By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
​PROSPECT PA – After losing its Wednesday program for two-year-olds due to unhealthy air quality, the Big Butler Fair in this westcentral Pennsylvania borough bounced right back with a vengeance when the three-year-old program was raced on Thursday. Three 2022 Pennsylvania Fair Sire Stakes Champions won in back-to-back-to-back races, and over an oval that had never seen a 2:00 mile before last Sunday, one of the winners now has two local magic miles to his credit.
 
And in the race after those three, the all-time track record at Butler was rewritten again.. The new track recordholder is Four Wide N Flyin’, a daughter of Heston Blue Chip who toured the twicearound oval in 1:59.1 for driver Aaron Johnston and Team Bresnahan – trainer Nathan and owners Michael and Rachel. The clocking knocked a fifth off the new track record set by Louie Hanover just past this Sunday, and seems even more fitting because before the 2023 meets the track record for nearly four years was held by a three-year-old pacing filly, Crew Sock Hanover (2:00.1).
 
Prior to the new recordsetting clocking, the trio of 2022 Fair champions began their streak, all of them driven by Mike Wilder. First up was the Cantab Hall gelding HS Winchester, home in 2:05.4 for master trotting trainer Bill Daugherty Jr. and owner Susan Daugherty.
 
Then Wilder teamed with his father-in-law/trainer Dan Altmeyer to win with a Champion pacer of each sex who had also won during the Butler 2-Day Event a few days previously. First up was Lou On The Beach, a son of Sweet Lou who became the first double 2:00 winner in the Butler annals by tallying in 1:59.4 for Diamond Club Racing and David Wills; then came the Stay Hungry filly Stay Happy (who had defeated new recordholder Four Wide N Flyin’ in the first meet of the season), here home in 2:01 for owner Ruth Altmeyer.
 
The newfound “2:00 Fever” even extended to the “B” Sire Stakes level, where the Heston Blue Chip gelding Hawaiian Chip, third in an “A” contest last time, dropped down to clean up with a 1:59.4 tally for driver Cory Kreiser, trainer Jason Shaw, and owner/son Mason Shaw.
 
Aaron Johnston, Cory Kreiser, and Mike Wilder dominated the one-day meet with three victories apiece, while training doubles were fashioned by Dan Altmeyer, Wayne Long, and Jason Shaw.
 
The Pennsylvania fair circuit now makes its way to the northwest corner of the state and the Erie County fairgrounds in Wattsburg for a 2-day Sire Stakes meet a week from this coming Saturday and Sunday, July 8 and 9; declarations must be received by Thursday morning the 6th.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – The younger horses again were the spotlight performers on Thursday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia, with three divisions of a $12,600 condition for horses on their way up the class ladder.
 
The Heston Blue Chip three-year-old gelding Flash Move had to pace his back fractions of :55.2 - :27.2 while first-up, but that task was within his capabilities as he took the feature section for male pacers in 1:52.3. Andrew McCarthy drove the Robert Cleary trainee, who now has three wins and two seconds in a five-start career that began this year, and Cleary owns the winner with Royal Wire Products Inc.
 
The pacing boys’ female counterparts were topped by the Huntsville sophomore miss Sweet Cheyanne, who also is now three-for-five in her brief career after a 1:54.2 victory. Defying the prevailing track bias, Sweet Cheyanne raced off of cover while pacing her back half in :55.4 and had enough kick to defeat railshooting Allrighty Then by three-quarters of a length for  driver Marcus Miller, trainer/father Erv, and owner Douglas Overhiser.
 
Having a three-for-five record in recent starts was a theme running through the features to the top trot of the day as well, as the Rock Of Cashel gelding Hardrockcafe was victorious in 1:56 to run his most recent starts tally to the popular 60% win rate. The sophomore shrugged off the effects of a two-move mile to defeat Flaming Roads by 2½ lengths for driver Todd McCarthy and trainer Mark Harder, the latter co-owner with Joseph Jannuzzelli and Jeffrey Ruch.
 
Simon Allard and George Napolitano Jr. both had three victories during the Thursday card.
 
The holiday weekend has some top-level racing in store for Harrah’s Philadelphia fans. Friday’s 12:25 card will focus on the fast-class pacers, with a $16,200 pace for mares and one for females. Sunday’s 12:40 program, which also includes a $20,000 Open handicap trot, has two divisions of a $142,148 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes for trotting males, and as all five winners in the first two prelims are scheduled to start Sunday, bragging rights within the division seem ready to be established. Program pages for all races at Harrah’s Philadelphia are or will be available at https://www.phha.org/harrahspps.html.        

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – A trio of $12,600 events, two on the trot and one on the pace, for developing horses highlighted the opening of the racing week Wednesday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
 
The faster of the trotting contests went to the Father Patrick gelding Pedal On Metal, who came home in :56.2 - :28 from way back to be along by 1¼ lengths over Strongerthanlindy to reduce his career mark by three seconds to 1:54.2 under the handling of Tim Tetrick. Pedal On Metal now has two wins and second in three seasonal starts for trainer Anette Lorentzon, who is also co-owner with ACL Stuteri AB and Kjell Johansson. 
 
In the other trot, the Explosive Matter gelding King Tut Hanover made every pole a winning one, holding off the stretch thrust of favored Candy Bomber by a nose in a lifetime best 1:57. David Miller drove the winner for trainer Louise Pepin, who is also co-owner with Steven Bryden.
 
The pacing feature was for distaffs, and saw the 1-9* Sweet Lou sophomore filly Mind Blowing live up to her billing, stepping home in :55.2 to complete a three length victory over JK A E One in 1:52.1. Andrew McCarthy was behind the Linda Toscano trainee, who won for Let It Ride Stables Inc., Bottom Line Racing LLC, and South Mountain Stables.
 
In a first of a pair of two-year-old pacing filly contests, the Stay Hungry – Maniami filly Chiapanecas (named after a Mexican handclapping song you would know) went fractions of :29.2, :58, and 1:26.1 en route to a two-length victory over Ginger Tree Belle in 1:53.4, a season’s record for filly on a 5/8s and equal to any baby pacer of either sex, for driver Yannick Gingras, trainer Ron Burke, and owner W J Donovan. 
 
After fractions of :29, :57, and 1:25.4 in  the other cut, Gingras/Burke tried for a sweep with the uncovered Lou Lou, but they were caught by three-quarters of a length by the Stay Hungry – Skinny Dip miss Lyons Legend in 1:54.1, a winner for Threelyonsracing and two fellows known for success with pacing fillies – the team of driver Tim Tetrick and trainer Jim King Jr.
 
Racing continues on Thursday and Friday at 12:25 and Sunday at 12:40; Thursday’s program will feature a $1751.59 carryover into the Pick-5 in races five through nine. Sunday’s card features the $142,148 third preliminary of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes for three-year-old trotting colts, with among the entrants the likes of Khaosan Road, already a triple stakes winner this year, and Once In A Lifetime, the division’s defending Sire Stakes champion. Program pages for all races at Harrah’s Philadelphia are or will be available at https://www.phha.org/harrahspps.html.    

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Developing younger pacers had a $16,000 feature race for each sex conducted over off going on Tuesday afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania. 
 
The males were led by the Stay Hungry sophomore gelding Im Hungry, a three-quarter brother to millionaire Beach Glass, a PA Stallion Series winner, and now triumphant in three consecutive starts after a 1:51.4 mile over a “sloppy” oval. The track’s leading driver, Matt Kakaley, tucked in third with the winner as Oak Grove shipper Bay City led the field past the quarter in :27.2, then brushed to command in front of the stands and reached the half in :56.3 and the three-quarters in 1:24.3. Bay City came out of the pocket to give good chase down the stretch in the :27.1 kicker, but he came up a neck shy of Im Hungry, who is trained by Travis Alexander and owned by Brent McGrath of Somebeachsomewhere fame.
 
The same basic storyline was followed in the section for distaffs, with the Lazarus N three-year-old filly Anna’s Wish equaling her mark of 1:52.2 over a surface upgraded to “good” before the race. Tyler Buter had a post inside all the main leavers and put them all in behind early, enabling him to guide his filly through fractions of :27.2, :57, and 1:24.1. Sweet Home swung wide from second-over in the stretch and was doing nicely late, but Anna’s Wish was able to keep that one at bay by a half-length for trainer Jenn Bongiorno and owners Robert Weinstein and Jordon Sklut.
 
The two feature race-winning drivers, Tyler Buter and Matt Kakaley, also tied for the day’s honors with three victories.
 
Racing will be held throughout the Fourth Of July weekend at Pocono, going at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday (the Fourth) and on Sunday at 6 p.m.; a special “Hot Summer Fun Kickoff Party,” including (non-pari-mutuel) ostrich and camel races, will be held throughout the Saturday card. 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 – Odds-on favorite Portulaca clicked in one of the two $15,000 featured trots at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on Monday afternoon, but 18-1 shot Weather Vanes set the pace and held on for the victory in the other division.
 
Despite winning in this class last week, Weather Vanes, a son of Deweycheatumnhowe trained and owned by David Hoover, was let go at long odds, with the crowd favoring Canadian newcomer Evil Guy and Mandrill, winner of three straight and a full sister to Gimpanzee. Bur driver Jim Pantaleano never looked back with Weather Vanes, setting soft early fractions of :28.3 and :58.4 over a track just rerated to “sloppy,” actually opening a clear lead to the 1:27.2 three-quarters, and then able to withstand a relentless late charge from Mandrill to prevail by a nose while equaling her mark.
 
Back when the track was rated “fast” despite intermittent precipitation, the Donato Hanover sophomore filly Portulaca showed her appreciation of  a drop from stakes company, also racing on the engine in splits of :28.2, :59, and 1:27.2, then maintained a length margin over pocketsitting Quarantina to the finish in 1:56.1. George Napolitano Jr. guided the winner for trainer Kathleen La Montagne, also co-owner with Donald La Montagne.
 
23-year-old Braxten Boyd, now up to fifth in the Pocono drivers standings, visited Victory Lane four times during the afternoon’s racing.
 
The racing week concludes at Pocono with a 1 p.m. program on Tuesday. 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 – Yannick Gingras drove the winners of both divisions of the $148,148 third preliminary of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes for three-year-old pacing fillies on Sunday evening at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania.
 
The Betting Line filly C Is For Cookie, who swept the Weiss Series earlier here and also won an PA All-Stars event, is now 6-for-6 for the year at Pocono after becoming the only double divisional Sire Stakes winner after her 1:50 victory, which gave her a new mark. C Is For Cookie took the field to a :26.1 quarter, then sat behind My Little Captain and Cultured, both in tight quarters off the first bend, as they slugged it out in front of the stands, with the favored Cultured three-wide much of the 3/8 and only on top at the :53.4 half. 
 
Before the 1:21.2 three-quarters had been reached, Gingras and C Is For Cookie were back on the move, and in the stretch she went to the lead then held off My Little Captain in the Pocono Pike by 1¼ lengths. The Linda Toscano-trained filly is owned by Birnam Wood Farms.
 
The other Sire Stakes division went a tick quicker, as Gingras again used rallying tactics to reduce the mark of the Always B Miki filly Always B Naughty to 1:49.4. Unsuccessful after leading at the stretch calls in her two previous PaSS outings, Always B Naughty sat just off a pace argued by Odds On Hail Mary (:26.3) and Front Page Story (:54.3), then moved up raw to a 1:22.2 three-quarters.
 
Always B Naughty was the fresh horse late, winning by 2½ lengths over favored Odds On Hail Mary for trainer Nancy Takter, who is also co-owner with J L Benson Stables Inc. and R.B.H. Ventures Inc.
 
Four of the five horses succeeding in the Stallion Series reduced their career bests, with three StS winners sired by Sweet Lou, including the only two double series winners, who also happened to be the only two favorites to win in the night’s stakes action.
 
The quicker of the two Sweet Lous with two StS triumphs was also the only of all the Stallion Series winners to win by more than a neck: Quick E, now 5-for-5 in 2023 after a 1:51.2 mile for driver Todd McCarthy, trainer Brett Pelling, and the partnership of Let It Ride Stables Inc. and Bottom Line Racing LLC. Breaking the string of new marks, but only by the slimmest of margins, was the double winner Butterfingers, whose 1:52.4 win was a fifth slower than her mark; Tim Tetrick handled her while winning by a head for owner/trainer Michael Hall. 
 
Completing the Sweet Lou Sunday success story was How Sweet Is That, coming from third-in to win by a neck in 1:53 for driver Andrew McCarthy, trainer Robert Cleary, and owners Oompa’s Farm Inc., Robert Mondillo, Craig Henderson, and Richard Gutnick.
 
Fastest Stallion Series winner was the one with the smallest winning margin: Racin Hungry, a Stay Hungry filly who came off a fast three-quarters to take a nose decision in 1:50.1 for driver Joe Bongiorno, trainer/sister Jenn, and owners Glenn Goller and Stephen Demeter. In the other Stallion Series race, 41-1 shot Duchess Hill was not fancied to come home in :26.4 and take a neck decision in 1:53.1, but the Betting Line filly did just that for driver Dexter Dunn, trainer Chris Ryder, and owner Eric Good.
 
Racing will continue on Monday and Tuesday at 1 p.m. at Pocono Downs. Program pages for all Pocono races are or will be available at https://www.phha.org/downsmsppps.html.  

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
PROSPECT PA – The 2023 Pennsylvania harness racing fair circuit started on Saturday and Sunday in this westcentral Pennsylvania borough’s Big Butler Fairgrounds, and it debuted as auspiciously as possible – both cards got to be raced, and the oval saw the first two 2:00 miles in its history during Sunday’s sophomore action.
 
The first magic mile, and the faster one, was produced by the Captaintreacherous gelding Louie Hanover, who got home in 1:59.2 to reduce the all-age track record of sophomore pacing filly Crew Sock Hanover by four-fifths of a second. Brady Brown drove the winner for owners Jason Ash LLC and Scott Cox, and the track record magic mile must have been poignant for trainer Steve Schoeffel, whose father Terry campaigned  local legend Audie K, who held the Butler track record of 2:00.2 in whole or in part from 1992 to 2019. 
 
In the very next race, 2022 divisional Fair Sire Stakes champion Lou On The Beach posted a 1:59.3 tally. Mike Wilder drove the Sweet Lou colt for trainer/father-in-law Dan Altmeyer and owners Diamond Club Racing and David Wills.
 
Wilder/Altmeyer would sweep the three-year-old pacing filly divisions, both miles in 2:01.2: with another 2022 Fair champion, the Stay Hungry filly Stay Happy, for Ruth Altmeyer, and with the Sweet Lou miss Southwind Bourbon for the Diamond Creek Racing / David Wills partnership, here in conjunction with Tar Heel Racing.
 
Fastest trot of the meet was produced by the International Moni gelding Momoni De Vie, coming off two seconds in Stallion Series pari-mutuel action. His 2:02.2 effort saw him defeat the local two-year-old divisional record holder Big Baller Beane and last year’s divisional Fair champion HS Winchester for driver/trainer Aaron Johnston and owners Jennifer Johnston and Brian Taylor.
 
Freshmen kicked off the meet Saturday, with the quickest two-year-old being the Roman Conqueror N colt Catawampus, home in 2:03.4 for driver Ronnie Gillespie and trainer/owner Susan Sickle.  Fastest baby trotter was another International Moni gelding, the Shawn Johnston-driven Thaler Hanover, who won in 2:06.2 for trainer Gary Johnston, also co-owner with Abigail Wright.
 
Mike Wilder won sulky honors with five victories at the meet, one ahead of Aaron Johnson and Gary Johnston. Dan Altmeyer trained four of Wilder’s winners to top the trainers; five conditioners tied for second with two victories. Special mention should be made of 20-year-old driver Steven Fedokovitz, whose win with Wide Eve Charlie was the first of his career.
 
This meet was the special “2-day Sire Stakes meet” racing allowed in Pennsylvania law at five stops; the trotters and pacers will be right back at Butler during the “fair portion” of the action, taking place at 1 p.m. on both Wednesday and Thursday.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – On a generally bad day for favorites (at least for most of the card), 13-1 shot B Nicking caught heavy favorite Yanks Dugout in the last step of the $16,200 featured trot Sunday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia, winning by the smallest possible margin while lowering her career best to 1:53.2.
 
Todd McCarthy got the Wishing Stone gelding away flat (something the horse had not accomplished in his last two starts) and fast, making the lead before ceding it to Yanks Dugout before the :27.2 quarter. Yanks Dugout rolled on to the half in :56.2 and the three-quarters in 1:24.3, with B Nicking coming outside at headstretch and catching the leader, who had won his last two starts in picture finishes. But today he was not quite so photogenic, which pleased B Nicking’s trainer Scott Di Domenico and owner Ben Roberts.
 
There were a pair of $15,300 events for developing horses. On the pace, the Huntsville gelding Hazeville won his sixth straight race, tallying in 1:50 for driver Todd McCarthy, trainer Tom Fanning, and owners David Rovine Stable LLC, VIP Internet Stable LLC, and Howard Taylor. Hazeville made the top nearing a :26.3 opening quarter, put up midsplits of :55.1 and 1:22.2, then won by 1¾ lengths, with pocketsitter Bounty Hunter beating first-over Sporty M Three by a nostril for the deuce.
 
On the trot, Senna set the pace with quarters of :27, :56.2, and 1:24.4, then prevailed in a new lifetime mark of 1:53.3 – and then had to survive an inquiry as he and challenger Betterinpinehurst were in tight just past midstretch. But the judges found no reason for placing the winning son of Trixton, and the three-quarter length victory stood for driver Todd McCarthy, who accomplished a sweep of the day’s featured events and who had five in all on the card, trainer Bob Shahan, and Elite Harness Racing LLC.
 
Fastest mile of the day was the 1:49.4 clocking turned in by the millionaire Workin Ona Mystery, a son of Captaintreacherous who rode the pocket behind fractions of :26.4, :55.1, and 1:22.2 before clearing inside and defeating a tough field for driver Tim Tetrick, trainer Ron Burke, and the ownership of Burke Racing Stable LLC, Milton Leeman, Alan Keith, and Wingfield Brothers LLC.
 
None of the winners above were sent off as the crowd favorite. The chalk did not prevail on the fourteen-race card until the eleventh event of the day – then did win the last four (including two American Harness Drivers Club paces).
 
Harrah’s Philadelphia is currently racing on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday at 12:25 p.m., and Sunday at 12:40 p.m.; next Sunday the cream of the Pennsylvania-sired three-year-old trotting male crop are coming to town, with perhaps a few considering the Hambletonian in just over a month’s time. Program pages for all races at Harrah’s Philadelphia are or will be available at https://www.phha.org/harrahspps.html.  

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Casual Cool and Speed Away won the $18,500 featured races on their respective gaits during the Saturday afternoon card at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania.
 
The American Ideal gelding Casual Cool wanted the lead in the pacing feature, and he got it and kept it to the wire, triumphing in 1:50 to win in this class for the second straight week. Ridge Warren utilized drawing the rail with the winner of $638,040 and sent him away full-tilt, forcing a tuck by Joesstar Of Mia A to the :25.4 quarter, then went on to mid-race numbers of :54.3 and 1:21.4, Favored Bettors Donttell had to take the uncovered route and raced well but settled for second, 1½ lengths behind the winner, who is trained by Daniel Renaud for Dune Road Stables LLC.
 
In the trotting feature, the Father Patrick gelding Speed Away bounced back from a break in his last start, winning in 1:54. Crazycat took control from the pole and set fractions of :27.2, :56.1, and 1:24.3, but then faded, shuffling back favored Hayek behind him, as Speed Away grinded right to the lead on the turn and won by 2¼ lengths over a late-clearing Hayek. Matt Kakaley drove the winner for trainer Jonas Czernyson and Consus Racing Stable Inc.
 
An $18,000 co-featured trot for up-and-coming horses saw the Donato Hanover gelding College Tuition capture his second straight race, taking a new mark of 1:53.3. College Tuition set fractions of :27.2, :55.4, and 1:24.1 under the guidance of George Napolitano Jr., then held off the late bid of the pocket horse, Queen For All, for a neck victory for trainer/owner Eric Foster.


Simon Allard won five races on the day, three of them for trainer Ron Burke.
 
Sunday’s 6 p.m. card at The Downs is headlined by the $148,148 third preliminary round of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes for the three-year-old pacing fillies, with two previous PaSS winners topping each of the two divisions as the group looks to establish a leader. Program pages for all Pocono races are or will be available at https://www.phha.org/downsmsppps.html.      

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – There had been showers during the afternoon on Friday at Harrah’s Philadelphia, and the track condition had been downgraded from “fast” to “sloppy” after race seven, but after the tenth race post parade the rain turned into a deluge, to the extent that the rest of the day’s card at Philly was cancelled.
 
The featured events all took place while the track was still rated “fast,” a trio of $13,000 paces. In a conditioned contest for distaffs, the Panther Hanover mare Hot Mess Express ran her lifetime win ratio to 50% in her fiftieth start, moving to the lead past the quarter and winning by a length over pocketsitter Alta Madeira N in 1:51.3. George Napolitano Jr. drove the career winner of $875,374 for trainer Tony Alagna and owner Sam Bowie, a “local boy” (his hometown of Lebanon PA is 65 miles away from Chester) and basketball great.
 
The other two $13,000 contests were for the track’s top claiming handicap horses. The faster went to JK Objection, who’s won three in a row, here finishing with a :27.2 last quarter to win in 1:50.4 by three-quarters of a length over a dogged Mudville. Simon Allard piloted the speedy JK Endofanera gelding for trainer Darren Taneyhill and owner Eric Prevost.
 
The other claiming section saw the Sweet Lou gelding Win Not Lou ship up from Harrington and master his field in 1:51.2, using the inside lane to catch the favored pacesetter P L Leeroy by a half length for driver Marcus Miller, trainer Chuck Crissman Jr., and owners David Hamm and Owen Phillips.
 
Even with the track becoming “sloppy,” times were holding up well – in the race before the cancellation, Rockin On Venus was able to come his own back half in :54.1 uncovered to win. But the skies then opened wide, and racing was done for the day.
 
The racing will be back at Harrah’s Philly on Sunday, with a 12:40 start to the action. Program pages for all races at Harrah’s Philadelphia are or will be available at https://www.phha.org/harrahspps.html.