By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – Hall of Fame horseman David Miller became only the fifth driver to reach 13,000 career sulky victories when he won with Mr Censi in the twelfth race on Friday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
 
Miller got away third with the winner as the favorite The Wall laid down hot numbers of :25.4 and :54.1 to the half, then moved uncovered late in the backstretch, with Lifeonthebeach A on his back by the 1:21.3 three-quarters. The late battle came down to these two horses on the outside, with Mr Censi just proving more photogenic than his rival in 1:51, returning $56.00 to win to his scattered backers.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – The leader pro tem of the Pennsylvania-sired three-year-old pacing fillies may not have been in attendance at Harrah’s Philadelphia Friday afternoon, but the two four-horse fields that chased after $93,142 in each division of the Sire Stakes’ fourth and final preliminary leg put on a pair of spectacular shows for fans and horsemen alike.
 
The Captaintreacherous filly Rocknificent had been entered to go Saturday at Mohawk in addition to being drawn into the Sire Stakes; she withdrew from the Canadian race Friday morning and turned up at Philly, and then she went an epic mile, defeating Lyons Sentinel by a neck in 1:50.2 after a fierce stretch battle. Rocknificent drew the innermost post and put up soft early fractions of :28 and :57, and then driver Scott Zeron asked her for more as Lyons Sentinel came from last in the short field, reaching the three-quarters in 1:24.1.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – Its Mesmerise N, a daughter of American Ideal who has been no worse than second in her last five starts, took a new mark of 1:51.3 in winning the $11,600 featured pace for distaffs Wednesday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
 
Andrew McCarthy positioned the winner of two of her last three starts behind pacesetting Vorst, who posted splits of :27.4, :56.2, and 1:24. The winner was locked in nearing headstretch by first-over favorite Anytime N, so McCarthy directed Its Mesmerise N into the Philly passing lane, and the pair came home in :27.2 to post a length decision over Vorst, with Anytime N lasting for third. Darran Cassar trains the winner for Windermere Stable LLC.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – The Chapter Seven gelding Hashtagmadeyalook, coming to Pocono showing strong Meadowlands form, was bet down to 1-9 favoritism in the $12,800 claiming handicap trot Tuesday afternoon at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, won easily in 1:53.2 – and then was taken for the $25,000 claiming tag.
 
Pocono’s leading driver George Napolitano Jr., who had four winners on the card, sent Hashtagmadeyalook right to the lead and rattled off fractions of :27.4, :56.2, and 1:24.3, stretching a two-length lead at the three-quarters to 7¼ lengths at the finish. Trainer Richard Johnson and owner Carmen Iannacone may be sorry to see the trotter move to a new barn, but they have done all right with him, with the form showing three wins and a second since June 29 and earnings of $21,275 in that short period.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WASHINGTON PA – A two-day stand of Pennsylvania Fair Sire Stakes was held on Sunday and Monday at “Arden Downs,” as it was known when it was a stop on the Grand Circuit; now it is generally known at the Washington County Fair, literally just “down the road” from The Meadows.
 
The freshmen started off the action Sunday, and as has been the case as of late, the co-owning team of trainer Mitchell York and driver David Brickell swept the “A” two-year-old pacing filly action. First up was the Betting Line – Lazan Hanover miss Lazy Day Hanover, now one off the North American victory lead for freshmen after winning her seventh race in seven fair starts in 2:04.4; then came the A Rocknroll Dance – Tiamo distaff Tiamogonedancen, already a double track recordsetter at the fairs, and now undefeated in four fair contests after a 2:02.3 win.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – After two $102,117 divisions of the third preliminary round of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes for two-year-old trotting fillies at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono on Monday afternoon, the group may have found a leader – but Flawless Country’s #1 ranking puts her only slightly ahead, just as she was in her 1:54.2 victory, with four other opponents within a length of the wire.
 
The Southwind Frank – Southwind Aleah filly Flawless Country was sent to the lead by trainer/driver Åke Svanstedt before the :28.3 quarter, then yielded the top to the brushing Insta Glam, who went on to take the field to a :57 half. You Ato Dream rushed up and pushed the leader to the three-quarters in 1:25.1, and when the second-over horse did not keep up, Svanstedt moved Flawless Country out behind You Ato Dream.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – The $215,461 third preliminary leg of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes for two-year-old pacing colts was conducted during the Sunday twilight card at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, and as far as divisional supremacy is concerned – well, that’s nowhere near to being established yet.
 
The Always B Miki – Beach Gal colt Always A Miki now has two Sire Stakes victories, and is 3-for-4 lifetime, after tying for the night’s fastest stakes performer at 1:51.1 and earning a new mark. The Nancy Takter trainee was sent to the front near the quarter by driver Dexter Dunn and controlled things from there, seeing off closing pocketsitter Chase H Hanover by three-quarters of a length with back fractions of :55.2 – 27.3 for the ownership of Christina Takter, Goran Anderberg, Herb Liverman, and the Rojan Stables.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – The Rock N Roll Heaven gelding Bell I No was an unchallenged winner in the $16,000 top claiming handicap pace at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono on Saturday afternoon, his fourth straight victory – for four different trainers – and he was claimed for the fourth straight time from this class for the $30,000 tag.
 
George Napolitano Jr., the meet’s top driver and a five-time winner on the card, moved Bell I No to the lead in front of the stands and just had too much pace for his rivals, stopping the clock in 1:52. The winner of $348,391 was trained by Matias Ruiz and co-owned by him and James Mascola – and they made a nice profit on their seven-day “visitor,” $8000 for the winning purse minus “George Nap”’s commission and the week’s training fees.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
HONESDALE PA – The red-hot pairing of trainer Mitchell York and driver David Brickell improved on their recent record by going 5-for-5 with the barn’s starters during Pennsylvania Fair Sire Stakes action at the Wayne County Fair in Honesdale PA, including lowering the record for two-year-old pacing fillies at the northeast Pennsylvania oval to 2:01.1 with Tiamogonedancen.
 
The daughter of A Rocknroll Dance – Tiamo became the first horse to set two divisional track records this year, having paced in 2:00.1 at Clearfield, which is also faster than any baby colt on the state twicearounds this year. The precocious filly is unbeaten in three fair starts; her only career defeat came when she tried the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes pari-mutuel fillies, in a race won by Grace Hill –the only freshman to win three straight in the “big” Sire Stakes to date.