By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Uptown Hanover took her field wire-to-wire in winning the $17,500 featured pace for fillies and mares at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono on Monday afternoon. 
 
The daughter of Somebeachsomewhere was three-wide early and then two-wide most of the rest of the way to the :27 quarter; once on top, driver Marcus Miller could rate the half to :55.4, pick up the pace as a first-over move from favored Heartbreak Hotel brought that opponent to the leader’s wheel by the 1:123.1 three-quarters, and then keep his mare going strong to draw away from Heartbreak Hotel, winning by 2½ lengths in a new lifetime mark of 1:51.3.
 
Uptown Hanover has won eleven times during the 2022 campaign, contributing $123,548 towards her lifetime bankroll of $214,978. Trainer Jeff Cullipher co-owns the sharp mare with Pollack Racing LLC.
 
Better Watch It raised her record to 4-3-1-0 since joining up with owner Gilbert Garcia-Herrera, cutting the pace and stringing together a pair of :27.3 quarters at the end to take the $17,000 co-feature for distaffs in 1:52.1, a neck to the good of Miss Helen Hanover. Garcia-Herrera trains the daughter of He’s Watching locally, and George Napolitano Jr. did the driving as part of a double that brought him to only one behind season-long victory leader Matt Kakaley, 223-222.
 
Up-and-coming 22-year-old Braxten Boyd, seventh in the Pocono win standings, had the most productive sulky day with four victories.
 
The racing week at Pocono concludes Tuesday with a 1:30 card. 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 annual stand of the John Simpson Sr. Memorial stakes series, honoring the Hall of Fame horseman and executive, got underway on Sunday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia. The first group to be featured was the two-year-old pacing colts, competing in two $46,100 divisions of a race named the Bret Hanover, since all the Simpson Stakes carry a subname of a horse that was associated with Simpson throughout his long and storied career.
 
The faster of the two winners was Just Bet It All, who lowered his mark to 1:51.3 in rein to Corey Callahan for Philly’s top trainer Per Engblom and the ownership of Zippett Racing Stable, Evan Katz, and Amos Lengacher. A gelded son of Betting Line – Just Fine, Just Bet It All moved to the lead after a :27 opener and was in control of the situation through fractions of :56 and 1:23.3 en route to a 5¼ length triumph over Mac’s Delight. Favored Voukefalas, the winner of the NJSS final, an Arden Downs division, and a rich NJ Classic-A event, evidently needed the race after having competed only once July 30; having dull cover didn’t help him, but he didn’t show his previous kick in finishing fourth here.
 
Also enjoying Simpson stakes success on Sunday at Philly was the Captaintreacherous – KJ’s Justine colt Ken Hanover, a 1:53.4 winner. Marcus Miller and his favored colt followed a similar style of tactics as did Just Bet It All: be moving near the :28 opening quarter, take over for good in front of the stands, post fractions of :57.3 and 1:26.3, and then sprint home in :27.1, 2¼ lengths to the good of Captain Mikey. Rollie “Pollie” Mallar trains the winner, and he is the co-owner with Patrick Leavitt, William Jordan, and Dennis Osterholt.
 
The other big story coming – again – out of Philly was the very long streak of sulky form currently being exhibited by Simon Allard. Allard won four races on the day, the ninth consecutive Philly card during which he was either leading driver or co-leading driver for the program. During the three-week string, Allard has reported home first 32 times.
 
The two-year-old colt trotters will gather together for three divisions of a $104,010 Simpson Stake when racing returns to Philly on Thursday at 12:25; that same card will co-feature an extremely competitive field of fast-class trotters in a $22,500 handicap event. Program pages for the Philly races are or will be available at https://www.phha.org/harrahspps.html.  

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Shnitzledosomethin missed a neck to Stay Hungry in his Breeders Crown Final way back in 2017, and the now seven-year-old is still going strong, narrowing in on millionaire status and winning the $17,500 pacing side of the Saturday afternoon features at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono in 1:49.4.
 
Shnitzledosomethin fought to get the early lead, made favorite Casual Cool do more work to take over the top by a :26.1 quarter, only to go right back to the front before a :55 half. The son of Fred And Ginger then went a :26.3 third quarter with the wind, hoping to tire his foes out by getting to the three-quarters in 1:21.3, and the strategy succeeded; even though Casual Cool got closer in the lane, Shnitzledosomethin had enough in reserve to win by a half length over the chalk.
 
The red-hot teaming of driver Simon Allard and Pocono’s leading trainer Ron Burke is the braintrust behind Shniztledosomethin, who is owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Howard Taylor, and Rich Lombardo Racing LLC and who boosted his lifetime bankroll to $944,939.
 
On the trotting side, the lightly-raced but always-digging Explosive Matter six-year-old gelding Baldaquin rode lively cover to win in 1:56.2. The front end was much-contested, with fractions of :28.1, :57.4, and 1:26.2, and when they straightened away into the stretch headwind Baldaquin proved to have the most, winning by three-quarters of a length over Can’t Say No, who never said no despite being outside the whole mile. Marcus Miller drove the strong-closing trotter, who has a 35-13-10-7 lifetime scorecard for trainer Louise Pepin, co-owner with Steven Bryden.
 
Impressive in his Pocono debut was the Rockin Image sophomore gelding Dalby Hanover, who won his Indiana Super Final at age two and appears to have been rejuvenated by the mountain air. The three-year-old posted fractions of :26.3, :54.3, and 1:21 en route to taking a new mark of 1:49.4 for trainer Jamal Williams, owner Rising Stein Stables LLC, and driver George Napolitano Jr., who won three races to lead the local colony today.
 
Pocono will be back in action for Monday and Tuesday afternoon cards beginning at 1:30 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 – All three feature races at Harrah’s Philadelphia went in 1:50.2 on a seasonably-mild Friday afternoon, and the richest for his efforts was Pat McGarry A, who topped the top fast-class horses in a $16,200 handicap pace.
 
Joe Bongiorno hustled the winning Million Dollar Cam gelding away quickly then yielded to Lyons Steel, who had a three-race win streak interrupted by Lou’s Pearlman winning here last Friday in 1:49.1. Lyons Steel cleared to command by a :27 quarter and put up midfractions of :55.2 and 1:22.3, with Shadow Cat joining the frontenders by launching uncovered down the backstretch.
 
Turning for home Lyons Steel still held the lead, but Pat McGarry A got clearance along the inside, and despite a three-week absence proved the best of a competitive group with a 1¾ length victory over the pacesetter. The winner has now captured four of his last five starts (and paced a :25.4 third quarter raw in his lone defeat) for trainer/sister Jenn Bongiorno and M T Stables Ontario Inc.
 
Trendy Teen is also a winner of four of his last five races after taking his division of the $15,300 co-featured paces. The Always B Miki sophomore gelding was looped while wide early and did not take over until past the :27 opener, but from there he was in little peril, putting up fractions of :55.1 and 1:22.1 then drawing off by 4¾ lengths for driver George Napolitano Jr., trainer Per Engblom, and owner Brian Gordon.
 
The other section of the co-featured pace was won by P L Ozzy, a son of Sunshine Beach who dashed out to early command and widened his margin through fractions of :26.1, :55.1, and 1:22.4 en route to a three length decision. Montrell Teague guided P L Ozzy for trainer Dylan Davis, the latter also co-owner with Michael Casalino Jr.
 
Six different drivers won twice during Friday’s action at Philly: Joe Bongiorno, Corey Callahan, Russell Foster, Montrell Teague, Tim Tetrick, and Simon Allard. Simon would normally be listed first in traditional alphabetic ordering, but we saved him for last to bridge into this amazing statistic: Friday was the eighth straight card at Philly that Allard has been either top driver or co-top driver of the day, which may be some sort of wider-reaching record. During this span, Allard has gotten home first 28 times at the riverside oval.
 
When racing resumes on Sunday at 12:40, the card will feature two divisions of the John Simpson Sr. stakes series, in honor of the late Hall Of Fame horseman and executive, with every stake carrying a subname of a horse with whom Simpson was associated: Sunday’s two-year-old pacing colt event is called the Bret Hanover. The Simpson stakes will be featured throughout the next two weeks at Harrah’s Philadelphia. Program pages are or will be available at https://www.phha.org/harrahspps.html.                                                   

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – Storm Is Raging, who raced well without much luck throughout August and September, got a reasonable cover trip and was along to take the $22,500 featured handicap trot at a wet Harrah’s Philadelphia on Thursday, in a competitive event that saw the first five separated only by a length.
 
Double Account was first to the top around Crystal Fashion in a :27 opener, then yielding to favored Gangster Hanover only to be on the retake and getting some rest to a :57.1 half. Hayek, winner of three straight including a win in this class in his last start, took the uncovered route, with the Explosive Matter gelding Storm Is Raging following him well before the 1:25.1 three-quarters.
 
Double Account still had the lead turning for home, with Gangster Hanover trying to gain inside. Hayek continued on his determined grind, Storm Is Raging tipped wide for the drive, with Crystal Fashion backing out behind the winner and going widest to the wire. Any of the five looked to have a chance to win, with Storm Is Raging earning the 1:53.4 decision by a half length over Crystal Fashion; Hayek was another neck back of them, and Double Account and Gangster Hanover were both just a neck off Hayek.
 
Storm Is Raging now has 16 wins in 42 starts lifetime. Carl Cocciolone, Mark Sosovicha, and Jack Piatt III own the talented trotter, who had the red-hot teaming of driver Simon Allard and trainer Ron Burke behind him.
 
Unraced at two, the Father Patrick sophomore gelding Emerald’s Legacy is now seven for eleven in his career after a 1:54.2 victory in a $15,300 co-feature over a track that had turned “sloppy” a couple of races earlier. Emerald’s Legacy sat in the pocket behind Saverio Hanover as that one set fractions of :27.4, :57.1, and 1:25.3, then rallied in the passing lane to record a half length victory for driver Tim Tetrick, trainer Scott Betts, and the ownership of Timothy Betts, Nicholas Catalano, Keith Pippi, and Shanamphilankilou Inc.
 
Simon Allard continued his recent torrid streak in the sulky into this next week – he steered home four horses first on Thursday, giving him 26 winners in the last seven racing cards at Philly.
 
Fast-class pacers will be the headliners on the Friday card starting at 12:25, and then on Sunday at 12:40 freshman pacing colts will start off two weeks of the John Simpson Sr. stakes series. Program pages are or  will be available at https://www.phha.org/harrahspps.html. 

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Unless someone tied him at some point during Tuesday, the Dover Dan gelding Hand Dover Dan became the winningest three-year-old male trotter in North America, capturing the $15,000 trotting feature at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono in a career best 1:55.3 for his eleventh victory in 2022.
 
Anthony Napolitano sent the sophomore right to the front and had little trouble, putting up fractions of :28.4, :59.1, and 1:27.3 en route to a 3¼ length victory over pocketsitting 43-1 shot TNT Blue Chip. Purchased on September 1 by owner William Hartt after doing very nicely in Indiana stakes competition, Hand Dover Dan is now two-for-three under the care of trainer Lance Hudson.
 
When Yannick Gingras shows up at your track on a regular Tuesday afternoon for just one drive, you sit up and pay attention – and the trip proved very worthwhile for Gingras. Celebrity Bambino, a $120,000 yearling and now a two-year-old colt by Muscle Hill – Celebrity Ruth, sat in the pocket as Some Kinda Crazy set fractions of :28, :57.2, and 1:26.1, then came out for the stretch and powered by his fellow talented freshman by 2¼ lengths in 1:54.2 in a $13,000 event. The Ron Burke trainee, already a winner of $110,057, looks like he could be a major factor in the late-season stakes for Burke Racing Stable, J&T Silva Stables. Knox Services, and Phil Collura.
 
The meet’s leading driver Matt Kakaley tied with Marcus Miller in bringing home three winners on the card, tops among all sulkysmiths.
 
Action resumes at Pocono on Saturday as the mountain oval continues to follow it fall basic schedule of Saturday – Monday – Tuesday, with first post at 1:30 p.m. 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 – Village Jade had to make two early moves to get into position for a pocket trip, and then she was able to go forward a third time late to win the $17,000 featured distaff pace on Monday afternoon at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
 
The daughter of Bettor’s Delight, favored at 4-5, took command early, yielded to the onrushing Always B First, then moved out towards the :27.1 quarter, just in front of second choice Better Watch It. Village Jade went on to the top for a second time then yielded to Better Watch It, who took the field through midfractions of :56 and 1:23.2.
 
The pacesetter and the pocketsitter hooked up in a classic stretch duel, with Village Jade able to come on yet again to pass her game rival late by a neck, with the time of 1:51 a lifetime best for the four-year-old. The victory was a teaming of Pocono’s leading driver Matt Kakaley and its leading trainer Ron Burke, with Village Jade owned by the Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC partnership.
 
George Napolitano Jr. had four wins on the day, while brother Anthony had three. Matt Kakaley posted two wins, so the score at the top of the Pocono drivers standings is Kalaley 220, “George Nap” 215, with just over a month to go.
 
The racing week at Pocono at this time is Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday at 1:30 p.m., which means the final racing card of this week will be held on Tuesday. Program pages for all Pocono races are or will be available at https://www.phha.org/downsmsppps.html.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – A pair of $13,000 handicap paces for the top claimers at Harrah’s Philadelphia topped the Sunday afternoon card at the southeast Pennsylvania oval.
 
In the first feature, Gonnahaveonemore pushed My Wish Came True well past a :26.4 opener before surrendering the lead to the outside challenger, who put up a :55.4 half then disposed of the first-over horse at the 1:23 three-quarters. All this time Gonnahaveonemore and driver Ridge Warren were sitting in the garden seat, and in the stretch they were able to outdash the game pacesetter home by a half length in 1:52. Gilbert Garcia-Owen trains the altered son of Mach Three for Gilbert Garcia-Herrera and Barbara Arnstine.
 
The other division saw the red-hot Rickybobbynthehaus motor to his fourth win in his last six outings, setting fractions of :26.2, :55.1, and 1:22.4 for driver Marcus Miller, then drawing off by 2½ lengths over pocketsitting Tuxedo Bay in 1:52. He won Sunday for trainer Marc Mosher and owner Jerry Zollo; the bad news for that pair is that he was claimed, but the good news is that in seven days they gained $1,000 in purchase price plus this $6500 win purse, minus expenses.
 
A youngster who caught the eye during the card was the Sweet Lou freshman colt Loubet, who came home flying in his debut last week and did even better on Sunday. The baby was parked well past a :28.1 quarter to take over the top, but once he did he posted numbers of :55.4 and 1:23.2, then turned a two length advantage at headstretch into an 11¼ length devastation of the opposition at the end of a 1:52.1 mile. A dark horse for the late season stakes, Loubet is trained by Ron Burke for Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Michelle Yanek, and Phil Collura, and was driven by Simon Allard.
 
Allard continued his red-hot form streak at Philly, bringing six horses back to the winners circle. For the three-day racing week, he had thirteen victories, which has solidified his spot in second in the season-long sulky win totals, behind runaway leader Tim Tetrick.
 
Harrah’s Philadelphia is now conducting live pari-mutuel racing on Thursdays and Fridays at 12:25 and Sundays at 12:40; this week some spice is added by the Tuesday morning qualifying races, which will see several stakes horses coming off short layoffs in preparation for several rich racing opportunities still left to them before the end of the 2022 season. Program pages for all Philly races are or will be available at https://www.phha.org/harrahspps.html.             

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Looking like he could have been a factor in the big Allerage FFA Pace at Lexington tomorrow, Ruthless Hanover lived up to his name on Saturday afternoon at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, winning a $25,000 handicap commandingly in 1:49.1 in 50-degree weather and not with the easiest of trips.
 
George Napolitano Jr. was out with cover with the five-year-old Somebeachsomewhere gelding until the late on the first turn, then went up uncovered, passing the quarter in :26.4, making the lead the first time past the wire, and putting up midsplits of :54.2 and 1:21.3 while separating more and more from his opposition. Napolitano sat stone-still through the lane as Ruthless Hanover left millionaire Southwind Gendry five lengths behind for his third straight win since cutting the lightning pace in Allywag Hanover’s equaling of the Philly track record five weeks ago. Ruthless Hanover has now earned $322,173 for Team Cancelliere, trainer Tom and owner John.
 
A pair of $17,500 supporting features, one on each gait, also highlighted the Saturday card. On the pace, Ilikemebettor A indicated he has a bright future of him in North America, as the Bettor’s Delight gelding is undefeated after two Stateside starts, bettering his 1:50.2 time in his debut by a tick here. In neither race has Ilikemebettor A had an soft journey, Saturday spending good parts of early fractions of :26.2 and :54 two-wide, but the Aussie finally took over the point and just kept on rolling to a 1:22.2 three-quarters, then staying safe to the wire, 1½ lengths ahead of Shnitzledosomethin. Marcus Miller drove for trainer/father Erv, whose Erv Miller Stable Inc. shares ownership with Douglas Overhiser.
 
The co-feature on the trot went to the Credit Winner gelding Dee’s Red Delicious, who took advantage of opportunity and trotted on to victory in 1:53.4. Odds-on favorite Lexus Kody, going for his fourth straight win, was sent to the top and put up fractions of :28.1, :57, and 1:25.4, with Matt Kakaley keeping Dee’s Red Delicious close-up then going to the Pocono Pike. Whether “Delicious” would have caught the pacesetter will never be known because Lexus Kody broke in midstretch, allowing the winner to have a one length margin at the wire, with Lexus Kody placed from second to third for a breaking violation, elevating Focus Pocus to the second spot. Dee’s Red Delicious has now earned $397,375, and he is trained by Travis Alexander for Fiddler’s Creek Stables LLC.
 
Marcus Miller and George Napolitano Jr. each drove three winners during the afternoon’s action.
 
Pocono is currently racing on a Saturday – Monday – Tuesday schedule, with post time each racing afternoon at 1:30. Program pages for all Pocono races are or will be available at https://www.phha.org/downsmsppps.html.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – Lou’s Pearlman made short work of a talented field in the $16,200 featured handicap pace at Harrah’s Philadelphia Friday afternoon, winning off by himself in 1:49.1 to raise his lifetime earnings to $854.465.
 
Lyons Steel was assigned to the outside post five on the basis of three straight wins at the riverside oval, including two in the company, and indeed left quickly to take over before the eighth pole. But Lou’s Pearlman, the heavy favorite, was on the move before the quarter under the direction of Simon Allard to get command of the throttle, and from there the only question would be the time: Lou’s Pearlman hit the half in :54.4, the three-quarters in 1:21.2 (leaving Lyons Steel behind at that point) and then to his final clocking, 4¼ lengths to the good. Lyons Steel held for second ahead of Rau Ru, who had sat the third-in trip. 
 
This was the sixteenth career victory in 45 starts for Lou’s Pearlman, a son of Sweet Lou and the 2021 Little Brown Jug winner, for trainer Ron Burke and the partnership of Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Elizabeth Novak, and Howard Taylor.
 
The $15,300 co-featured pace saw the Sportswriter gelding Southwind Sandor equal his mark of 1:50.4. Southwind Sandor was directed to the lead by George Naploitano Jr. past a :26.4 and rolled on to midsplits of :55.2 and 1:22.3, at the last-named station being joined by P L Ozzy, who was the slight even-money favorite to “Sandor”’s 6-5. Through the stretch those two battled hard, with Southwind Sandor enjoying the advantage of 1¼ lengths at the wire for trainer Jeff Cullipher, co-owner with Pollack Racing LLC.
 
For the second straight day Simon Allard led all drivers at Philly, on Friday clicking four times; Allard has now climbed to second in the local sulky win standings behind runaway leader Tim Tetrick. Three of Allard’s wins came for trainer Ron Burke, who is also second in the local derby on the conditioners side, narrowing the gap between Per Engblom and himself to 50-46 with the better part of three months of racing still left.
 
This Sunday’s card is topped by a pair of $13,000 claiming handicap paces, featuring competitive (and well-traveled through claiming activity) fields. A week from Sunday the John Simpson Sr. stakes series begins, with at least one division featured each day through the close of October’s local schedule. program pages for all Philly races are or will be available at https://www.phha.org/harrahspps.html.