By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
​WILKES-BARRE PA – Earlier rain that had dampened the track at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, and caused the day to start out with a surface rated “good,” cleared out to improve conditions to the point that most of Tuesday’s feature races were conducted over a “fast” surface.
 
The $17,000 featured pace, for males, was won by a nose by the Sweet Lou gelding Women Layer, rallying from the pocket to defeat JK Black Gold in 1:51.4. Women Layer, who had started off his sophomore campaign with six wins before a defeat in his last race, at Oak Grove 30 days earlier, worked to get the pocket behind favored Hez Allthe Rage N, who set fractions of :27.1, :56, and 1:24.1. Women Layer went to the Pocono Pike and showed courage to earn the nod by the smallest of margins over JK Black Gold, who showed tremendous desire himself while having to pace his last half in :55 raw, only to come up on the wrong side of the photo.
 
The sophomore winner was winless in four starts at two, but he is making up for lost time in a big way in 2024. Jack Pelling drove him to this win for trainer/father Brett Pelling and the ownership of Howard and Judith Taylor, Order By Stable AB, and Jerry Silva.
 
The $15,000 co-featured paces had one division for each sex. The “boys” were topped by the Always B Miki three-year-old gelding Dublin Dasher, who sped home in :54.4 - :27.1 to defeat Vengeance Blue Chip, who performed admirably despite the dreaded “tuck-then-first-over” journey, by 1¼ lengths in 1:51.3. Tyler Buter handled the lines behind the winner, who has two wins and a nose defeat (to Vengeance Blue Chip) in three seasonal stats, for trainer Hunter Oakes and the ownership of Alan Johnston and H O Racing Inc.
 
The track was still rated good when “the girls” had their division of the co-feature, making Mighthavtime N’s 1:52.1 lifetime mark even more impressive. The daughter of Betterthancheddar has a 4-2-1-1 tally since coming from Down Under with the grinding victory over Ebony Lady, who was three quarters of a length behind and a neck in front of Sweet Lexi Lou. Ridge Warren drove the winner for trainer Scott Blackler and Arrhythmic LLC.
 
Matt Kakaley was lead sulkysitter on the day with three successes, two for trainer Jenny Melander.
 
Pocono’s current racing schedule runs from Saturday to Wednesday, with the Sunday card at 6 p.m. and the other three days’ action beginning at 1 p.m. When racing resumes Saturday, there will be a carryover into the Pick 5 wager on races five through nine, and a carryover into the High 5 wager on the last race of the day. Free Pocono programs are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Driver George Napolitano Jr. teamed with sons of Cantab Hall to sweep the $15,000 trotting features Monday afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, and in his seasonlong duel with Matt Kakaley Napolitano has reclaimed the top spot in the mountain track’s standings.
 
Capricious One covered a lot of extra ground in winning the 1:54.4 faster division, being parked with cover to a :28 quarter, then making the lead not that far before a :57.1 half. The winning gelding hit the three-quarters in 1:25.4 and opened a big lead turning for home, which he needed because favored Mt Bluebird was coming on wide, making up ground with every step. But Capricious One held on by three parts of a length while taking a new mark for trainer Jenny Melander and owners Melander Racing Inc., Noonan Harness Racing LLC, and Suojalampi Stable Inc. (“Suojalampi” being a popular lake for fishing in Finland).
 
The other feature saw Napolitano bring in the sophomore gelding Soncando, who has now won two of his last three after a 1:57 victory for trainer Clifton Green and owner Robert Allison Jr. Soncando yielded to sit in the pocket, then utilized the Pocono Pike in holding off Mischievous G by a neck.
 
Tyler Buter and George Napolitano Jr. both won three races on the Monday card.
 
Tuesday’s 1 p.m. weekending card has a strong $17,000 pacing feature for developing horses that could flirt with the 1:50 mark under ideal conditions. Free Pocono programs are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – The Papi Rob Hanover – Betterthangraduate two-year-old pacing filly Papi Grad has now opened her purse career with three consecutive 1:51.1 wins after winning her division of three $60,608 Pennsylvania Sire Stake second round prelims on Sunday evening at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
 
Brett Miller moved the undefeated freshman after the :28.2 first quarter and was briefly three-wide en route to the lead by the :56.2 half. The three-quarters came and went in 1:23.3, at which point Papi Grad had the complete command she would maintain to the wire, although her win margin this week was “only” 6½ lengths over the 107-1 Dexter Dunn-driven longshot Treacheryinthedark. (You’ll see the words “Dunn” and “longshot” together again in a couple of paragraphs.) Trained by Steve Carter for Brent Hopper, Jay Mossbarger, TKO Racing Stable LLC, and SCPStable&FriedlandRacing, Papi Grad is the only double Sires winner in the division.
 
The other two Sire Stakes divisions were won by daughters of Captaintreacherous who are both undefeated and who took new marks. Lily White Hanover (dam Lillian Hanover) rolled right by in the stretch while coming her own last quarter in :27.3 in a 1:51.3 victory for driver Todd McCarthy and trainer Andrew Harris, the latter co-owner with William Pollock and Bruce Areman.
 
And Westwinds (dam Muskoka Hanover) blitzed home in :26.2 to complete a 1:52.2 tally and add a Sire Stake to her Stallion Series and All-Stars wins earlier. Tim Tetrick drove for trainer Steve Carter and the partnership of Milton Leeman, Stambaugh Keith Stable, Joe Sbrocco, and Wingfield Brothers LLC.
 
Papi Rob Hanover also had a double within the seven $20,000 Stallion Series races, and like in the Sires he fathered the fastest winner in Gigglingonthebeach (dam Always Giggling). The George Napolitano Jr.-driven miss broke her maiden in 1:51.4 for trainer Juan Cano and Hot Lead Farm.
 
“Papi Rob” combined with the broodmare Paula’s Best to produce the only double Stallion Series winner, Pliar Hanover, who recorded the second-fastest StS mile, 1:52.4, to lower her mark for driver Tim Tetrick, trainer Jim King Jr., and owners Jo Ann Looney-King and Paton Racing Inc.
 
Captaintreacherous picked up a “double-double” Sires credit with two victories in both series of races. Simply Perfect (dam Stacia Hanover) took a mark of 1:54.4 for driver Andrew McCarthy (who had four wins in total on the night), trainer Tony Alagna, and owners Pryde Stables Inc., Steven and Michelle Head, and Caviart Farms.
 
Simply Perfect was one of seven favorites to win in stakes on the card; among the ten stakes races, nine winners combined for an aggregate win payoff of $35.10. The “outlier” was Captaintreacherous’s other winner, Oh Ophelia (dam Hey Lolly La), who made her debut a successful one in 1:55.2 for trainer Nifty Norman, owners Kovach Stables LLC and Enzed Racing Stable Inc. – and driver Dexter Dunn, with the longshot paying $123.60 for a $2 win ticket!
 
Also doubling up in the StS was sire Bettor’s Wish: with Wise Professor (dam Teachers Vet), undefeated in two starts after winning here in 1:54 for driver Andrew McCarthy, trainer Nifty Norman, and owners Let It Ride Stables Inc. and Odds On Racing, and with Bet On Station (dam Canard Hanover), who took a maiden mark of 1:53.2 for driver Brett Miller, trainer Jamie Sullivan, and owner Frank Chick.
 
Rounding out the double-digit divisions of freshman fillies was JK Fancy Nancy, a daughter of Captain Crunch out of Horse of the Year JK She’salady, whose first purse start was successful in 1:54.3 (she had gone a tick faster winning a Meadowlands qualifier). Dexter Dunn drove the Nancy Takter trainee for 3 Brothers Stables.
 
Racing continues at Pocono on Monday and Tuesday at 1 p.m. Free Pocono programs are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – The Always B Miki gelding Maximus Miki was ready for a maximum performance despite being away 22 days, winning the $14,000 fast-class handicap pace at Harrah’s Philadelphia Sunday afternoon in 1:50.1.
 
Corey Callahan got away third with “Miki” as South Beach Star and Camara Moment secured the early 1-2 spots, with second choice “Star” getting to the quarter in :26.4 and then getting a major breather to hit the half in :56.2. Maximus Miki, the favorite, came out of third on fire, though, going his own third quarter in :26.2 to attack uncovered to the 1:23.2 three-quarters, and then continuing on to overall the pacesetter by a length while maintaining a :26.4 rate to the wire.
 
Maximus Miki has been managed carefully by Team Cancelliere, trainer Tom and owner/brother John: as a five-year-old, this was only his 39th career start, but he has an admirable 19-11-7 board record, with earnings now at $249,549 and a deserved reputation as a fighter deluxe.
 
The $13,500 co-featured pace, with females handicapped inside, went to the Bettor’s Delight sophomore colt Legal Attack in 1:52.1 for his second straight triumph. Legal Attack sat second for driver Johnathan Ahle while Hard To Catch tried to live up to his name before tiring, then went into the passing lane to get take over and hold off the trapped-to-midstretch filly On The Watersedge by a neck. Per Engblom trains the winner, who earned a new mark, for Morrison Racing Stables CA.
 
The leading drivers at Philly on Sunday both got an “A” for the day – Johnathan Ahle brought home four winners, while Simon Allard was victorious in three races.
 
Racing resumes at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Wednesday afternoon at 12:25. Free Philly programs are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Driver Anthony Napolitano guided six winners on the Saturday afternoon card at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, and combined with trainer Lance Hudson, owner William Hartt and the photo finish camera for the two success stories of the afternoon’s $17,000 trotting features.
 
The quicker of the feature winners was the Helpisontheway mare Wild Way, who found top position at several points in the mile and caught favored temposetter Purple Lord by a half length in 1:54.4 Wild Way raced into a good forward inside spot early, was able to back out to the two-wide tier down the back, then had enough time swinging wide off the final turn to wear down the chalk nearing the wire.
 
The Swan For All gelding Energysource moved to the lead in front of the stands and maintained an advantage to the wire in the other headline event, though pocketsitting favorite Lava Field rallied late to narrow the winning margin to a nose. Energysource completed his mile in 1:55.
 
In the last two weeks’ $16,500 claiming handicap for the top-priced pacers at the Downs, Imaginary Line had caught Shoobee Doo A in running a win skein to six, but the early mix was different this time, with Shoobee Doo A here holding on grittily for a 1:51.3 triumph over Imaginary Line, who had to try to rally from third-in this week but missed by three-quarters of a length. Shoobee Doo A was guided by George Napolitano Jr.; the connections of the first two finishers lost their horses via the claiming box for a combined total of $77,000, on a day where nine horses switched surroundings for $234,000.
 
Pennsylvania-sired two-year-old pacing fillies invade The Downs double-digit divisions deep for Sunday’s 6 p.m. card, with three Sire Stakes cuts and seven Stallion Series sections. Papi Grad will likely draw the bulk of the attention off of two consecutive 10¼ length triumphs in 1:51.1f while facing stakes competition. There will also be a double carryover into the last race’s Hi-5 wager. Free Pocono programs are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
ATTRIBUTION -- Pennsylvania Fair Harness Horsemen’s Association, Meadows Standardbred Owners Association and Pennsylvania Harness Horsemen’s Association partnership
 
 
BEDFORD PA – On Friday afternoon at the Bedford (PA) Fair, the three-year-old Fordham Road filly Loveyoubunches won a Pennsylvania Fair Sire Stakes event in 1:58.1 – the fastest mile by age, sex, and gait in the history of the Pennsylvania fairs, knocking a tick off the standard set by Plumb (Meyersdale, 2020) and Quarantina (Bedford, 2023).
 
Loveyoubunches is undefeated in three starts at the Pennsy twicearounds for trainer/driver Todd Schadel, co-owner of the 1:55.2 winner earlier this year with his wife Christine and Rick and Regina Beinhauer. The time was also the fastest trot on the local fair circuit this year.
 
In the trotting colt “A” section, trainer Scott Betts’s horses finished 1-2, with the Cantab Hall gelding Brooksie, driven in a rare sulky turn by the trainer himself, who was first in 2:02 for owner Timothy Betts.
 
The “girls” also provided a faster mile than the “boys” among the three-year-old pacers, with fastest mile of the week honors to the Stay Hungry miss Stay Sunny, already a three-time “B” level and now with an “A”-level score in 1:57.1 for driver Eric Neal and trainer/owner Mitchell York.
 
The males did themselves no disservice in the speed department. The Betting Line gelding Ante Up Hanover, fresh off his all-time Clearfield record of 1:57 on Tuesday, came right back Friday to win his “A” event in 1:57.2, defeating stablemate Twiggs Pub (himself a triple “A” winner), for trainer/driver  Schadel, with wife Christine also sharing ownership of the 2023 Fair Championship winner. The “B” division wasn’t far off speedwise, with R T Whistlin Willie, an altered son of A Rocknroll Dance, on top in 1:57.4 for driver Eric Neal, trainer Tom Loughry Jr. and Brocious Racing Stable Inc.
 
Thursday’s racing for two-year-olds saw the Captain Crunch – Bettor N Better colt Bettor Safe go the quickest mile of the year by a freshman on the cotton candy circuit, 2:00.1, graduating from “B” to “A” emphatically for trainer/driver Todd Schadel and ownership partner Let It Ride Stables Inc. On the pacing filly side, the Papi Rob Hanover – Fashion Katie miss Ginger Tree Rose won a “B” event in 2:03.3, faster than the “A” cut, and giving driver Sam Beegle his 999thcareer triumph.
 
The colt trot “A” divisions were swept by Todd Schadel, with the quicker, in 2:03.4, to the Andover Hall – No Excuses gelding Andover’s Hotrod, whom Schadel co-owns with Calvin Hoover, while the Cantab Hall – Quite Possible gelding Born Silly became the only two-year-old to record four “A” wins so far, for Schadel, his wife Christine, and Rick and Regina Beinhauer.
 
Driver Schadel and trainer Schadel barely edged out driver Eric Neal and trainer Tom Loughry Jr. 5-4 for the meet’s top honors.
 
The Pennsylvania Fair Circuit now takes some time off, but it’s going nowhere – the next action is right back at Bedford, with a 2-day Sires race meet at 3 p.m. on Wednesday the 30th and Thursday the 31st. Fair information is available at www.pafairsracing.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – Pennsylvania-sired sophomore trotting colts came to Harrah’s Philadelphia on Friday afternoon for their third preliminary state-sired rounds, with two $71,167 Sire Stakes divisions captured by a pair of 5-1 shots, each stopping the timer in 1:53.
 
The Greenshoe colt Supernova Hanover dropped four seconds from his mark in winning for driver Todd McCarthy, trainer Per Engblom, and Engblom Stable, Douglas Sipple and the Mal & Janet Burroughs LLC of the new Hall Of Famer. Supernova Hanover got the ride in the golden chair as favored Luke The Spook and Greenspan dueled during a :27 third quarter, then cleared and moved out in the stretch to catch the chalk by a half-length, gaining in the :55 back half.
 
It was again pacesetter and pocketsitter in the second Sire Stakes division, but this time it was the pacesetter, the Bar Hopping gelding Usain Hanover, who prevailed, holding off the longest shot on the board, Ordained, by a neck while covering his last half in :55.4. David Miller drove the Nifty Norman pupil for Enzed Racing Stable Inc.
 
David Miller and Greenshoe picked up stakes doubles when they paired on the fastest of three winners in $20,000 Stallion Series divisions, the 1:54 mile of Going Green, with the gelding reducing his lifetime best by 4 1/5 seconds. Going Green did hard work uncovered to make the lead, then held off the rival at his back, Green Pastures, by a length for trainer Jenny Melander and the partnership of Melander Racing Inc., Clark Stables LLC, and Noonan Harness Racing LLC.
 
Splendid has now won three Stallion Series races among his seven-race winning streak, on Friday putting up a time of 1:56 for driver Chris Lems, trainer Todd Rooney, and owners Rooney Racing and Trotting For Bourbon. The Father Patrick colt was in the two-hole when pacesetter Loxahatchee lost stride turning for home, and had the largest lead at the wire among today’s stakes horses, 1¼ lengths over Bird And Grenade.
 
The International Moni gelding Sainthood has now won his last two starts, here overcoming the outside post eight to take his StS cut in 1:55.4. Sainthood set the pace then withstood Takemetochurch Deo by a neck for driver George Napolitano Jr., trainer Joe Pavia Jr., and Bay Pond Racing Stable.
 
21-year-old Carter Dalgety made his first driving day in the United States a memorable one by guiding 11-1 shot Handlelikeaporsche to a 1:51.1 win in the day’s final race. The New Zealander, whose father Cran served as a mentor to the younger Dexter Dunn, is imitating Dexter’s brief trip to North America few years ago to sample the racing life, and Carter may come back permanently in a bit; if he does, he could have an “in” with the many Down Under trainers on the East Coast, such as Hall Of Fame ballot candidate Chris Ryder, the trainer of Handlelikeporsche.
 
Driver Simon Allard and trainer/owner Mark Akins continued in sizzling form by combining for four Friday winners.
 
The racing week closes out on Sunday with a 12:40 start; fast-class pacers who can threaten 1:50 comprise the day’s feature, a $15,000 contest. Free Philly programs are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – The “Trottin’ Thursday” card made its usual strong contribution to the week’s racing at Harrah’s Philadelphia, with four miles for diamondgaited horses going in 1:53 or faster at the southeast Pennsylvania oval.
 
The top purse event, for $15,000, saw David Miller give a heads-up drive to Ritson early, which he could parlay into a victory in 1:52.3, a new mark. Miller got away no better than fifth in the first few steps with the son of Cantab Hall, but the Hall Of Fame driver played his geometrical trump card, the rail, early, getting enough quick foot out of his trotter to force wholesale leathergrabbing outside him to a :27.2 quarter. Favored Pretender, very wide early before tucking, brushed to command in front of the stands, taking the field to the half in :56.1 and 1:24.1, with Stable Genius, winner of this event the last two weeks, attacking first-over.
 
Stable Genius began to fade on the far turn, affording Ritson the chance to challenge after the two-hole trip, and he caught the hard-used favorite late by 1¼ lengths. Ritson has now won four of six Pennsylvania starts away from his base in Canada for trainer Mark Steacy and the partnership of Steacy, Hudson Standardbred Stable Inc., Dale Larson, and Stephen Downey.
 
The two fast-class levels of trots below the feature both produced a time a fifth faster than the headliner. Periculum made a strong move to the lead nearing the far turn, and the son of Muscle Hill won his $13,000 contest by six lengths for Team Melander, driver Mattias and trainer Marcus, and the Brixton Medical Inc. partnership with Holly Lane Stud East LLC. The $11,000 class fell to the International Moni gelding Khaosan Road, a length to the good of Rivers after setting the pace for driver/trainer Åke Svanstedt and the ownership of Knutsson Trotting Inc. and Little E LLC.
 
Naked Cowboy, under new sponsorship, lowered his mark to 1:53 with a 3¾ length romp in a $12,000 event for developing horses. The Tactical Landing sophomore gelding was driven by Tim Tetrick for trainer Dylan Davis, co-owner with Howard Taylor.
 
And …  combined, this speedy trotting quartet doesn’t have half the lifetime bankroll of another of the day’s winners,  Crystal Fashion. The Cantab Hall gelding ran his career earnings to $2,349,229 with a 1:55 win by three lengths for driver Tim Tetrick, trainer Chuck Crissman Jr., and EVM Racing LLC.
 
Todd McCarthy, David Miller, and Tim Tetrick each had a trio of winners during the card.
 
The trotters stay in the spotlight Friday at Philly, with third round preliminaries of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and Pennsylvania Stallion Stakes, where a top performance from a couple of Sire Stakes horses may alter their racing plans for the next couple of weeks. Free Philly programs are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
ATTRIBUTION -- Meadows Standardbred Owners Association, Pennsylvania Harness Horsemen’s Association, and Pennsylvania Fair Harness Horsemen’s Association partnership
 
 
CLEARFIELD PA – Ante Up Hanover won at the Clearfield (PA) Fair during the Tuesday twilight card in 1:57 – the fastest time ever posted over the half-mile track in the northcentral part of the state.
 
The three-year-old Betting Line gelding, who won last year’s PA Fair Sire Stakes Championship for his group, looks on track to have a good go at repeating the distinction. The former Clearfield mark of 1:57.3, set by the three-year-old filly My Gal Phyl, had stood for 21 proud years, and if “Phyl” had to lose her record, her co-breeder / co-owner / trainer / driver Roger Hammer was likely glad that the new recordholder is trained and driven by Todd Schadel, his partner on the Hambletonian-winning Vivid Photo.
 
Team Schadel swept this PaFSS division when another altered son of Betting Line, Twiggs Pub, succeeded in 2:00.2; Todd and his wife Christine, owners of Ante Up Hanover, share ownership of Twiggs Pub with their son Cody.
 
Among the sophomore filly pacers, the Sweet Lou filly Sonadora became the only four-time fair winner in the “A” ranks with a 2:02.2 tally for driver Aaron Johnston, trainer Nathan Bresnahan, and owner Matthew Miller. The other division of this group was won in 2:00.4 by 2023 Championship winner Showboat Hanover, yet another Betting Line offspring campaigned by the Schadels, here with Caitlin Solt co-owning.
 
Wednesday’s card, for three-year-old trotters, ended the marathon Clearfield stay. Driver Wayne Long, who recently earned his 1000th driving win, had the hot hands with four winners circle visits, with three of the winners trained by Joyce Lineweaver, including a sweep of the filly “A” races. The faster of this pair was  the International Moni miss Unique Wedding, who scored in 2:03.1 and is owned by his driver and trainer.
 
Fastest trot mile of the meet came from an altered son of International Moni. Thaler Hanover, yet another 2023 Championship success story winning at Clearfield. The 2:02.1 winner was driven by Aaron Johnston and trained by Gary Johnston, the latter co-owner with Abigail Wright.
 
Todd Schadel again led the horsemen’s stats with nine sulky successes and eight training wins, but several others had outstanding meets. Wayne Long drove six winners, and Aaron Johnston five; Aaron’s four training triumphs tied him for second with Joyce Lineweaver.
 
No rest for the Pennsylvania Fair Circuit – there will be racing on Thursday (two-year-olds) and Friday (three-year-olds) at 3 p.m. at the Bedford Fair. Ante Up Hanover is back in Friday's first race, three days after his record Clearfield mile.