success to the three-year-old level, getting a perfect second-over trip with the 31-1 Explosive Matter miss Heart Matters and then catching favored Elegant Charm by a head in 1:55.4 to lower her mark. Schadel also co-owns the winner with wife Christine and Rick and Regina Beinhauer.
 
Racing continues at The Downs on Monday and Tuesday afternoons, starting at 1:30 p.m. Program pages are or will be available at https://www.phha.org/downsmsppps.html.          

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – A pair of $13,000 paces for fast-class horses helped bring the week to an end on Sunday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
 
The division of the feature for males was taken by Mayhem Hanover, a son of Sportswriter who was piloted by Corey Callahan for trainer Jeff Cullipher, co-owner with Pollack Racing LLC. Mayhem Hanover quarter-moved near the :27.1 initial station, took over from Somebaddude, and then had that rival behind him through splits of :55.1, 1:23, and the final clocking in 1:51.1.
 
In the division for females, the Somebeachsomewhere mare Odds On Whitney showed improved form for trainer Tony Alagna and owners Odds On Racing, taking her first win of the campaign in 1:52.2. Tim Tetrick had the full sister to Papi Rob Hanover in high gear down the backstretch, pacing her third split in :26.2 to surge right to the lead and draw off to an open-length score. 
 
Also featured were a trio of $9900 trots in the American Harness Drivers Club (AHDC) series for amateur drivers. And yes, it’s a coincidence that the first two letters of AHDC are the first two letters of the last name of 25-year-old Johnathan Ahle, who swept the three events, are the same. 
 
Probably the most popular victory came with the 15-year-old wonder TSM Photo Bugger (allowed to race in amateur events), who wired his field while drawing away late in 1:55.4. The S J’s Photo gelding, trained and leased by Karen Fread, now has 64 career victories and earnings of $891,944.
 
The other two Ahle successes came with horses trained by Terry Morgan: Drazzmatazz, a 1:57.3 winner for Danbry Racing Inc., and Morgan’s own Lionhead in 1:58.1.
 
Harrah’s Philadelphia is currently racing on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday at 12:25, and Sunday at 12:40. Program pages will be available at https://www.phha.org/harrahspps.html.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Alluneedisfaith N was hard-used to make the top in Saturday’s $17,500 featured pace at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, but once there he established his superiority by winning handily in 1:51.1.
 
It was only 57 degrees in the mountains Saturday, but a :26.1 opening quarter could certainly be classified as “hot,” with the winning Art Major gelding needing past that point to clear an early battle for supremacy. Alluneedisfaith N got to the half in :54.1, then actually got a third quarter breather to a 1:23.1 checkpoint, with a headwind aiding that slowdown, enabling the leader to come home in :28 to win confidently.
 
George Napolitano Jr. was the driver behind the winner of $482,533, who now has won two of his last three, for trainer Nik Drennan and the ownership of Robert Cooper Stables LLC and Jared Cooper.
 
In the $17,500 trotting contest, the Napolitano brothers tussled throughout the mile, with George and favored Ambassador Hanover making the lead just past the :28 opener over Anthony and Macmorris Hanover, then going on to refuse “Macmorris” a retake, with that one tucking back in the pocket before the :56.2 half. “Ambassador” got no breather fighting the first-over to a 1:25.2 three-quarters, and the breather Anthony could grab with his horse in the two-hole paid dividends in the stretch, where he regained the lead for good and held off Robbie Pev by a neck in a 1:54.4 mile. 
 
Bob Baggitt Jr. trains the victorious altered son of Cantab Hall, the winner of $264,083, for the team of the ubiquitous Howard Taylor, Ben Mudry, Douglas Millard, and Timothy Murray.
 
The Muscle Hill four-year-old Southwind Tyrion had gone 618 days between his last race (October 9, 2020) and a start in a $17,000 trot. That last start, he set the world record for two-year-old trotting colts with a 1:51.1 victory at Lexington; here he was a going-away winner in 1:54 to start his comeback. Sarah Svanstedt, with an .889 UDR this year, handled the winner of $289,297 for trainer/husband Åke Svanstedt, with Åke Svanstedt Inc. co-owner with S R F Stable, Knutsson Trotting Inc., and Brittany Farms & Riverview.
 
Matt Kakaley won five races on the Saturday card, again moving him close to perennial Pocono leader George Napolitano Jr., who had forged to the lead recently after Kakaley’s hot seasonal start. George, who won twice on the card, now has the thinnest of leads, 110-109, over Matt at the top.
 
Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and Stallion Series three-year-old trotting fillies will contest their third preliminary rounds during Sunday’s 5 p.m. card. The four Sires winners to date – Dreamonhigh, Manon, Palermo Hanover, and Samosa – will all be looking to double their victory totals in the PaSS competition. Program pages are available at https://www.phha.org/downsmsppps.html.         

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – Four $12,600 features highlighting developing trotters and pacers were in the spotlight on a hot Friday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
 
Nautical Hanover enjoyed class relief from Pennsylvania Sire Stakes company to take his division of the male pace in 1:50.3, his fastest victory ever. The Captaintreacherous three-year-old colt had to do it via the uncovered route, but Nautical Hanover came his own last half in :54.2 to impressively win for driver Todd McCarthy, trainer Tony Alagna and the partnership of Brad Grant, VJ Stable, Jablonsky Head Stable, and In The Gym Partners.
 
In the other section for males, driver Trae Porter, trainer Jacob Hartline, and the ownership of Anatolia Racing LLC scored for the second time on the day, here with the Big Jim gelding Wheresjim, who was never behind while his lowering his mark (taken in a Woodbine Mohawk qualifier) by 6 3/5 seconds with a 1:52.2 clocking. The four-year-old won his career debut on August 15, 2020 at Hanover (Ontario), then had to wait 30 races and 665 days for his next triumph, but he made the most of this opportunity.
 
The distaff pacers were led home by the Western Ideal three-year-old filly, who was reserved by driver Pat Berry just off a fast last-half battle between Sugar Bowl and Heavenly Angel, then got by both late to take a new lifetime mark of 1:52. Tom Shay conditions the winner for Bay Pond Racing Stable Inc.
 
A fast pace in the trotting feature helped set up the closing kick of the Andover Hill sophomore filly Newell Place, who came from last to win going away on the far outside in a new mark of 1:55 while returning an $80.00 win mutuel to her scattered backers. Troy Beyer guided the upsetter to victory for trainer John Calabrese and Calabrese Farms LLC.
 
In an $11,200 fast-class pace, Nutcracker Sweet, in the news since his earliest races, is now seven, and the son of Bettor’s Delight came with a fifth of a second of his lifetime mark by quarter-moving and then rolling on to a 1:50.2 victory. The winner of two straight saw his lifetime earnings go over half a million dollars with the success, with the number now $504,844 for trainer Tom and owner John Cancelliere. Corey Callahan drove him to the easy triumph.
 
The racing week will conclude on Sunday with a 12:40 first race starting time. Program pages are  available at https://www.phha.org/harrahspps.html.