By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – The Trixton gelding Toccoa Falls, held at 21-1 despite a victory in his latest start, found room up the inside and thwarted a giant late burst by heavy favorite Stable Genius to win the $14,000 fast-class handicap on “Trottin’ Thursday” at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
 
Yanks Dugout took the field to the quarter in :27.4, got a breather while hitting the half in :57.4, then sped the tempo up to 1:26 by the three-quarters while no substantial outer flow developed. The pacesetter could not hold on to his advantage, and the two “live” horses in the stretch were driven by the McCarthy brothers – Andrew, who shot up the inside from third-in with Toccoa Falls, and Todd, who had to swing Stable Genius wide from way back. Toccoa Falls took advantage of the short route to post a neck decision over the onrushing chalk while raising his lifetime bankroll to $367,421 for the meet’s leading trainer, Per Engblom, and owner Ben Mondello.
 
Upsets were largely the order of the day at Philly until the last couple of races, and eight-time Harrah’s dashwinning driving champion George Napolitano Jr. contributed more than his share in a five-winner day. Though “George Nap” usually attracts a good deal of betting attention, in his Thursday quintet he had only one winning favorite, and three of his winners paid $24.40 or more.
 
Pacers take over the spotlight for the last two days of the Harrah’s Philly racing week, with a $13,000 handicap for distaffs topping the card Friday; there will also be two events for two-year-olds. On Sunday, the $15,000 fast-class feature sports a field of six with a 1:48.3 average lifetime mark in a well-matched grouping. Free Philly programs are available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – A quartet of $15,000 events for up-and-coming horses, plus the debut of a very promising baby, highlighted the Tuesday afternoon action at a sultry Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania.
 
There were two features on each gait. The quicker pace was captured by the Betting Line gelding Courtship, who came home in :54.3 to lower his mark to 1:50.1 for Morrison Racing Stables, Alexander Racing Stable LLC, and Jeff Bell while succeeding for the second straight start. Matt Kakaley was in the sulky for trainer Travis Alexander, just as he was on Monday night when Alexander picked up his 1000th career training victory with Pleaseletmeknow at Yonkers.
 
Lovers Trouble lowered his mark by 3 2/5 seconds when the Tellitlikeitis gelding stopped the timer in 1:51 in the other pacing feature. Ridge Warren put the sophomore on the lead under the line the first time and then got successive :27.2 back quarters out of him to win for trainer Jenn Bongiorno and owners JB Racing and Evans Nation.


Both trotting feature winners were also driven by Matt Kakaley, with the quicker going to Cant Help Myself, a son of Helpisontheway who is currently in career form, as evidenced by his taking a lifetime mark of 1:53.3. The developing diamondgaiter hustled to command past the quarter and stayed in control throughout the rest of the mile, with Cant Help Myself posting his second straight score for trainer/owner Don Niccum.
 
The other top trot winner was the Walner sophomore filly Volcanic Blue Chip, who succeeded in 1:54.3 for Kakaley. Volcanic Blue Chip was an unusual entrant, a maiden in a “non-winners of four races” event, but she missed only a half-length in her Breeders Crown elimination last year and had earnings of $184,400 before tacking on the winner’s share of the purse here. Once she reached the lead in front of the stands the issue was never in doubt, as the Åke Svanstedt trainee won by open lengths for Brochart Stable Inc.
 
The talented two-year-old was the trotting filly Princess Jackie, a daughter of Greenshoe – Frisky Magic who followed up on two successful qualifiers with a 1:55.3 win in her first pari-mutuel race while finishing out in :28. Jim Marohn jr. handled the driving for trainer/owner D. R. Ackerman.
 
Kakaley and Warren had driving triples, as did Tyler Buter, while Svanstedt had the sole training double of the day.
 
Racing resumes at Pocono on Saturday at 1 p.m., with the features being Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and Pennsylvania Stallion Series second prelim round action for three-year-old pacing fillies. Free Pocono programs will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – The Tactical Landing filly Marg In Charge had to work up first-over in the $15,000 trotting feature at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on Monday afternoon, but she was then able to hold off the late move of second-over G  Load by a neck in 1:54.3.
 
The victorious sophomore miss missed her lifetime best, set a year ago at The Meadowlands, by only a tick as she got home first for driver Tyler Buter, trainer Nifty Norman, and the partnership of Pinske Stables, Melvin Hartman, and Curly Tall Curly Small.
 
On a day that agreed with the almanac saying that summer begins this week, speedy miles were not confined to just feature trotters. 1:55 miles were recorded in the ground-level (Beer Cheese, 1:54.4), second-level (TNT Blue Chip, equaling his best of 1:52.4), and third-level (Ice Breakers K, a mark of 1:54.3) conditioned trotting events, and in the maiden class by Six Pack Tony in 1:55. On the pace, Rideau Carleton invader On Time Delivery shook off a 36-day layoff and won his sixth straight race, taking a new mark of 1:50.2 in the process.
 
Matt Kakaley drove three winners on the program to establish a firmer foothold atop the Pocono standings.
 
Tuesday’s 1 p.m. card is headlined by a quartet of $15,000 events split equally between the gaits; there will also be a carryover into the Pick-5 bet starting in race five. This coming Saturday, My Girl EJ and other top three-year-old pacing fillies come to the mountain oval for Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and Stallion Series action. Free Pocono programs are available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Being named “E. Hanover” or “D. Miller” were the keys to success at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on Sunday night, as Elista Hanover and Emoji Hanover won the two divisions of the $143,200 third preliminary of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes for three-year-old trotting fillies, and driver David Miller guided a Sire Stakes winner and three winners in the four $20,000 Stallion Series races.
 
Elista Hanover won her seventh straight race, a streak which includes five stakes, three of them Sire Stakes, and took a new lifetime mark of 1:52.3 for David Miller in one PaSS division. Tucking third briefly near the :27.1 quarter, Elista Hanover was then pointed to the front, reaching the top into the second turn and going on to midsplits of :56 and 1:24.4. Upallnight Hanover, who had the lead at the quarter but had been shuffled to fifth by the three-quarters, came back to be second, 2½ lengths behind the winner, an International Moni filly trained by Annie Stoebe and co-owned by her with R. Lynn and Philomena Curry.
 
Louis Philippe Roy, fresh off his success with Nijinsky in the North America Cup the previous night, came to the mountain oval for one drive, and his trip was well worth it as he piloted the Greenshoe filly Emoji Hanover to a 1:53.4 win, her fastest ever, in the other Sire Stakes division. Emoji Hanover and Roy had the rough “tuck-then-first-over” trip in fractions of :27.1, :57.1, and 1:26, but his filly trotted her own last quarter in :27.3 to hold off second-over Paulina Hanover by a length for connections with whom Roy has had previous success, trainer Luc Blais and the ownership of  Determination.
 
Pick any measure of success, and David Miller achieved it in the Stallion Series. Lifetime marks? All three of his winners set career bests. The lone double Stallion Series winner of the night? Fastest mile? Both distinctions belong to another daughter of International Moni, Southern Moni, up in 1:53.3 for trainer Blake MacIntosh, co-owner with Hutt Racing Stable, Tim Klemencic, and Ozzie Mackay. Longest-priced winner? Miller rallied the Andover Hall miss Moonshine Memories to a late-rallying 1:56.3 victory for trainer Paula Wellwood and owner Karen Carroll while paying $54.40 to win.
 
Miller completed his StS triple with the Father Patrick distaff Happy Chopper, who stopped the timer in 1:55 for trainer Mark Harder, co-owner with Dean Lockhart and Deena Frost. And who stopped the David Miller StS dominance? Well, that would be two Millers – driver Andy and trainer Julie, who teamed behind the Greenshoe filly Green Mercedes to win in 1:54, also a career best, for Andy Miller Stable Inc. Patrick Hoopes, and VIP Internet Stable LLC.
 
Racing at The Downs continues on Monday and Tuesday afternoon at 1 p.m. Free Pocono programs are available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – South Beach Star parlayed a perfect pocket journey into a 1:49 victory in the $15,000 fast-class handicap pace Sunday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
 
Boiling Oar (Tim Tetrick, post six) and South Beach Star (David Miller, post seven) both boiled away once the gate sprung, and when the Hall Of Famer on the inside asked his horse for a little more mid-first turn, the Hall Of Famer on the outside recognized he was to have a two-hole trip and backed his horse off. Boiling Oil sizzled to fractions of :25.4, :53.4, and 1:21, with favored Maximus Miki getting into the big battle before the three-quarters.
 
In the stretch, Miller dipped the victorious altered son of Somebeachsomewhere to the inside and he produced the most pace late; Maximus Miki held well for second, a length behind the winner and a neck ahead of closing Grand Cayman, who got the show dough ahead of Boiling Oar in a photo.
 
After losing by a neck in his 2024 bow, South Beach Star has been perfect in four starts, including a win in the Senditin Invitational on Harrah’s Super Sunday. Mark Silva trains the winner of $443,494 for All Star Racing Inc.
 
An $11,000 fast-class subfeature pace went to the Bettor’s Delight gelding Arden Messi N, who came his last half in :54.1 while rallying from midpack to win in 1:50.2 under Jack Pelling’s handling. Arden Messi N has now won half of his last six starts for trainer Andrew Harris, who is also co-owner with Bruce Areman.
 
There were a pair of $12,000 contests for developing horses. The pacing contest saw The Good Doctor show no ill effects from a 20-day layoff, going right down the road in 1:50.1 - :54.4 - :27 while establishing a new mark. Johnathan Ahle drove the son of American Ideal for trainer Noel Daley and owner Morrison Racing Stables.
 
On the trot, the Walner gelding Mucho Loco landed in the three-hole after an alert start for driver Simon Allard, bided his time inside, then found room deep in the passing lane to edge out his competition while lowering his lifetime best to 1:55.2. Mark Akins trains the winner of two of his last three for A 1 Racing. Allard had four winners on the afternoon to lead all drivers, with two wins coming for Akins, the only trainer to have multiple wins.
 
Harrah’s continues its schedule of Thursday and Friday racing at 12:25 and Sunday action at 12:40; there will be a carryover into the fifth race Pick-5 on Thursday. Free Harrah’s programs will be available at www.phha.org. 

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Both Hot Flash Kimmy and Hand Dover Dan toured the Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania oval in 1:54.1 on Saturday afternoon to win their respective $17,000 divisions of the featured trot.
 
Hot Flash Kimmy was the first to visit the winners circle after charging to the lead down the backstretch and then holding off a late inside move from Partner Dolan by a half-length while taking a new mark. Matt Kakaley guided the successful daughter of Lookslikeachpndale for trainer Ron Burke and the ownership of Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC.
 
The Dover Dan gelding Hand Dover Dan, now a winner in three of his last five starts, had a protracted duel from first-over with pacesetter Seven Sins before edging out that rival by a head. Anthony Napolitano handled the sulky duties for Hand Dover Dan for conditioner Lance Hudson and owner William Hartt.
 
The two-year-olds were gathered for their first pari-mutuel event at Pocono in 2024, with colt pacers going after $14,000, and in an exciting race that saw five of the six entrants finish within three-quarters of a length of each other, Alabama Lucky made his purse bow a successful one in 1:57.3. Mark MacDonald kept the Huntsville – B So Lucky colt on the inside, found stretch clearance and held off a determined finish from Sweet Parlay to win by a head. Trainer Ray Schnittker trains the precocious baby, and he also co-owns him with Ma3 Racing Stable.
 
Fastest mile of the day was the 1:50 recorded by Stone Hanover in the last race on the card. Simon Allard sent the son of Art Major to the early lead and kept him there to the wire, holding off three separate outside challengers along the way for trainer Joe Pavia Jr. and the partnership of Steven Held, John Whitig, Joe Pavia Jr. Stable Inc., and Bridgette Jablonsky.
 
Tyler Buter topped the day’s drivers with four victories, including one from trainer Ron Burke, the only conditioner who doubled.
 
Sunday’s 6 p.m. card is headed by two divisions of the $143,200 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes three-year-old trotting fillies in their third preliminary round; the current “Queen” of the division is Elista Hanover, who has won her last six races, including the last four in stakes, two against the Sire Stakes horses. There are also four $20,000 divisions of PA Stallion Series action for this group. Free Pocono programs are available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – Ginger Tree Belle reclaimed the lead in front of the stands and continued on to take a lifetime mark of 1:52.2 in capturing the $12,000 featured pace at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Friday afternoon.
 
The three-year-old Stay Hungry filly left the gate, let two outside foes argue to a :27 quarter, then was moved by David Miller and reclaimed the top with a circuit to go, passing the half in :55.3. On The Watersedge made a strong uncovered challenge to and past a 1:23.4 three-quarters, and Always In Flight lurked in the pocket, but Ginger Tree Belle went on gamely to win for trainer Steve Cook and the ownership of Sam Beegle, Ginger Tree Ventures LLC, Knollview Stable 2, and Bob Reber Jr., with most of those connections having earlier clicked with Gingertree Carilin (Jack Pelling, new mark of 1:52.1).
 
The four-year-old Heston Blue Chip mare Odds On Hail Mary, who established a PA Sire Stakes and Philly record for her division when she won her Championship event in 1:48.2, got back on the winning track by taking the $9500 sub-feature fast-class distaff pace in 1:50.1. Andrew McCarthy, the day’s winningest driver with three visits to Victory Lane, had the winner of $313,573 well-placed behind the cover of Milieu Hanover, then measured off the win against that tough foe in tallying for trainer Linda Toscano and the partnership of Let It Ride Stables Inc. and Odds On Racing.
 
Andrew also utilized cover tactics in winning with Gentlemanjim II IR in the $11,500 claiming handicap for top pacers in 1:51.3 for trainer/owner Robert Cleary. Shrimp And Grits, winner of nine of his previous ten starts as he ascended the claiming ladder, went to the lead uncovered on the far turn but then could not resist the strong horse right on his back.
 
Sunday’s Philly card, starting at 12:40 p.m., is topped by a $15,000 handicap pace for fast-class horses, a field of seven with an average seasonal speed mark of 1:49.2, in which Maximus Miki has been made the early favorite over Boiling Oar and South Beach Star – a trio which shows eleven victories on their recent performance lines. Free Philly programs are available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – Very few horses record their first North American win in 1:51.4. Certainly very few trotters.
 
But most trotters don’t finish second, beaten only two lengths, to Jiggy Jog S in their first race of the current campaign.
 
All of the above is true of Asteroid, a six-year-old Creatine ridgling who left the field well in his wake while winning the $15,000 trotting handicap feature at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Thursday afternoon.
 
Tim Tetrick, given the driving duties by trainer Åke Svanstedt, had Asteroid on top just past the eighth despite starting from the outside post seven, and the pair put up fractions of :27.4, :56.4, and 1:24.2. Eurobond and Stable Genius were the outer tier that got closest to the talented winner, but a :27.2 last quarter still left them well back at the finish.
 
Asteroid competed Stateside at two without success, then went to Europe to race at three and four, where he won thirteen times in twenty races and earned close to six figures each year. He contested some major North American events in 2023 and did well enough to earn $52,392, but his 2024 debut and this victory which will have the hopes of owners Suleyman Yuksel Stables Inc. and Michael Falk high as many top FFA races draw near.
 
In the $13,000 fast-class subfeature trot, the Resolve gelding Resolve To Win pounced from the pocket, coming home in :56 to lower his lifetime mark to 1:52.4 under the guidance of Todd McCarthy. The four-year-old now has a career win percentage of 30 (12 victories in 40 starts) for trainer Jeff Cullipher and Pollack Racing LLC.
 
Other horses of note: two sub-1:55 trotters, Toccoa Falls (1:53.4) and Eloise (1:54.4); fastest pacer of the day Chrchviewcamlot IR (1:50.2); and Beggin For Bacon, who starting the day had fourteen seconds in 26 career starts (including deuces in his last six) but no victories, finally breaking through in 1:53.1.
 
Andrew McCarthy and Tim Tetrick had driving triples; Ron Coyne Jr. had the only training double.
 
Of the six horses who previous to today have paid $50 or over to win at Harrah’s Philly this year, four of them came from races which numbered in the double digits. But the bombers struck early on Thursday, with big closing efforts: Joyces Secret returned $102.40 for a two-dollar bet, with Kongzilla paying $74.00 for $2 in only his second lifetime start.
 
A $12,000 handicap pace, featuring half the field coming here showing stakes lines, tops the Friday 12:25 card at Philly; on Sunday, there is a $15,000 fast-class pacing feature where the average mark of the field this year is 1:49.2, a number which could be threatened given good weather. Free Harrah’s Philadelphia programs can be found at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – The Sweet Lou gelding Girldad made a bold uncovered move around the final turn, then sustained his momentum to the wire to record a 1:52 victory in the $16,000 pacing feature for up-and-coming horses on Tuesday afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania.
 
Three horses were sent off at 9-5 odds in the feature, and they sat 1-2-3 most of the way – High Voltage Deo set the pace, with Alabamajamma in the pocket and Girldad third – through fractions of :28.1, :56.1, and 1:24.2. Tyler Buter moved Girlddad to the outside nearing the far turn and quickly paced up to the pacesetter, taking a slight advantage off the turn with Ontop Rainman on his back and Alabamajamma having no place to go.
 
Girldad dashed away in early stretch before Alabamajamma could gain any clearance and momentum, winning by a length in the 1:52 mile while pacing his own last quarter in :27.1. Alabamajamma found good late strides and finished second, photoing out Ontop Rainman, but neither could get to the Ron Burke-trained Girldad, who equaled his mark for Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, J&T Silva Stables, and Knox Services Inc.
 
There were a trio of $15,000 co-features for horses one classladder rung below the feature field. Two of them were paces: the faster clocking was the 1:51 time posted by the Betting Line sophomore gelding Courtship, who equaled his lifetime best for driver Matt Kakaley, trainer Travis Alexander, and owners Morrison Racing Stables, Alexander Racing Stable LLC, and Jeff Bell. In his section, the Bettor’s Delight colt Bet On Mac earned a new mark of 1:52 for driver Tyler Buter, trainer Sam DePinto, and the ownership of Shannon DePinto, Judith Taylor, and Chris Arvanitis.
 
The trotting co-feature saw the Trixton gelding Scotty Deo make up a tremendous amount of ground in the last 50 yards to nose out Suits Me in a 1:57.1 mile for driver/trainer Charlie Norris and ownersCarrie Norris and LJB Racing LLC.
 
Tyler Buter and Matt Kakaley each won three races on the Tuesday program.
 
After thirteen races for babies and other qualifiers on Wednesday morning at Pocono, the next action at the mountain oval will be on Saturday at 1 p.m.; a pair of $17,000 trots will headline, and the two-year-olds will see their first pari-mutuel action, with pacing colts the first out of the box. Free Pocono programs are or will be available at www.phha.org; that site will also have replays of the qualifiers.