By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
​WILKES-BARRE PA – There were a pair of $17,500 contests, one on each gait, for horses making strides up the class ladder at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania during the Monday afternoon card.
 
The trotters produced a dramatic finish with five horses finishing with less than two lengths separating the five checkgetters. The winner was Scudo Hanover, who actually had the early lead then yielded through repeated lead changes of :27.4, :55.4, and 1:24.4. Driver Jim Marohn Jr. backed him out to second-over behind favored first-over Chuckthemillionair, then tipped him wide and got him up to tie his lifetime mark of 1:53.4 for trainer Robert Baggitt Jr., co-owner with Christine Baggitt and J L Sadowsky LLC. Durante Hanover rallied in the Pocono Pike to come up just a neck less photogenic, with pacesetter Karinchak, a blocked Kovu As, and Chuckthemillionair next in line and not far off.
 
The pacing contest, restricted to females, saw the Huntsville sophomore filly Fansville take her second straight Pocono victory after missing just a head in her NYSS Championship, on Monday reducing her mark to 1:51.2. Jack Pelling accepted the early pocket behind Send It Down Slim, who set fractions of :26.4, :56.2, and 1:23.4, watching the pacesetter duel with Jordanna Hanover, who went on a long uncovered excursion. Fansville got to the Pocono Pike and gained into the :27.3 final quarter – and needed to to defeat the resilient Jordanna Hanover by a half length. Joe Bongiorno trains the winner of $255,689 for Chain Lightning Stables LLC.
 
In a $15,500 trotting co-feature, Mischievous G, lighting up the board at $50.80, came up the inside after a pocket journey and won a 1:57.2 race which saw five horses within a length of each other under the wire. Driver Drew Chellis and trainer Wendy Chellis, the co-owners, have a steady moneymaker in the daughter of Cantab Hall, even though this was only the third career win for the five-year-old -- she hadn’t won since October 4, 2023 (and that in a dead-heat for first). But she has more than earned her keep, as Mischievous G has now amassed $136,653, with nineteen seconds and nineteen thirds giving her a 40% on the board lifetime clip.
 
The meet’s leading driver, Tyler Buter, further built up his lead with three victories. Doubling horsemen were drivers Braxten Boyd, Colin Kelly, and Jack Pelling, and trainer Pierre Paradis.
 
Pocono closes out its racing week Tuesday with a 1 p.m. card, headlined by a $15,500 feature for up-and-coming trotters; there will also be a carryover going into the fifth race Pick 5 wager and the last race High 5 bet. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
MEADVILLE PA – The Pennsylvania fair circuit came to the Crawford County Fairgrounds in westcentral Pennsylvania for a “two-day” program this Saturday and Sunday, and seeing as this was the longtime base of legendary Keystone horseman Walter “Boots” Dunn, it seems nice to see the name “Dunn” associated with the fastest mile ever at the fairgrounds oval.
 
But this Dunn is Richard Dunn, from way the other side of the state in Honesdale. Dunn is the trainer and co-owner, with MBC Stables LLC, of the Sweet Lou gelding Sweet Parlay, who won the 2024 Championship in this division, but he hasn’t raced much at the fairs this year. However, the situation he chose for his first fair win of 2025 was certainly an opportune one – despite being rimmed at every call, Sweet Parlay and driver Chris Shaw got home by open lengths in 1:57.4, shaving a tick off the all-time Meadville standard set by Midway Island in 2017.
 
Bettor Not (Captain Crunch), despite being among those trailing Sweet Parlay, nonetheless ensured himself of the divisional points championship and the cooler in stable colors, as he has too much of a margin with just one more fair stop to go, at Dayton this coming weekend. Also among the vanquished was Fasting, who has the fastest fair mile in 2025, a 1:54.4 at Gratz.
 
If not for the track record, the headline horse probably would have been Lionheart Hanover, a Greenshoe gelding who won for the thirteenth time on the twicearound circuit, the top figure among all fair racers. Lionheart Hanover, owned by driver Tony and trainer Linda Schadel and the fastest fair trotter at 1:58.2, was the points and Championship winner in 2024, and with this year’s points title assured, he approaches his Championship looking to be the first trotter and first male to do the “points-Championship” double, as the only horse to do so in the PaFSS 27-year history was pacing filly Bettor Strait N Out in 2021-2022, who happened to be handled by Tony and Linda Schadel. (As always, we note that the Harness Bureau of the Pennsylvania Horse Racing Commission is the final authority of the fair statistics, and any numbers here, calculated “on the fly,” should be checked with them.)
 
Lionheart Hanover’s stablemate, the pacing filly Milagro, also a 2024 champion and who tied the all-time fair mark for her division at 1:55.2 earlier, was looking for her own thirteenth win at the fairs, but she was defeated by Don’t Touch My T (trainer-driver Aaron Johnston) at Meadville. Meanwhile, Milagro’s trotting counterpart, the International Moni miss Tally The Tab, upped her win total to twelve for the fair campaign with a victory, her tenth in a row in the PaFSS, for trainer-driver Todd Schadel, co-owner with wife Christine. Both of these fillies are their division’s point champion.
 
The blanketwinners for highest point accumulations are now settled after Sunday’s sophomore action at Meadville, but bragging rights for both freshman filly groups are still up for grabs.
 
Perhaps the most interesting of the “uncertain” groups is the filly trotters, where the Father Patrick – Tymal Lux miss Pa Patricia went top of the group after her eighth fair win, tying her for the overall lead among freshmen, and sixth in a row for driver Chris Shaw, trainer Ashley Brown, and owners Sandy Petersen and Alexa Shaw. But Belle’s Victory still has a mathematical chance to take the top spot at Dayton. And what about Snow Queen Hanover, another who tied her group’s all-time all-fair mark of 2:00.1 earlier – she has three wins and a second in four starts, but even with a win at Dayton she would still have eight divisionmates who have accumulated more of the needed points to go in her Championship.
 
The two-year-old pacing fillies show Vegas Queen taking over the lead from Beachy’s Mistress (another eight-time winner), but the margin is only 24 points, and 35 points are awarded for a win. But whoever emerges with the crown at Dayton will surely go into the Championship having an eye on the Stay Hungry – Keepofftheflowers late bloomer Dancin Camille, who now has five wins in a row after a Meadville triumph for driver Chris Shaw, trainer Brian Indof, and owner Frank Indof.
 
Party Rock Hanover assured himself of the points championship with a third at Dayton, but that division has another late bloomer in Papi Hour (Papi Rob Hanover – Candleight Dinner), who was by far the fastest freshman winner at Meadville with a 2:01 victory for driver Dave Brickell, trainer Neil Balcerak, and owner George Prushnok. Papi Hour is 4-3-1-0 at the fairs, and you need five fair starts to guarantee your Championship spot if accumulating enough points, but if the baby can win at Dayton, he would go up to fourth in the divisional rankings.
 
That leaves the trotting colts, where R T Wonder Colt has grabbed the glory with thirteen 1-2 finishes in 15 starts so far, but the horse of the moment is Nose Jammer, an International Moni – By A Nose Hanover gelding who is the third eight-time freshman PaFSS winner, with the last seven in a row for Todd and Christine Schadel after his Meadville success.
 
Todd Schadel widened his seasonal lead atop the horsemen’s standings in both the driving and training categories while also winning the Meadville crowns with seven winners in each of the two categories. Aaron Johnston was second in both Meadville rankings with four winners.
 
The last fair stop of the 2025 campaign comes in the form of a 2-day event at the Dayton Fair (post time 1 p.m. both days), from which the races will be livestreamed (see https://pafairsracing.org) for further information). While most of the divisional point champions have been decided, there will be plenty of action as horses fight for spots among the top eight in their divisional standings, which would allow them to go on to their $25,000 Fair Championship at Pocono on Monday, October 13.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – The favorites made breaks in the $13,500 Sunday feature for developing males at Harrah’s Philadelphia, which gave the opportunity to the Captaintreacherous gelding Combative to win in 1:52.4 after an aggressive steer.
 
Rooney In Tune forced tucks early in a :27.1 opener, with Combative second and Falkirk third  after Best Chip lost his stride, and then heavy favorite Falkirk (who got an “i” call on his line after the early incident) moved off the first turn to command. As the chalk clicked off the half in :56.4, driver Mark Herschberger made a big brushing move with Combative, clearing into the backstretch and leaving Falkirk to flounder and then break stride trying to get back into the race. Combative, 9-1 on the board, got to the three-quarters in 1:24.2 and then had little trouble in the lane, with groundsaving Pyrenees Hanover (42-1) rallying for the deuce ahead of 20-1 Rooney In Tune, with Goodbye Stranger (30-1) fourth.
 
Joe Pavia Jr. trains the five-time seasonal winner for Steven Held, Pint Size Racing LLC, John Whitig, and Donald Kayser.
 
The $12,000 subfeatured pace for up-and-coming males was won in a cakewalk by the Tall Dark Stranger sophomore gelding Pack A Punch, who made the lead before the first turn for driver George Napolitano Jr., then threw a :55 last half haymaker that left his opposition far behind in a 1:51.4 mile. The winner of two of his last three succeeded for Team Cancelliere, trainer Tom and owner/brother John.
 
The top pace for the fast-class pacers carried a purse of $13,000, and in it Christopher Dance N won his fifth straight race after suffering an “ix” in his American debut. The son of Sweet Lou rallied in :25.4 in his last race to notch a dead-heat win with Lyons Steel; this time Johnathan Ahle  took command after a :27.2 opener, posted middle fractions of :55 and 1:23, then needed “only” a :26.4 dash home to be well-clear of a late-closing Oakwood Heymiki IR in the 1:49.4 mile for trainer Jeff Cullipher and owner Pollack Racing LLC.
 
In the $11,000 second-level fast-class pace, Seven Colors, a son of Stay Hungry and a winner of $1,084,936, has now paced to a 1:49.3 victory in his last two starts at Philly despite hard early involvement. Starting from the outside post seven on Sunday, Seven Colors needed until the three-eighths to get the controls then had first-over pressure in wicked fractions (:25.4, :54.3, 1:22), but he showed his class and dug in for a three-quarter length victory over Wehadababyetzaboy for driver Jack Pelling and trainer Andrew Harris, the latter co-owner with William Pollock and Bruce Areman.
 
Speed honors on the day went to the Always A Virgin gelding Big Gulp, who sat in the two-hole behind huge fractions, moved out in the stretch, and reduced his lifetime mark to 1:49.2 for driver Simon Allard, trainer Ed Gannon Jr., and owners Jeff Fought Racing and Brian Carsey.
 
The Auckland Reactor N gelding Juddy Douglas A had a short but profitable stay with trainer Josue Garcia and owner Anthony Ventriglio, here taking his second straight $11,000 claiming handicap pace for the top-priced horses at the track while equaling his mark of 1:50.4. Jack Pelling moved “Juddy” for the second time to take over the lead in front of the grandstand, and then the pacer met a stern challenge from first-over Santafe’s Coach for the last three-eighths of a mile, finally defeating that rival by a half-length. Ventriglio and Garcia earned $11,000 in two starts with Juddy Douglas A, minus expenses, as he was claimed out of this event.
 
Jack Pelling took honors with four winning drives, for four trainers including his father Brett. Driving doublers were Simon Allard, Mark Herschberger, and Troy Beyer; Beyer’s is worth an extra mention because they both came for the meet’s leading Izzy Estrada, including a win payoff of $74.40 (one you don’t associate with meet leaders) with Capo Bovino.
 
Harrah’s Philadelphia will now be “dark” for live racing until Friday, October 10, as the racing surface gets a refurbishment; Harrah’s Philly will still be open for simulcasting.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – The three-year-old Manolete took no backseat to his elders in the $20,000 fast-class pacing feature at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on Saturday, with the son of Cattlewash taking both his second straight win at the northeast Pennsylvania oval and a new mark of 1:49.2.
 
Trainer Bruce Saunders again tapped Brett Beckwith for the catch-drive behind Manolete, and Beckwith made the lead in the middle of the first turn before a :26.3 opener, then pushed brushing favorite Voukefalas a ways before surrendering the top to sit in the golden chair. The chalk posted middle numbers of :54 and 1:22, repelling any outside hopefuls, but the major danger lurked right behind him, and when Beckwith gave him the green light, the sophomore responded strongly, winning by three-quarters of a length when seeming in more control than the margin might suggest – or maybe that’s his preternaturally-calm Rising Star award-winning driver.
 
Manolete now has earnings of $460,925 for M&L Of Delaware LLC and M&M Harness Racing LLC.
 
There were also a pair of races at the top two levels for developing horses, each class with one race on each gait. The contests for $17,500 saw the pacing side go to the Huntsville gelding Gretzky The Great, who was claimed for $30,000 last week and promptly handled the switch to conditioned company, proceeding steadily to the lead, then digging down to withstand favored Makes Sense’s late bid by a half length in 1:52. Gretzky The Great was driven by Matt Kakaley for the horse’s new connections, trainer Darren Taneyhill and owner P T Stable.
 
In the higher-level trot for horses on the improve, Daiquiri Hanover atoned for an error when looking in contention for a triumph in his previous start, sitting in the two-hole until headstretch and then going on to a 1:52.3 victory for driver Tyler Buter, trainer Tony Alagna, and owners Adam Hawthorne, Jade Hatfield, and Itzak Madae, whose son of Bar Hopping has now won three of his last four.
 
In the $15,500 trot for the up-and-comers, the altered Love You sophomore Beaujolais Breeze took advantage of sitting the pocket trip behind Craigieburn, then raced  by that one at headstretch and went to a 1:55.4 victory for driver Brett Beckwith, trainer Nifty Norman, and the ownership of  Tom Vassiliou, Deo Volente Farms LLC, Thomas Pontone, and Enzed Racing Stable Inc. 
 
In the pacing event at this level, the three-year-old Cattlewash gelding Tom Horn dictated the tempo then withstood potential pocket rocket Chief Bogo by a neck to lower his lifetime best to 1:50.1 for the meet leaders, driver Tyler Buter and trainer Ron Burke, and owners Burke Racing Stable LLC, W Donovan, David Miller, and J&T Silva- Purnel & Libby.   
 
Buter had four winners on the card, two of them for Burke. Horsemen with doubles were drivers Brett Beckwith and George Napolitano Jr. and trainers Burke, as mentioned, and Darren Taneyhill.                                                              
 
Racing at Pocono continues on Monday and Tuesday, with first post each day 1 p.m. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
​CHESTER PA – The three-year-old filly Asphalt took on older foes in the $14,000 fast-class handicap pace for pacing females on Friday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia, and although taking a while to gain command, the daughter of Papi Rob Hanover left no doubt of her superiority with a 1:50.3 victory.
 
Jack Pelling got Asphalt away outside in third as Pressure Cooker took over early command from Remy Brown N, and when the latter kept the hole closed behind the leader, Asphalt got into the front-end mix past the :26.2 quarter and made the lead under the wire the first-time – but soon found the pesky Remy Brown N outside of her, forcing her to go to the half in :55 and the three-quarters in 1:22.3 before the first-over faded.
 
Pressure Cooker, after enjoying a fine journey before the duelers, took her shot in the stretch and raced well, but the sophomore enjoyed a length advantage at the wire. Jack’s father Brett trains the 7-for-12 seasonal winner for owner Margaret Dey.
 
There was a pair of $12,000 co-features for up-and-coming horses. The contest for pacing distaffs went to the In The Arsenal filly Neil’s Diamond, who took a lifetime mark of 1:52.3 despite a tough two-move trip.  Simon Allard got the three-year-old to the lead with an uncovered move around the far turn, and the pair held off late-closing favorite Pirate Princess, who was hindered by traffic woes, by 1¼ lengths for trainer Jeffrey Smith and the partnership of Joseph Jannuzzelli and Steven and Joseph Williams.
 
In the trotting co-feature, I’m Early Hanover, winner of three of his last five, darted out to command, but Clear For Landing, winner of three straight before miscuing last time, soon went up to challenge, and the latter took over just past quarter. This pair went 1-2 around the racetrack, with the Tactical Landing sophomore gelding Clear For Landing unthreatened in the lane while reducing his mark to 1:55.2. Simon Allard completed a sweep of the co-features with the victory for trainer Per Engblom and Consus Racing Stable Inc.
 
The feature-winning drivers, Allard and Pelling, also were the day’s big wins in total number of victories with three each.

Harrah’s Philly will stage a live 12:40 card on Sunday, featuring racing for all manner of upper-class pacing males. After that program, the track will go dark for live racing until Friday, October 10, so that the track racing surface may receive some refurbishment; simulcasting will be open at the southeast Pennsylvania oval during the “dark” period. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – Mr Bluebird hadn’t raced in 21 days before taking the track as the favorite in the $14,000 feature race for developing trotters on Thursday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia, but as it has been in the past the horses of trainer Åke Svanstedt are usually ready whenever they go the post, and Mr Bluebird went on to his fourth straight victory, this time in 1:54.3 over a “good” surface.
 
Johnathan Ahle sent the son of Six Pack to early command, yielded before the :27.3 opener, but was soon back on the move to the top and got a :57.2 breather to the midpoint. Second choice Super Duper Cooper came uncovered down the backstretch, reached the leader by the 1:25.4 three-quarters, and tried hard through the stretch, but Mr Bluebird had enough in reserve to win by 1½ lengths for  Åke Svanstedt Inc., Little E LLC, and Torbjorn Swahn Inc.
 
The co-feature trot for upcoming horses, worth $13,500, went to the Bar Hopping gelding Honolulu Hanover, a 1:54.3 winner just after the track rating had been upgraded to “fast.” Honolulu Hanover, the close second choice, sat behind favored Goodgirl Bi IT much of the mile, then came outside and said “adios” (or should that be “aloha”?) to that rival in tallying for driver George Napolitano Jr., trainer Ron Burke, and Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, William Switala, and James Marin.
 
The two fast-class trot races took place over a “fast” track. The most accomplished of these diamondgaiters met for $13,000 in a handicap event, with Southwind Tyrion odds-on despite the outermost post seven, trying to be another Svanstedt-off-layoff (28 days) winner.
 
Southwind Tyrion went past Asteroid, a former barnmate of his in the Svanstedt shedrow, on the first turn and put up fractions of :27, :56.3, and 1:23.2. But Asteroid stayed close enough to be able to mount an inside stretch charge, and Asteroid “out-Åked” the chalk by being ready after only a qualifier since his last start on July 7, getting up by half a length in a notable 1:52.1  on a day not conducive to speedy miles. Corey Callahan rallied the Creatine gelding to the victory for trainer Jeff Cullipher and Pollack Racing LLC.
 
The $11,000 sub-feature for the fast-class diagonally-gaited set also fell to Team Cullipher / Pollack, as the Bar Hopping gelding Usain Hanover went even faster than Creatine did in the feature, crossing the wire tons the best in 1:52. Jack Pelling pointed him to the front early then let his powerful charge take care of the rest, leaving a good field far behind.
 
Svanstedt and driver Ahle did team for another victory on the card, with the striking piebald (dark body with white patches) freshman colt Nebbiolo, by Captain Corey – Via Lattea IT, who won his second straight in 2:00.2 - :58.2 - :28.3 over a “good” surface for Knutsson Trotting Inc.
 
Many-time Philly driving champion George Napolitano Jr. drove five winners on the afternoon, including two for trainer Ron Burke. Of the other sulky doublers, Jonathan Ahle got both of his pair for trainer Åke Svanstedt, as noted; Troy Beyer got both of his two for trainer Jim Campbell; and Corey Callahan got one of his two for trainer Jeff Cullipher, who wound up as noted as a doubler in the fast-class trots.
 
Racing continues at Harrah’s Philadelphia with a Friday 12:25 card and a Sunday 12:40 program; the track will then go dark for live racing until October 10 as the racing surface undergoes refurbishment, but simulcasting will still be available. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Made Of Dreams continued her recent run of good form upon shipping from Saratoga to Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on Tuesday afternoon, winning her third race in her last five trips to the gate with a lifetime best 1:53.3 mile in the $15,500 headliner trot.
 
The Chapter Seven sophomore filly bided time outside after the start then was put into gear shortly past the eighth by driver Braxten Boyd, making the lead just past a :28 quarter and then keeping control through middle fractions of :57 and 1:25. Master Of Dreams double her lead from 1¾ lengths entering the final turn to 3½ lengths going under the wire.
 
In five starts since taking off trotting hopples, Made Of Dreams has the three victories, a second in the New York Excel Series final in her race before the Tuesday win, and a checkgetting effort in a Delmonica Hanover consolation here at Pocono. She was put in the care of trainer Per Engblom since a recent purchase by Peaceful Acre Farm.
 
Braxten Boyd, who had three winners on the day to tie meet leader Tyler Buter and Simon Allard for the day’s honors, also guided the winner of one of the two $14,500 pacing co-features. The Control The Moment gelding Shining Moment was also successful in his second start for new connections, in his case trainer Bill Mullin and owner Howard Taylor, with Boyd rallying the three-year-old from far back to be along in time in 1:54.
 
The faster pacing co-headliner was the 1:52.1 mile of Master Of The House, which saw the three-year-old altered son of Cattlewash leave in :26.3 to the lead then tack on identical :27.4 panels coming home to complete the victory. Simon Allard was in the sulky for trainer Chris Choate and owners Timothy Drag, James Crawford IV, and Rich Preziotti.
 
Pocono is currently racing on a Saturday-Monday-Tuesday schedule, and thus the next local card will be held on Saturday at 1 p.m. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – A pair of $15,500 contests, one on each gait, for horses climbing the class ladder were the featured events on Monday afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, on a day when either pacesetting or pocketsitting positioning produced all of the winners.
 
In the feature for pacing distaffs, the sophomore Huntsville miss Fansville, coming off a head loss in her $300,000 NYSS Championship, proved her class and reduced her mark to 1:51.4. Jack Pelling sent the three-year-old to control before the :26.4 quarter, then let outside challenger Bequeath go before reclaiming command before a :55.4 half.


Au Jus Hanover put in a stern challenge down the backstretch and to the 1:24.1 three-quarters, appearing to poke a nose in front, but Pelling again called on his filly, and she responded to win by 3 1/4
lengths over the first-over challenger, with Shesgotthejack third ahead of Bequeath. Joe Bongiorno conditions the winner for Chain Lightning Stables LLC.
 
In the trotting headliner, the Jailhouse Jessie gelding Bo Silas enjoyed a two-hole journey behind Stevie Ray as that one posted fractions of :28.1, :58, and 1:27, then moved to the Pocono Pike and went to the lead en route to taking a lifetime best of 1:56.1. First-over Foxy Joyce was along for second, with Stevie Ray third behind the Anthony Napolitano-driven winner, who is trained by Mike Watson for owner Clifford Grundy.
 
Matt Kakaley led all drivers with four victories during the card.
 
As noted, pacesetters and pocketsitters predominated on this day – nine leaders at the half and five two-holers won in the fourteen races. That trend held even in the last race, where Tictoctimesup, who had never hit the board in fifteen career starts, charged out to the lead, rebuffed a midrace move by the 1-9 favorite, then held sway to the wire over a wall of horses to blow up the tote at a $133.00 win mutuel, second-highest price of the year.
 
It was the second straight Pocono card where a bomber scored in the finale – P L Quinella won on Saturday at $65.00, the trotter’s meet-leading third $50+ win payoff. But this horse has nothing on driver Anthony Napolitano, who drove both P L Quinella and Tictoctimesup. It’s hard to believe that the players keep missing “ANap,” third in wins at the meet behind Tyler Buter and Anthony’s brother George, but he is now the driver of ten 2025 Pocono winners paying $50 or more – the next-nearest total is four.
 
Pocono closes out its racing week with a 1 p.m. program Tuesday, with a double carryover awaiting players in the last race High 5 pool, largely thanks to Anthony Nap. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – In the blue corner (check the driver colors), there was Lyons Steel (Simon Allard), a noted lover of the Harrah’s Philadelphia oval and a winner of $868,996 going into the race. In the red corner was Christopher Dance N (Johnathan Ahle), a recent Stateside import who had won his last three races.
 
In the $13,000 fast-class featured pace at Philly, Lyons Steel got the inner post (two vs. three) and controlled the pace through dawdling fractions of :27.3, :56.4, and 1:25.1. In the stretch Christopher Dance N came from the pocket to challenge, and neither would give in a step.
 
The last quarter was in :26 flat. The mile was in 1:51.1. And Lyons Steel and Christopher Dance N were both winners – the photo finish could not separate them on the line. Lyons Steel, a Rock N Roll Heaven gelding, is trained by Jose Ramos for owner BD Racing LLC, while Christopher Guest N is conditioned by Jeff Cullipher for Pollack Racing LLC.
 
In the $11,000 co-feature for the fast-class pacing set, Seven Colors had a challenger at him most of the way in the mile, but still held on for victory in 1:49.3. The son of Stay Hungry, a winner of $1,079,436 including his Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Championship in 2023, went on past a :26.2 quarter as a parked challenger could find no hole, then finally got him in behind in a demanding :53.3 half. 19-1 Divine Right moved down the backstretch first-over and challenged the winner hard to and past the 1:22 three-quarters, but driver Jack Pelling kept his horse rolling for the tally over the first-up horse for trainer Andrew Harris, co-owner with William Pollock and Bruce Areman.
 
A $12,000 pace for developing male horses saw White Lotus make two speed moves during a :27 opener, then yield to favored Pack A Punch to sit in the two-hole during midsplits of :55.1 and 1:23.2. Simon Allard moved the Tall Dark Stranger three-year-old colt out for the stretch and outfought the pacesetter en route to reducing his lifetime best to 1:51.2 for conditioner Per Engblom and owner Morrison Racing Stables.
 
In an $11,000 handicap event for high-priced claiming horses, the Auckland Reactor N gelding Juddy Douglas A responded after a claim in his last start and moving into the barn of trainer Josue Garcia,  winning in 1:51. “Juddy” was sent three-wide late in the backstretch by driver Jack Pelling and circled embattled leaders to the lead by the three-quarters after splits of :26.4, :56, and 1:23.4, maintaining a safe margin through the lane with a :27.1 kicker for owner Anthony Ventriglio.
 
And then there was the Sweet Lou gelding Easy Lou in a second-from-bottom conditioned class, where on the engine he went :26.4, :53.4, and 1:20.4 en route to lowering his mark by two seconds to 1:49.1. Simon Allard got maximum speed out of Easy Lou today for trainer Eddie Sager and owners Gary Weidelman and Howard Taylor. Allard had four driving victories to lead the Sunday sulky colony.
 
This week Harrah’s Philadelphia will be racing on Thursday and Friday at 12:25 and Sunday at 12:40, then will take a short break for track refurbishment, reopening on Friday, October 10. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – 22-year-old driver Brett Beckwith, the Dan Patch Award winner for Rising Star earlier this year, came to Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on Saturday afternoon and showed local fans that the U.S. of A. has a chance for the World Driving Championship in New Zealand in November with him as representative.
 
The young phenom won five races on the card, including the $27,500 featured fast-class pace with Spring Inhisstep A in 1:49.1. Beckwith guided the Somebeachsomewhere gelding to the lead before the :26.3 quarter, posted midsplits of :55 and 1:22.1, then kept his pacer rolling with mild vocal encouragement, keeping him 1¼ lengths clear of inside rallier Congressional to the wire. Spring Inhisstep A, now a winner of $452,036, is trained by Jeff Cullipher for Pollack Racing LLC.
 
Beckwith also had the sulky duty behind Manolete, who found a dropdown from facing some of the nation’s best colts just the rejuvenating ticket in a $20,000 pace for horses on the rise, with the Cattlewash sophomore colt taking a new mark of 1:49.4. The three-year-old did not get an easy trip: three-wide through much of a :26.4 quarter, coming first-over not much past a :54.2 half, then attacking pacesetting Odds On Wildfire through and past a 1:22 three quarters. But Beckwith appeared to know exactly what he needed to win, and his colt delivered nicely from trainer Bruce Saunders and the ownership of M&L Of Delaware LLC and M&M Harness Racing LLC.
 
“Double B” wasn’t done there winning feature races. He captured the first of two $17,500 subfeature contests for upcoming horses, this one on the pace, with the Captaintreacherous gelding Magnifico Hanover in 1:50. “Magnifico” worked to the lead by quarter, then put in successive back quarters of :27.2 to be in control for trainer Cote Keim, co-owner with Deo Volente Farms LLC and Thomas Pontone.
 
In the subfeature for up-and-comers on the trot, very few thought Brett could pull off a four-race feature sweep with 24-1 Green Mel, especially when that one made a break early. However, the race was a bizarre one, with heavy favorite Daiquiri Hanover appearing ready to go by on the far turn but then misstepping, taking 78% of the win pool with him. Green Mel was rallied by Beckwith and did come back to get second, where he stayed after a brief inquiry.
 
The horse who won may be the strangest story of all: the Kadabra gelding P L Quinella, driven by Anthony Napolitano for trainer Anthony Faulkner and owner Jaypaul Hoover. He had worked out a pocket journey, got a second life after the favorite jumped sweeping by, and was able to rally for the tally in a new mark of 1:53.2.
 
And he paid $65.00 to win -- which is actually the lowest price he’s paid in winning each of his last three starts at Pocono: he returned $81.60 on August 19, and a week later he won again at $66.00. Shipping to Tioga but not finding success, P L Quinella returned to the mountain oval Saturday and again blew up the board. The three bomber prices puts the horse top of the equine list; driver “ANap” has nine $50+ payoffs (no other driver has more than four); and trainer Faulkner now ties Darren Taneyhill in that trainers standings with three upsetters. The High 5 wager horses were, in order, 31-1, 24-1, 30-1, 13-1 (he was the second choice), and 22-1; yes, there will be a carryover into the next High 5 pool.
 
Pocono’s action will continue with Monday and Tuesday cards beginning at 1 p.m. In addition to the last race High 5 carryover mentioned above, the Monday card will find the Pick 5 in race five on Monday having a double carryover for bettors to aim for, along with a carryover into the first race Superfecta. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.