By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – Harrah’s Philadelphia featured younger horses climbing the classladder Thursday afternoon in a trio of $14,400 features for different classifications; the one common thread was driver Todd McCarthy, who won all three top races among his five winners on the day.
 
First up were the male pacers, with the Betting Line gelding Bet A Bundle taking a new mark of 1:50.1. Todd hustled Bet A Bundle away from post eight, yielded the lead to Stormalong to sit in the pocket, then stormed home himself to win by 1½ lengths over the chalk. Maria Reid trains the fast pacer for J M F Racing LLC and Peter Fusco Racing LLC.
 
The National Basketball Association has its star Jokic – the Denver Nuggets’ Nikola, two-time MVP and friend of Tim Tetrick – and harness racing may have a budding star Jokic, as the Cantab Hall sophomore trotting gelding is overcoming a slow start to his career, having won two of his last three including a 1:55.3 victory in the highlight for his gait. Todd McCarthy kept this winner third along the rail, then got him to respond quickly late to pass pacesetting favorite Portulaca by a head for trainer Mark Harder and owner Dean Lockhart.
 
The Sweet Lou sophomore filly Quick E is now undefeated in seven seasonal starts, with McCarthy moving her to the lead early and then just being a quiet passenger the rest of the way in the distaff pacing feature as the three-year-old lowered her mark to 1:51.1. Brett Pelling trains the sharply-improved miss (winless in two baby starts) for Let It Ride Stables Inc. and Bottom Line Racing LLC.
 
$20,000 Open handicaps for the fast-class older performers will be featured at Harrah’s Philadelphia this weekend. On Friday, Ruthless Hanover, who set the all-time record for a five-eighth mile track of 1:46.3 right here at Philly, will go from the outside post six in the pacing headliner; also starting from post six will be 2022 Maxie Lee winner Lovedbythemasses, the outermost horse behind the starting gate in the top trotting class. 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 – On a day that proved not very kind to betting favorites, the Walner sophomore filly Wallandar had her “A” game – including the perfect decorum she had been missing in recent outings – to take the $12,600 trotting feature at Harrah’s Philadelphia in a new mark of 1:56.3 while paying $50.40 to her scattered win backers.
 
Andy Miller got the $250,000 yearling, who has names such as Credit Winner and Me Maggie in her immediate parentage, away cleanly and to the top by a :28.4 quarter, then yielded to odds-on favorite Candy Bomber and sat behind the one through middle fractions of :58.2 and 1:27.3. Miller showed Wallandar racetrack nearing headstretch, and the three-year-old came home in perfect order to defeat the chalk by a half length for trainer Julie Miller and the partnership of Andy Miller Stable Inc. and Little E LLC.
 
The “Illinois Millers” may have won the feature, but it was the “Ohio Miller,” David Miller, who led all drivers with three winners today.
 
Harrah’s next goes to the gate on Thursday at 12:25, with a $3664.38 carryover in the Pick-4 wager starting in the very first race. 
 
The cards on Friday (12:25) and Sunday (12:40) both feature sterling $20,000 Open handicap events. Ruthless Hanover, the world’s fastest Standardbred on a 5/8-mile track with a 1:46.3 victory in the Joe Auger Pace here on Super Sunday on May 28, will start from the outside in a field of six pacers Friday; on Sunday the outside post six has been assigned to the winner of the 2022 Maxie Lee Trot, Lovedbythemasses. 
 
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 – Proud Mary came rollin’ on the river of slop in the Pocono Pike, but she was outfinished by Falana Hanover, who won the female section of the $16,000 tri-features for pacers at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania. The final clocking was 1:53.2 over a track rated “sloppy” most of the day.
 
Falana Hanover was set in motion uncovered by driver Tyler Buter down the backstretch, while Proud Mary and Matt Kakaley were content to follow the pacesetting favorite My Hungry Girl. In the stretch both went by the pacesetter, to each side, with Falana Hanover’s late steps giving her a nose advantage at the finish. Despite the sloppy going, the victorious sophomore daughter of Always B Miki missed her mark only by a tick for trainer Nifty Norman and the partnership of Pinske Stables, Enzed Racing Stable, Lawrence Means and Jerry Kovach.
 
The smallest possible margin was also the measure of victory in one of the two features for males, as Pacino Hanover and Zeus Hanover slugged it out before the camera gave the edge to the former, an American Ideal sophomore colt, in 1:51.4, a new mark. Pacino Hanover took over from Zeus Hanover approaching the half, then withstood that foe late for driver Matt Kakaley, trainer Joe Pavia Jr., and owners Jablonsky Held Stable, Joseph and Vincent Barbera, and Todd Frocione.
 
Trainer Joe Pavia Jr. also accounted for the other feature for males, as the Captaintreacherous three-year-old gelding Cerulean Hanover backed out behind new backstretch leader Erinwood Yves, followed that one a ways, then came on and bested him by 1½ lengths in 1:52.3. Braxten Boyd handled the 27-1 upsetter for many members of Team Pacino Hanover: Jablonsky Held Stable, Joseph and Vincent Barbera, and Joe Pavia Jr. Stable.
 
Boyd, who also dead-heated for a win on the day, piloted “Cerulean” to a $56.40 payoff; earlier in the day, George Napolitano Jr. drove Gumption to a $50.60 upset. “George Nap” and Åke Svanstedt each drove three success stories over the sloppy going, with all three of Åke’s coming from his own barn.
 
Racing resumes on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Pocono, with an $18,500 fast-class pace likely to threaten 1:50 if Tuesday’s rain will stay away. There will also be a $1686.26 carryover in the Pick-4 wager that begins in the very first race. 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 – The Il Sogno Dream gelding Evil Guy used the uncovered route to get a neck victory in the $15,000 featured trot at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on Monday afternoon.
 
Simon Allard got away third with Evil Guy as 55-1 shot P Chico, parked past the quarter for the top after avoiding an early breaker, and set fractions of :28.1, :57.4, and 1:26, with Evil Guy put in motion by Allard during the third quarter. The pacesetter and his outside challenger were the two who slugged it out in the end, with Evil Guy getting up by a neck in 1:55.2 for trainer Ron Burke and Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC.
 
In a $12,500 co-featured trot, it took the Chapter Seven gelding Seventier past a :27.2 quarter and to the three-eighths pole to make the top, but once there he continued on with splits of :56.2 and 1:25 en route to a length decision over pocketsitting Nancy Bar in 1:53.3. A winner and then a victim of broken equipment in his previous two races, Seventier regained his winning ways for trainer/driver Gareth Dowse and his Dowse Racing Inc.
 
George Napolitano Jr. won four times on Monday for top honors among the Pocono drivers.
 
The racing week concludes on Tuesday at 1 p.m., with a trio of $16,000 paces of the “nw 6 races” variety as the headliners. 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 – The Stay Hungry – Skinny Dip two-year-old pacing filly Lyons Legend remained undefeated after four purse starts, taking one of two $35,000 divisions of her section’s Pennsylvania All-Stars event in a lifetime best 1:51.4.
 
After a :27.2 battle for the lead past the quarter, driver Matt Kakaley moved Lyons Legend to the lead, put up middle fractions of :56 and 1:24.2, then finished in hand while keeping pocketsitter Asweetbeachhere 2½ lengths behind. Trained by Jim King Jr. of Shartin N fame, Lyons Legend is owned by Threelyonsracing, and with two PA Sire Stakes wins under her girth already, the budding star filly may be back at Pocono on September 2 for her $250,000 Sire Stakes Championship.
 
Strange Fruit made the lead before the :28.3 quarter in her All-Stars division, then yielded to favored Ginger Tree Belle and sat in the pocket while the chalk put up midsplits of :56.4 and 1:25.2. The price of pacing went up in the last quarter as these two drew away from the rest, and Strange Fruit, the close second choice, was able to rally into a :27.1 back quarter to break her maiden in 1:52.3 in her second purse start, with the official margin a neck. The daughter of Sweet Lou – Bettor And Better was driven by Scott Zeron for trainer Linda Toscano and the partnership of Let It Ride Stables Inc. and Bottom Line Racing LLC.
 
Racing will continue at Pocono Downs with Monday and Tuesday cards beginning at 1 p.m. Program pages for all Pocono races are or will be available at https://www.phha.org/downsmsppps.html.                   

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – The Creatine gelding Take All Comers has won three of his last four races, all at Harrah’s Philadelphia, after taking the big share of the purse in the $20,000 Open handicap trot Sunday afternoon at the southeast Pennsylvania oval.
 
Hayek pushed the favored Take All Comers, who started from the assigned outside slot in a field of seven, but the chalk was able to wrest command from him right after a :27 quarter. He got a breather to a :56.1 half, then was asked by driver Troy Beyer to speed up down the backstretch, hitting the three-quarters in 1:23.4 with only Hayek able to stay close. The two-holer gave it his best stretch shot, but Take All Comers, a winner of $599,171, held him off by 1½ lengths in 1:52.3 for trainer Jim Campbell and Runthetable Stables.
 
Even faster on the trot on the Sunday card was the 2022 Maxie Lee Trot winner here, Lovedbythemasses. The Muscle Mass gelding took the lead in a :27.2 opener, yielded to sit the pocket behind Eurobond and fractions of :55.4 and 1:23.4, then zipped home to be three lengths clear of that rival in a sparkling 1:51.4. Lovedbythemasses, now the possessor of a $717,226 bankroll, was driven by Todd McCarthy for trainer Jeff Cullipher, also co-owner with Pollack Racing LLC.
 
Quickest on the pace was the Stay Hungry sophomore gelding Brue Hanover, undefeated in four starts for trainer Ron Burke after putting up splits of :26.3, :55.4, and 1:23, then holding off pocketsitter All Class by a neck in 1:50.3. Simon Allard (a four-time winner on the day) steered the developing three-year-old for owner Brad Grant.
 
Harrah’s Philadelphia is currently racing Wednesday through Friday at 12:25 and Sunday at 12:40. . 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 – Driver Anthony Napolitano “rolled a seven” at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on Saturday afternoon, winning the feature, one of the two co-featured events, and the race generating the longest priced winner of the day.
 
The 41-year-old Napolitano kept the Always B Miki gelding Building Boost off the pace through early fractions of :27.3 and :55, had him rolling raw before the 1:23 three-quarters, and then held off the horse on his back, Boardwalk Bet, to win the $17,000 featured pace in 1:50.3, reducing his mark by a tick. Jake Huff trains the developing sidewheeler for Rosalia Huff and Beauty Bridle Racing Stable Inc.
 
In one of two $16,500 events for fast-class pacers Pat Mcgarry A wouldn’t yield to favored RIP Wheeler early, setting first-half numbers of :26.3 and :54, then drew clear to the 1:21 three-quarters and finished out his mile in 1:48.3, lowering his mark by a full second. The altered son of Million Dollar Cam is trained by Jenn Bongiorno for owner Howard Taylor.
 
It was Jenn Bongiorno who had the sweep of the co-features, as the Betting Line gelding Imaginary Line took the shortest way home from the rail. Driver Marcus Miller put up fractions of :27, :55, and 1:22.4, then kept his pacer going to withstand pocketsitter Code Cracker by three-quarters of a length in 1:50 for owner Robert Weinstein.
 
“Anthony Nap” concluded the day’s racing by working out a nice second-over trip with Santafe’s Coach, closing strongly to win in 1:51.3 and return $45.20 to win as the longest shot in the finale.
 
Sunday’s 6 p.m. card at The Downs will feature two $40,000 divisions of a Pennsylvania All-Stars pace for two-year-old fillies as the baby distaffs look to build on their early resumes. Program pages for all Pocono races are or will be available at https://www.phha.org/downsmsppps.html.    

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
BEDFORD PA – Since it rejoined the Pennsylvania fair harness racing circuit in 2013 after a 23-year absence, the Bedford Fairgrounds has seen its share of rain-caused cancellations. But the track was blessed with two dry days for its Fair meeting on Thursday and Friday, and Pennsylvania fans and horsemen were rewarded with a speed show that likely has never been equaled, even if allowing for the different average times in different eras.
 
Friday was reserved for the three-year-olds – and where to start … Well, to start at the very beginning is a very good place to start, and in the day’s first race the International Moni filly Quarantina trotted the twicearound oval in 1:58.2, lowering the local all-age track record of OMG Hanover (2016) by two seconds and equaling the fastest PA Fair mile for her class (Plumb, Somerset, 2020). Trainer/driver Todd Schadel co-owns the fleet filly with his wife Christine.
 
That 1:58.2 Bedford standard would be equaled 100 minutes later by the Bar Hopping gelding Open Bar, driven by Shawn Johnston for trainer Steve Schoeffel and owners Kathy Schoeffel, Virginia Schoeffel, Marian Schilling, and Daniel Goehle. Team Shawn Johnston/Steve Schoeffel (and the Schoeffel owners) would sweep the “A” Fair Sires divisions of this class with the Father Patrick gelding Big Baller Beane in 1:59.
 
Three three-year-old pacing fillies would beat 1:57: two in the “A” class, first Four Wide N Wingn’ (Aaron Johnston) and then Blank Cheek (Todd Schadel) in 1:55.3. The third would be in a “B” event by Little Lady J (Eric Neal) in 1:56.4.
 
Though the filly Tiamogonedancin’s 1:55.2 Bedford pacing track record wasn’t reached by the females, it was equaled by a three-year-old male pacer, and in a “B” event to boot: Captaincountrystar, a Captaintreacherous gelding trained and driven by Todd Schadel for Mulligan Stables.
 
The speed show had its primary exponent during Thursday’s two-year-old day in Adriatico Hanover, a Stay Hungry – Armbro Amoretto gelding who shocked with a mile in 1:56.1, which equaled the clocking put up in the same category by Venier Hanover at Bloomsburg in 2017 as the fastest freshman mile ever over the county fair tracks in the state. Adriatico Hanover is co-owned by trainer/driver Todd Schadel, Rick Beinhauer, Timothy Hayes, and Dr. Megan Moschgat.
 
Ten 2:00 miles were recorded during the two-day meet, eight of them by the three-year-olds on Thursday, and three of those produced by trotters.
 
Todd Schadel trains all six of the winners he drove in this two-day meet to lead the horsemen’s ranks. Eric Neal was next, steering four success stories, and four trainers harnessed two winners to tie for second.
 
Next stop on the PA Fair Circuit is at Clearfield, roughly-classifiable as being in the northcentral part of the state, the only fair going with four programs: Sunday, July 30, Monday, July 31, and Wednesday, August 2 at 1 p.m., and Tuesday, August 1 at 5:30 p.m.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – The JK Endofanera mare Kobe’s Gigi, taking on a field of both seasoned rivals and talented three-year-olds such as Charleston, overcame her assigned number eight post in winning the $20,000 distaff Open handicap pace Friday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
 
David Miller left hard with the Nifty Norman trainee and settled in third behind a :26.3 opener; then, as the pace slackened in front of the grandstand, Miller was able to take the mare to the lead into the second turn and still got a breather into a :55.3 half. 
 
The three-quarters was reached in 1:23.1, with Kobe’s Gigi drawing away from her field by producing a :27 last quarter. Pocketsitting Hot Mess Express was the distant second, with Charleston, even money to the winner’s 7-5 odds, closed strongly but was too far back and could do no better than third behind Kobe’s Gigi, who is owned by Leander Schwartz and Black & White Stable.
 
A Rocknroll Star recorded 2023 victory number eleven, one short of the North American lead, when he won a $16,200 fast-class handicap pace for males in 1:49.1, a new speed mark. Andrew McCarthy was content to sit third with the altered son of A Rocknroll Dance as Captain Crusader N from the rail and Hazeville from post two, maintaining those two front positions through splits of :26, :54.4, and 1:21.3.


Hazeville vacated the two-hole near headstretch, with McCarthy and A Rocknroll Star going up the inside and beating out that late-bloomer’s rally by three-quarters of a length, stopping that one’s seven-race win streak. A Rocknroll Star is trained by Robert Cleary for owners Joseph and Vincent Barbera.
 
Dexter Dunn led all drivers with three winners on the card.
 
For the fourth straight Friday there was a $50+ “bomber” win price (and on no other day of the week during this four-week period). The longshot helped bring about an $1178.87 carryover into the Pick-5 bet on races five through nine on Sunday’s card, which starts at 12:40; within that bet will be Sunday’s feature race, a $20,000 Open handicap trot. Program pages for all races at Harrah’s Philadelphia are or will be available at https://www.phha.org/harrahspps.html.