By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA -- The rare sight of a pinto trotter in a winners circle happened at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono on Tuesday afternoon, as Jakarta Partygirl came out best in a four-horse battle to break her maiden in 1:58.2.
 
Jakarta Partygirl, a three-year-old daughter of Googoo Gaagaa out of the Larks Crown mare Fancy Starlark, is registered as a “pinto” filly, which is officially defined as a horse with white and another color as major body colors (“piebald” would refer to white and black-bodied horses). She is trained and was driven by Åke Svanstedt (about whom more later) for Knutsson Trotting Inc. (Interestingly, the filly did not retain her original name, which was Mizz Magoogoo.)
 
Jakarta Partygirl had failed to hit the board in six career starts, but here Svanstedt could wait until the three-quarters to guide her outside, and she worked to the lead then held off closer Chase My Lindy by a head, with pacesetter Southern Autumn another half length back in third and pocketsitter Myreanna a further three-quarters of a length behind in fourth.
 
A two-year-old trotting filly of special interest to fans of elite trotting – Emira Mil IT, a daughter of Face Time Bourbon out of Sunshine Bi (by Varenne) – made her debut for Svanstedt, and after cutting the pace she held on for a dead-heat for first with the pocketsitter, Gina’s On Fire (by Cantab Hall out of a Muscle Hill mare, trained and driven by Todd Schadel), in 1:58.3. This is the third dead-heat to win in the last twelve cards (a span of 138 races) at Pocono.
 
Flyingdrumsticks S, a baby filly by Muscle Hill out of the From Above mare Timbral, reaches back to Svanstedt’s homeland, and she was successful in her purse bow, finding her best strides in the stretch to debut as a 1:57.4 winner. Svanstedt completed a perfect day in four starts while wearing the colors of Diamond Creek Farms, as the Muscle Hill – Atonement (by Father Patrick) colt Challenger was a pocket rocket in his purse bow, stopping the timer in 1:57.3.
 
FINISHING LINES – At Harrah’s Philadelphia on Tuesday morning , a pair of top-caliber three-year-old pacing fillies won impressively in qualifying action for trainer Jim King Jr. and driver Tim Tetrick. The Captaintreacherous miss Captain Cowgirl finished on top in 1:53, back fractions :54.3 - :27, while the Sweet Lou filly Lyons Serenity was first home in 1:53.2, back half :55.1.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – The Creatine gelding Creatarma got some racing luck in the $15,000 featured trot at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono Monday afternoon, but he knew how to maximize his fortune, winning in 1:57.4.
 
The race’s complexion changed into the first turn when even money favorite Black Hawk Down made a break just as he was clearing to the lead, leaving the filly Matter Of Trust to set the pace. Creatarma, leaving from the outside post eight, was hustled up by driver Jim Pantaleano to get to second-over position behind first-up Argento, avoiding other breakers and stragglers, and when Pantaleano tipped her wide for the stretch drive, she summoned the most kick to defeat Argento by three-quarters of a length, with Matter Of Trust another neck back in third.
 
Austin Brubacker trains and owns the winner, who has now won two of his last three races – one from the inside starting spot and one from the outside. 
 
Creatarma was the middle horse in an 8-8-8 Pick-3 bet that paid at the rate of $2195.80 for a $2 wager. In all there were four horses who on Monday overcame starting behind the 8-ball, which had yielded only a 5.5% success rate for the Pocono meet.
 
Anthony Napolitano and Jim Pantaleano each had three winners on the Monday card.
 
The racing week concludes at Pocono tomorrow at 1:30; the current schedule at The Downs is racing on Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday at 1:30, and Sunday at 5 p.m. Program pages are or will be available at https://www.phha.org/downsmsppps.html.       

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
STONEBORO PA – Thirty-one heats of Pennsylvania Fair Sire Stakes racing were conducted on Saturday and Sunday at the Stoneboro Fair in this northwest Pennsylvania borough, and emerging as an unlikely hero was a 29-year-old native of Scotland who had won exactly one race in his driving career before the weekend.
 
But Hugh O’Neil had shown enough that Dan Altmeyer, the veteran successful trainer, tapped him for two drives during the Saturday program, which was devoted to two-year-olds. He promptly won with the Sweet Lou – Rockn On The Beach colt Lou On The Beach in 2:01.4, faster of the two “A” divisions, to give that baby two wins on the Fair Circuit already for owners Diamond Club Racing and David Wills. He also was successful with the pacing filly Texas Dolly (Betting Line – Control The Beach) in 2:03.2 for owners Diamond Club Racing, Dr. John Egloff, David Wills, and Will To Win Stable LLC; a repeat circuit winner in that division was another daughter of Betting Line, Rambling Ruby (dam Goldies Bad Girl) in 2:04.2 for trainer/driver Todd Schadel.
 
The third double Fair winner among the freshmen was the Southwind Frank – Moots trotting miss Nick N A Promise in 2:07.2 for trainer/driver Bill Daugherty Jr.; the fastest of all the freshman trotters was another filly, the Father Patrick – Lindy On The Rocks distaff Jameson N Line, owned by Virginia and Kathy Schoeffel, Big L Stable, and Marv Owlett, who went in 2:04.4 to give trainer/driver Steve Schoeffel the fair season’s leader in both baby trotting sections after Big Baller Beane set the Butler track record for his section of 2:02.1.
 
The name “Mc Ilmurray” is famous in Michigan but seldom seen this far east; owner/trainer/driver James Mc Ilmurray prepped the International Moni – Clover Market trotting colt Crypto Currency at Northville near Detroit, then came to the Keystone fairs and promptly won his debut in 2:08.3.
 
Come Sunday and the three-year-olds, and Hugh O’Neil again made the headlines by guiding the Western Ideal pacing filly Gray Skies, the horse who had provided his single previous career win at Butler, to the fastest mile of the young state fair season, 2:00.2, for trainer Scott Betts and owner Timothy Betts. O’Neil also won with the Betting Line – Pears N Amoretto pacing gelding Any Ace in 2:02.1 for trainer Rich Gillock – quite a following among quality trainers the young horsemen is developing.
 
The other two two-time fair winners were trotters: the Explosive Matter filly Curry Hanover stayed hot with a 2:05.3, fastest of that group “A” races, for driver Brady Brown, trainer Steve Schoeffel, and owners Virginia and Kathy Schoeffel, James Reuther, and Seth Dowling. Among the colts, the Possess The Will colt Heytherwillie added another win in 2:05.3 for driver Kyle Bolon and trainer Kaylee Martin; however, that time was far eclipsed by the 2:02.1 clocking, tying for fastest trot on the circuit this year, by the Cantab Hall gelding Bigly, earlier a 1:56.4 Stallion Series winner at Pocono, trained and driven by Aaron Johnson and owned by Jennifer Johnston and Brian Taylor.
 
Aaron Johnston and Hugh O’Neil tied for the meet lead by each piloting home four successful horses; Roger Hammer harnessed three winners to edge by one nine other trainers who had two victories. 
 
The Pennsylvania Fair Circuit now heads to the Lycoming Fair in Hughesville PA, near Williamsport and the Little League World Series, where racing will be held at 4 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday. 

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Two-year-old pacing colts, some of whom should be heard from further as the season progresses, were featured in four $30,000 divisions of their Pennsylvania All-Stars event at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono during the Sunday twilight card.
 
The thrills – both high and low – of racing talented but green babies were on display in the first event. Mamba went quickly to the lead; favored Ken Hanover, looped out of the gate, pressed on to command past a :27.4 quarter, while second choice Lousain Bolt, sitting third, came out of the turn a mite wide. Ken Hanover continued on to the half in :57.1 and had the lead deep down the back when the Sweet Lou – Lucy’s Pearl colt Lousain Bolt, who had been closing well recently without getting up to win, made a sudden burst to the 1:25.3 three-quarters to sweep on by not long past that call; Ken Hanover drifted into the pylons when passed, but was absolved of any foul.
 
With Lousain Bolt going by, Swift Operator was left raw, and Mamba backed out behind him on the turn, only to drift very wide off that bend. Lousain Bolt was on cruise control in the process of finishing in :27.1 for a maiden mark of 1:52.4 when another pacer moved up – Ken Hanover, who had been left far behind on the turn, closed in sharply late, but still came up 4¼ lengths short of the winner. Lousain Bolt, who may be as fast as his “namesake,” is backed by new Hall Of Famers Yannick Gingras and Ron Burke for the ownership of Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Elizabeth Novak, and Howard Taylor.
 
First-time starter Bamboozler was the favorite in the next All-Stars section and set fractions of :26.4, :55.1, and 1:24 while looking good on the lead. But the Stay Hungry – All Night Long gelding Annapolis Hanover was ratcheting up his speed nearing the three-quarters to go up and challenge, and that fast freshman had the needed quickstep to gain into a :27.3 sprint home to take a neck decision in a new mark of 1:51.3 for driver David Miller. The three-time-winning baby was the second stakes winner of the day for trainer/owner Mitchell York – the other came at Stoneboro Fair, 264 miles almost due west across Pennsylvania.
 
More of “Those Unpredictable Babies” came in the third section, with the Captaintreacherous – Scandalous Hanover colt Ship Ship Hooray really the only one leaving with much forward foot, getting to stroll to the quarter in :29.3. Favored Girldad had had enough of that and “rushed” to the lead well before the half – in 1:00.2. Meanwhile, Nolaughingstock, very steppy away from the gate, commenced an uncovered bid, but was three-wide from before the half as the first-over.
 
The three-quarters came in 1:28.3, with Girldad leading and Nolaughingstock advancing on the wide side, so David Miller moved Ship Ship Hooray out between horses on the turn, and that one proved to have the most by a neck (two feet) over Nolaughingstock, who lost a dozen times that much “distance”/energy on his wide sojourn. But Ship Ship Hooray was the most photogenic in the unusual 1:56.4 mile, and is undefeated in two starts for trainer Chris Ryder and owners Ryder Henderson Mondillo, Ken Jacobs, and Barry Spak.
 
David Miller picked up his third All-Stars victory of the evening, and Sweet Lou got his second siring credit, when favored Bugaboo Lou (dam Perplexed) tied as fastest All-Star of the night with a 1:51.3 triumph on the engine. The next two choices, Ervin Hanover and Fulton, were undefeated before this race, but Miller sent “Bugaboo” right to the top, putting those two behind him in that order, posted early numbers of :28.2 and :57.3, then visibly asked his horse for more late on the backstretch, which resulted in a 1:25 three-quarters and then a :26.3 last panel, leaving Ervin Hanover 2¼ lengths behind and Fulton Hanover another 1 1/4 lengths back. Bugaboo Lou had lost his only purse start to Fulton, but he showed his quality in that race by coming home in :54.1- :26.4 to be second, and with the race under his girth he was set to win for trainer Brian Brown and owners Country Club Acres Inc., Joe Sbrocco, AWS Stables LLC, and Acadia Farms Inc.
 
In all, David Miller had five successes on the Pocono card.
 
Another outstanding race on the big Sunday card was a $25,000 fast-class pace for mares, which went to No Win No Feed A in 1:50.4. Scott Zeron sent the odds-on favorite to early command, then yielded past the :27.1 opener to second choice Darby Hanover, who went on to post midsplits of :55.3 and 1:23.2. But as soon as Zeron showed the daughter of A Rocknroll Dance some Pocono Pike open stretch, she responded immediately for a 1¼ length victory over the pacesetter. Erv Miller trains the winner of $398,925 for owner Douglas Overhiser.
 
John Calabrese and Johnathan Ahle, who each won two races on Friday at Philly, won one each of the two $11,000 American Harness Drivers Club trots for amateur horsemen. Ahle’s horse rates a special mention – for he is the 15-year-old TSM Photo Bugger, who boosted his lifetime bankroll to $900,394, and while there are no records kept specifically on 15-year-old trotters, it would not be a surprise to find TSM Photo Bugger’s 1:54.3 win time ranking high, if not at the top.
 
Pocono will close out the week with racing at 1:30 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday – with many races for two-year-olds spicing up the action with the chance to see a future star. Program pages are available at https://www.phha.org/downsmsppps.html.  

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – Jimmy Connor B went to command before the half, and it was “game, set, match” at that point as the Big Jim gelding went on to win the $15,300 featured pacing event at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Sunday afternoon.
 
Southwind Petyr had put JM’s Final Treasure in behind him well before the :27.4 quarter; driver Anthony Morgan decided to bid for the top in front of the stands and took over control, going past the half in :56.1 and the three-quarters in 1:23.3. Stretch activity on both sides of the winner may have given those horses’ backers a surge of adrenalin, but Morgan sat calmly to the wire, knowing his horse could stay in charge, and indeed the favorite won by a length over Southwind Petyr. Jimmy Connor B is trained by Scott Di Domenico for owners Triple D Stable Inc., M G Stable Inc., Toby Rekoon, and Frank Canzone.
 
In the $14,400 co-featured pace, the Captaintreacherous five-year-old Rouser Hanover, making only his twelfth career start, won for the fifth time this year and the seventh lifetime with a 1:52.3 effort. Andrew McCarthy sent “Rouser” past his brother Todd and All The Chips early and to the top, loafed to the half in :57.4, then came home in :54.4 and needed all of it to withstand the late-charging pocketsitter by a length. Rouser Hanover has now won his way out of this class at Philly and will be looking for new worlds to conquer for trainer Tony Alagna and Big Als Stables.
 
Corey Callahan and Andrew McCarthy both guided home three winners to lead the Sunday drivers.
 
The current racing schedule at Harrah’s Philadelphia is Wednesday / Thursday / 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 – The leading driver at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, Matt Kakaley, took advantage of all the resources at the disposal of himself and This Is The Plan in winning the Saturday $25,000 featured pace in 1:49.
 
The Somebeachsomewhere gelding, starting from the inside in the field of six, got away third, but Kakaley had him on the move well before the :27.1 quarter, using a stretch tailwind to go to the lead in front of the stands and reach the half in :55.2. Jack’s Legend N, off a 1:47.2 win at The Meadowlands and the even money favorite to This Is The Plan’s 6-5, started uncovered from fifth early in the backstretch, but his advancement through and past the 1:22.3 three-quarters came against the wind. This Is The Plan was a bit fresher than his main rival and rocketed home in :26.2 to win by 1¼ lengths over Jack’s Legend N, who certainly did not disgrace himself in coming his own back fractions in :52.4 - :26.2.
 
Newly-minted Hall Of Famer Ron Burke is the trainer of the winner of $2,671,384, and the veteran’s ownership consists of Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, J&T Silva – Purnel & Libby, and Lawrence Karr. 
 
In the co-featured $17,500 pace, the Mach Three gelding J M Mandamin took advantage of scratching in off the “also eligible” list, dominating his field in 1:49.4. Anthony Napolitano chose the day's frequently-used engine tactics to success, making two moves through fractions of :26.2, :54.1, and 1:21.2 to defeat Mr Ds Rock, himself hard-used early before making the lead then yielding to “J M,” by 6½ lengths. Jennifer Bongiorno conditions the winner of $309,705 for owner Robert Weinstein.
 
Trotters had a turn in the spotlight in a $17,500 event, in which P L Notsonice, continuing to control her behavior, won her third straight race after stopping the timer in 1:53.3. The victorious daughter of Kadabra let Marion Gondolier take the field past the quarter in :27.4, then brushed to the lead and put up middle fractions of :55.4 and 1:24.3. Marion Gondolier came back out in the stretch and challenged but came up a half length behind P L Notsonice, a career winner of $260,655 who was driven by Marcus Miller for trainer Steven Brabrook and co-owners Jaypaul Hoover and Elite Harness Racing LLC.
 
Matt Kakaley and Anthony Napolitano led all drivers at Pocono Saturday with three winners each.
 
Watchers of the early development of two-year-olds should be sure to catch the Sunday 5 p.m. card at Pocono, as four $30,000 divisions of two-year-old pacing colts will gather for a Pennsylvania All-Stars contest, with some top horses likely to be building their credentials in this stakes event. Program pages are available at https://www.phha.org/downsmsppps.html.      

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – Three-year-olds Quick Snap and Galleria Hanover emerged victorious in the $12,600 featured paces on a warm Friday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
 
Quick Snap, a son of Betting Line and Kate Can’t Wait (who has all kinds of solid moneywinners in her maternal line) posted three seconds in his only 2021 starts, and now he has three wins in his only 2022 starts after winning the featured event for males in 1:52.3, eleven days after winning in 1:50 at Pocono. Driver Andrew McCarthy let the early battle play out to and past a :27.4 opener, then moved Quick Snap out to take command entering the lower turn. Middle splits of :56.2 and 1:24.2 came before Quick Snap finished out well to defeat pocketsitter One Of The Guys by 1¾ lengths for trainer Tony Alagna (he of the .605 UTR at Philly) and owners Let It Ride Stables Inc., Bottom Line Racing LLC, M T Pockets Stables, and Alagna Racing LLC.
 
Madeira Hanover, coming off a second and a first against PA Stallion Series competition, proved an easy three length winner over Somesweetsomewhere in 1:52.4 in the feature for distaffs. She won in a similar fashion to Quick Snap: George Napolitano Jr. moved her to the lead past a :27.4 quarter, got some rest to a :57 midpoint, then passed the three-quarters in 1:24.3 before drawing off. Madeira Hanover is by Always B Miki out of Gallie By The Beach, the dam a winner of almost $750,000 and herself a product of Somebeachsomewhere out of the great Galleria, and is trained by Ron Burke for W J Donovan, Purnel & Libby LLC, and Joe Sbrocco. 
 
John Calabrese won two of the four American Harness Drivers Club paces for amateur drivers; other winners in the AHDC were Juan Cano and Johnathan Ahle, the latter also winning a race against “open” driving competition.
 
Sunday’s 12:40 card at Philly has an interesting mix of younger stock, fast-class veterans, and three divisions of the top claiming handicap pacers, offering a challenge to all handicappers and bettors. Program pages are available at https://www.phha.org/harrahspps.html.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – The evergreen 11-year-old JL Cruze bumped his lifetime earnings to $1,727,092 with his 49th career victory, a 1:52 victory in the $16,200 featured fast-class trot at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Thursday afternoon.
 
The meet’s leading driver, Tim Tetrick, won the eighth race feature with the Crazed gelding for his third win of the day in his last start before heading to stakes action in North New Jersey. Tetrick pulled the pocket at the :27.2 quarter to step around Rock Of Cashel, and those two maintained the front pair of positions through midsplits of :56 and 1:24 and on to the wire, with the veteran winner three lengths clear at the end for trainer Eric Ell and owners Ken Wood, William Dittmar Jr., and Stephen Iaquinta.
 
The royally-bred (Muscle Hill – Bee A Magician) Bee Forever has won his way out of the $15,300 “nw 8 races” class, keeping his 2022 record unblemished after five starts while lowering his lifetime mark to 1:53.2. At 2-5 the four-year-old gelding may have given his backers a bit of a jolt when he got a slow start and was eight or so lengths behind just past the eighth, but driver Dexter Dunn let him find his rhythm, and Bee Forever trotted his own last three-quarters in 1:25.1, most of it two- and three-wide, as he drew clear late, still not the smoothest of trotters but certainly a talented one.
 
Trainer Nifty Norman has done a fine job getting this one to consistently show his huge capacity for owners Melvin Hartman, Herb Liverman, and David Mc Duffee, and it will be interesting to see how he fares against a higher level of foes.
 
The schedule at Harrah’s Philadelphia for the remainder of this racing week is Friday at 12:25 and Sunday at 12:40. Program pages are or will be available at https://www.phha.org/harrahspps.html.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – Younger, developing trotters took center stage during the initial card of the racing week at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Wednesday afternoon, contesting a pair of $12,600 events.
 
A monsoon hit southeast Pennsylvania just before the start of the last race, one of the two feature races, but the conditions didn’t faze the Father Patrick gelding Speed Away, who made his first 2022 start in trotting hopples a successful one. Todd McCarthy guided the Jonas Czernyson-trained winner cleverly, waiting to make his move from third until the three-quarters, then ducking back to the pylons when the pocket horse pulled soon thereafter and getting the decision up the inside in 1:55.3. Consus Racing Stable Inc. owns the winner.
 
It’s never surprising when Tim Tetrick brings home a winner at Philly; however, very few of them return $20.20 for a two dollar win ticket as did the Donato Hanover sophomore gelding Bye For Now after taking a new mark of 1:56 in the other feature. The three-year-old was parked to the three-eighths by Highgate before getting command, then saw that one come to try to take the lead back late, only to come up a nose shy as Bye For Now won for trainer Eric Ell and owners Ken Wood and Bill Dittmar Jr.
 
Admittance to the Harrah’s winners circle Wednesday was very restricted: thirteen of the fourteen races were won by drivers surnamed McCarthy, Miller, or Tetrick. Todd McCarthy won three times; Andy Miller won three races and his son Tyler won once (wife/mom Julie trained one for each), with their “Ohio cousin” David Miller having a pair of successes; and the meet’s leading driver Tim Tetrick checked home first four times.
 
Thursday’s 12:40 card at Philly will help answer the interesting question of just how far Bee Forever has developed – the son of two Horses of the Year in Muscle Hill – Bee A Magician has until recently been slow to find top form throughout his career (except for winning the Valley Victory at two), but on Thursday the four-year-old will be going for his fifth straight win, and he’ll been facing some challenging opposition. Program pages are available at https://www.phha.org/harrahspps.html.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Going into this past Saturday, the roan Rockin Image gelding Seal O’Neill had been winless in seventeen 2022 starts. After Tuesday’s $13,000 pacing feature on Tuesday at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, he now has two victories for the season.
 
Seal O’Neill won in a dead-heat on Saturday, quarter-moving before finishing in a tie with Western Waltz, and followed that up on short rest Tuesday with a hard-fought 1:53.4 decision. Marcus Miller put the flashy horse on the lead and set the pace, was actually headed by first-over Amazon on the far turn, but then came back gamely to pass that rival and then hold off wide finisher Win Place’N Show by half a length, with Amazon just another neck back from taking it all. Seal O’Neill is conditioned by Pocono’s leading trainer, Darren Taneyhill, for owner Mark Jakubik.
 
Perennial Pocono driving champion George Napolitano drove the winners of the two $12,500 sub-feature trots, both of whom posted a clocking of 1:54: the Break The Bank K gelding Bank Box Treasure, wire-to-wire from the pole while taking a new mark for trainer/owner Gilbert Garcia-Herrera, and the Donato Hanover gelding Mystical Wynn, who also used engine tactics in succeeding for trainer Robert Baggitt Jr., co-owner with Christine Baggitt.
 
Napolitano finished the day with three visits to the winners circle, giving him ten wins at Pocono this past week, which in most years would have helped him enlarge his victory lead. However, this season Matt Kakaley has had the hottest hands so far – Matt won six times on Tuesday to give him 16 for the four-card week, and he didn’t race here on the Fourth Of July. The seasonal tally now reads Kakaley 142, Napolitano 130; ironically, Matt won the dash driving title here the last time George didn’t, but that was in 2011, and don’t ever discount the chances of the ten-time defending champion. It should be a great battle to the wire.
 
Racing returns to Pocono this weekend, with outstanding features on a 1:30 program Saturday and a 5:00 p.m. card Sunday – Saturday features a $25000 fast-class pace with six horses who have an average lifetime mark of 1:49, and Sunday will bring together Pennsylvania two-year-old pacing colts for four $30,000 divisions of a Pennsylvania All-Stars contest, along with a $25,000 pace for mares. Program pages will be available at https://www.phha.org/downsmsppps.html.