By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – The top purse offered on Tuesday afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania was $15,000, for two races for developing horses, one race on each gait.
 
They were also “big-money events” in another sense as well, because on a day where twelve of the fourteen races brought home a winner who paid $6.40 or less, the feature winners paid $42.80 on the pace and $22.80 on the trot.
 
20-1 shot Twin B Empress swept three-wide in the lane (avoiding an entanglement that involved the favorite) and dashed home to just catch pacesetter She’s Got It by a nose while reducing her mark to 1:53.2 in the top pace. Tyler Buter had the Always B Miki sophomore filly in a good spot to strike, and she made the most of the opportunity in winning for trainer Ron Burke, who had the distaff ready after 36 days away from the races, and the ubiquitous Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC ownership.
 
Avoiding trouble was also helpful to the Donato Hanover gelding Brickyard Rally, who went straight to the top at 10-1 in the feature trot and was not directly affected when the two race favorites broke, then held off 34-1 shot Soncando by three parts of a length while equaling his career best of 1:55.1. George Napolitano Jr., who tied for horsemen’s honors on the day with Braxten Boyd as they each had three winning steers, guided the winner for trainer/owner Ray Baynes.
 
Most impressive winner on the day was the veteran Kadabra trotting mare P L Notsonice, a career winner of $648,206 who sped around the Pocono oval in 1:52.1 while leading at every post. Anthony Napolitano drove the classy mare for trainer Anthony Faulkner , a newcomer fitting in nicely on the Pocono scene, and Elite Harness Racing LLC.
 
Pocono will be racing on a Saturday-Monday-Tuesday schedule starting at 1 p.m. until the end of the meet on Saturday, November 23. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha,org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 

WILKES-BARRE PA – In winding up the John Simpson Sr. Memorial stakes races for the year at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on Monday afternoon, the dominant players were the sophomore trotter Sir Pinocchio, who achieved one distinction while just missing two others in winning a division for his group in 1:51.4; trainer Åke Svanstedt, who sent out the divisional winners in the other three of the three-year-old diamondgaited action; and the pairing of driver Tim Tetrick and trainer Jim King Jr., who swept the races for two-year-old pacing fillies.
 
In his division of the Ayres stake for his group, like the others carrying a $30,000 purse, the Met’s Hall gelding Sir Pinocchio made the lead early for driver Jason Bartlett and laid down rapid fractions of :27. :56.2, and 1:24.1, then came home in :27.3 to leave Bryant Bros S (yet another Svanstedt horse) 4½ lengths behind at the finish in the sensational win for trainer Ed Hart and owner Carolyn Atherton.
 
The clocking, on a cool day, was just a tick behind the Pocono track record for three-year-old trotting geldings recorded by Pinkman in 2015. It also was just a fifth behind the fastest trotting mile of the year at the northeast Pennsylvania track, a clocking shared by Sig Sauer (the Breeders Crown winner this past Saturday) and Warrawee Michelle (yet another Svanstedtite who equaled the filly track mark in that time). The clocking did lower Sir Pinocchio's lifetime record by a fifth.
 
Having already won the first three of the four divisions, the second-place check for Bryant Bros S meant the green, black, and white had to settle for $52,500 in stakes earnings, after winning two Crowns and $914,250 in Crown purses over the weekend.
 
Svanstedt himself drove two of the three Ayres winners from his barn: the faster was the front-ender Flying Kronos S, a Face Time Bourbon colt who flew home in :55.4 to win in 1:53, a new mark in a race where less than a length separated the first four finishers. Flying Kronos S is owned by Midnight Sun Partners Inc., Bruni Racing Team Inc., and Kronos Breeding Inc.
 
Åke also drove the Six Pack colt Mr Bluebird as he won in 1:54, also flying his back half in :55.4 in triumphing for Åke Svanstedt Inc., Little E LLC, and Torbjorn Swahn Inc. Svanstedt drove another horse in the other trotting section, so frequent local Svanstedt deputy George Napolitano Jr. had the winning steer behind the Walner colt Southwind Metric, who continued on after his cover broke to win by three-quarters of a length in a lifetime best 1:53.4 for Westergaard Inc.
 
The Razzle Hanover was the stake for the baby pacing misses, and it carried at total purse of $100,200. The first division saw the Jim King barn go 1-2, and the other saw him send out finishers one and three.
 
First up was the Bettor’s Wish – Mcsauna miss Royally Hot, who has now strung together stakes wins in the Keystone Classic at The Meadows, the Liberty Bell stakes at Philly, and here her Simpson division in 1:53.2. Working gradually to the lead, Royally Hot had to keep the burners on late as she needed a :26.4 last quarter to stave off her barnmate Lyons Benz by half a length for Tim Tetrick LLC.
 
Pilar Hanover, a daughter of Papi Rob Hanover – Paula’s Best, also pulled off the Liberty Bell-Simpson double, authoritatively winning while recording a new lifetime speed mark of 1:51.2 for Jo Ann Looney-King and Paton Racing Inc. Beckoning Yankee got between the winner and her stablemate Lyons Anitasangel to thwart another 1-2 King finish.
 
The two multiple stakes-winning trainers were the only conditioners to have more than one win at Pocono on Monday, but no fewer than six drivers had a pair of victories: Jason Bartlett, Matt Kakaley, Napolitano Jr., Svanstedt, Tetrick, and Ridge Warren.
 
The current racing week concludes with a 1 p.m. card on Tuesday; there will be a carryover into the last race High 5 wager. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – On Saturday night, trainer Chris Ryder, newly-elected to the Hall Of Fame, won a Breeders Crown race with the sensational mare Twin B Joe Fresh, who may have clinched the Horse of the Year title with the win. But no resting on laurels – on Sunday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia, Ryder sent out the Cattlewash – Lispatty freshman colt Master Of The House, who won the $11,250 featured pace at the southeast Pennsylvania oval in 1:54.
 
Chris’ s son Patrick improved early position with the winner, then moved uncovered down the backstretch to go up and tackle pacesetting Lifeblood. In a two-horse breakaway Master Of The House proved the better by 1½ lengths while breaking his maiden for owners Craig Henderson and Lawrence Minowitz.
 
Co-featured was an $11,000 claiming handicap pace for high-priced competition. The Western Terror gelding Oh Coffee Bean was percolating with pace down the backstretch for driver Tyler Miller and swept past hard-used rivals, then made his lead stand up to the wire in 1:52.4. Oh Coffee Bean, now a winner in three of his last four races and twenty times in 2023-2024, is trained by Julius Czermann Jr. for owner Hamid Breedlove.
 
Need UR Opinion upped her lead as the winningest U.S.-based horse of 2024, with a sweep to the front before the three-quarters leading to a 1:52.1 triumph for driver George Napolitano Jr., trainer Dean Eckley (the meet leader), and owner Ameer Najor. The pacing mare with the winning ways had rung up fourteen triumphs in Delaware by July 1 and now has nineteen winners circle visits during 33 starts during the campaign.
 
(The North American leader is the pacer Hugh Heff, who in a coincidence also had fourteen wins in his first seasonal base, in Ontario, and then since going to Northside Downs in Nova Scotia has run off ten straight at the track’s top level, making him 24 for 38 with a bit more than two months left in the year.)
 
Tim Tetrick furthered his lead atop the Harrah’s driving standings by posting a four-bagger.
 
Racing resumes at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Thursday at 12:25. Friday’s card will feature a special 2:30 p.m. post to try to catch some of the Breeders Cup “crossover” crowd; that day and Sunday will feature the remaining races on both gaits in the John Simpson Sr. Memorial stakes series, with Friday showcasing two-year-old colts and Sunday’s 12:40 program highlighting three-year-old fillies. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – The John Simpson Sr. stakes series continued on Saturday afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, with $120,000 divided equally among four divisions of the Albatross three-year-old pace for males, and $117,010 distributed in three divisions of the Davidia Hanover for two-year-old trotting females.
 
Driver Tyler Buter, leading pilot on the day at Pocono with four visits to Victory Lane, teamed with trainer Nifty Norman for two wins among the stakes males. They both fulfilled he basic “blueprint” of the day’s stakes winners – be well-supported by the public, and race on or near the lead, that decision sometimes influenced by strong winds that varied in direction during the day.
 
The faster of the Buter/Norman successes were the Always B Miki gelding Its Saturday Night, who took a new mark of 1:51 on this Saturday afternoon. Its Saturday Night, the second choice, was used to make the lead, then pushed favorite Rush In to clear to the half and then sit a pocket journey. Buter kept the sophomore in behind the favorite until early stretch, then moved him out and ran down the chalk to win by the shortest possible margin for Dune Road Stables LLC.
 
The second of the pairing’s winners was the Bettor’s Wish gelding Wish You Well, who fit the “blueprint” in the opposite way from his stablemate: he was the favorite, and hr set the pace, getting his own fractions and holding on by a neck over the potential pocket rocket De La Hoya Hanover by a neck in 1:52.3. The winner, owned by Kovach Stables LLC, has now earned $485,440, tops among the card’s stakes winners.
 
Sire Bettor’s Wish got a second credit in this section when the gelding Arbitrage Hanover won for the ninth time in twelfth starts during 2024. Jack Pelling kept the favorite behind leading second choice Maxim Hanover for the meat of the mile, then turned his own last quarter in :27 to get home first by 2¾ lengths in 1:51.4 for trainer/father Brett Pelling and owners Pelling Racing LLC, Rojan Stables and Bridle Path Stables LTD.
 
The fastest Albatross winner was the Huntsville gelding Huntingforchrome, who shone in 1:50 while steaming home from the two-hole to catch Vengeance Blue Chip, bet to 1-2 vs. Huntingforchrome’s 2-1, by 1¾ lengths. The potent Pocono pairing of driver Matt Kakaley and trainer Travis Alexander combined to get a winning performance for NY Seb Inc.
 
The Davidia Hanover also saw a double win situation for a driver-trainer combo – driver Ridge Warren and trainer Marcus Melander, and again following the normal pattern of the day. The Gimpanzee-Zeta Wise AS miss and favorite Mimosatomartini S made every pole a winning one, setting her own pace then holding the pocketsitter Swoop by a half-length in 1:56.3 for Courant Inc.
 
Warren/Melander success also came to the Maharajah- Hot Mess Hanover filly Margareta Hanover, the odds-on favorite, in 1:56.4. Margareta Hanover was just behind a prolonged duel between pacesetter Halfadozen and Bouquet, then responded quickly when taken to the Pocono Pike and won by 1¼ lengths over the uncovered dueler for owner Russell Williams.
 
The fastest filly stakes winner broke her maiden while winning her cut in 1:56.2 – the Southwind Frank – Musical Morning miss Hangover. The winner’s five-horse field saw two horses break early and one starting to gap early, so this race was basically matchup between the winner and leading Princess Jackie, with the winner rallying to  a three quarters of a length margin on the money for driver George Napolitano Jr., trainer Åke Svanstedt, and the partnership of  Åke Svanstedt Inc., Joe Sbrocco &  JAF Racing LLC, Little E LLC, and Rivers Stable Inc. (And if we said that the winner was the third choice, especially in a five-horse field, the race still did follow the “bluepoint”: the favorite, who broke, was 3-2, the pacesetter was 8-5, and the winner was 9-5!).

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – Thursday afternoon racing returned to the basic fall schedule at Harrah’s Philadelphia, with the feature races a trio of $12,000 contests for horses looking to step up the classladder.
 
In the sole division devoted to pacers, Atoughnuttocrack was allowed to get away at 9-1 despite winning his last start in this class, and the Nutcracker Sweet gelding again posed for the photographer a second straight start after lowering his mark to 1:52.3. Corey Callahan got the sophomore to the lead early, then yielded to favorite American Warrior; he could then rally up the inside in the lane to catch the chalk by a half length for Team Cancelliere – trainer Tom and owner/brother John.
 
The faster of the two headliners devoted to trotters was the 1:56 mile turned in by the Bar Hopping sophomore trotting filly I See A Star. Ridge Warren moved the consistent miss to the top passing the stands for the first time and the pair were in charge from there, finishing 3¾ lengths clear. The winner, with a record of 3-3-3 in her last nine starts, is trained by Kerry Welty for owner Brian Emerson.
 
In the other section the Chapter Seven three-year-old colt Thinker Monkey recorded his second straight victory, taking 1:56.2 to cover the mile. Simon Allard had the winner moving well down the backstretch and went right on to the lead nearing the three-quarters, then withstood a resurgent Jesmach On Target by three parts of a length. Marcus Melander conditions the sophomore for Order By Stable AB and Daniel Plouffe.
 
Tim Tetrick won four races Thursday; unusually, the remaining ten races were won by five drivers taking a pair of victories each: Simon Allard, Troy Beyer, Corey Callahan, George Napolitano Jr., and Ridge Warren. Eddie Sager had a training double.
 
Friday’s 12:25 card is topped by action for fast-class veterans of the top levels: $15,000 and $14,000 trot and a $13,000 handicap pace. A week from Friday Harrah’s first post will be at 2:30 p.m. on the first of the two days of the runners’ Breeders Cup championships. Programs are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – On probably the last day the temperature will reach 80 degrees at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania for the next six months, Pressure Cooker (1:50) and Staying With Emily (1:50.2) won divisions of the $80,000 Hardie Hanover, the John Simpson Sr. stakes for three-year-old pacing fillies, while the two-year-old pacing gelding Dandy Ideal equaled the local standard for his division, 1:50.3.
 
The Heston Blue Chip filly Pressure Cooker was away on the boil for driver George Napolitano Jr., getting to the quarter in :26.2, getting a breather to the half in :55.1, then rattling off successive :27.2 splits to be three lengths clear at the finish while taking a new mark. The winner of three of her last four, all in stakes company throughout Pennsylvania (PA Stallion Series Final at Philly, a Keystone stake at Meadows, and now a Simpson stake here), Pressure Cooker is trained by Linda Toscano for Let It Ride Stables Inc., Odds On Racing, and Mac Nichol.
 
The Stay Hungry filly Staying With Emily made her way forward after hotly-contested numbers of :26.4, :55.;2, and 1:22.2 in her Simpson division, then held off the horse on her back, Parkavenuelisa (denying trainer Toscano a stakes double), with a neck success. Tyler Buter handled driving duties for trainer Ron Burke and owner Brad Grant.
 
Not only did the freshman gelding Dandy Ideal (American Ideal – OK Heavenly) defeat older rivals on Tuesday afternoon, but driver Braxten Boyd had to use the baby three times, yet he still responded late to equal the Pocono sectional mark of Yankee Bounty (2014) and also become the current listee on the track record table achieving his place latest in the year. Jenny Melander conditions the precocious baby for Exceed Stables LLC.
 
In further testimony to the day’s speedy conditions, eight trotters went in 1:55 or less in overnight races.
 
Matt Kakaley had four winners on the day, Tyler Buter and George Napolitano Jr. three.
 
Simpson series stake action continues when Pocono next races live, on Saturday at 1 p.m., with over $237,000 in purses marked for three divisions of freshman trotting fillies and four of sophomore pacing males. And of course racing fans can watch and wager on this weekend’s Breeders Crown Championships on Friday and Saturday evenings. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – The John Simpson Sr. stakes series started its 2024 run at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania during the Monday afternoon card. The two-year-old pacing gelding No Trespassing came within three-fifths of a second of the divisional track record with a 1:51.1 victory in one of two $58,000 events for his group, while Åke Svanstedt trained and drove two of the four winners in $30,000 sections of the stakes for three-year-old trotting fillies. Today’s races were called the Bret Hanover and the Elma, respectively (all Simpson divisions carry the name of a top horse with whom Simpson had some association throughout his Hall Of Fame career).
 
No Tresspassing, a son of  Sweet Lou – Flirtswell who in his last two outings missed a head in a “nw 2” race then was downed by a head in a Grand Circuit stake at Lexington, found himself on the right side of a photo on Monday. With the railshooting neck victory over Lochland Hanover while coming home himself in :54.3, No Tresspassing also came close to the ten-year-old divisional standard of Yankee Bounty at the mountain track while also recording a lifetime best. Jim Pantaleano guided the fast freshman for trainer Deborah Daguet and owners John Darrah and Lawrence Keethe.
 
The other division for freshman pacing males was won by the Papi Rob Hanover – Kiss Dont Bite colt Beach Club Monte in 1:52.1, a mark. The baby lost some ground to pacesetting favorite Inflation Proof on the far turn, then found better strides to run down the chalk by 1¼ lengths while himself closing in :55.1 for driver Tim Tetrick, and has now won two straight for trainer Brett Pelling and the partnership of South Merrick Stables and Andrew Berg.
 
The faster of Svanstedt’s pair of winners in the Elma for sophomore trotting misses (and the quickest sectional winner overall) was the Southwind Frank miss She Shaq, who lowered her mark to 1:53, going back numbers of :56.1 - :27.2. The winning diamondgaiter moved out raw nearing the far turn and overhauled favored frontstepper Sister Mary Maude by the day’s biggest stakes margin, 2½ lengths, for Åke Svanstedt Inc., Little E LLC , and Matt Franklin.
 
The Swedish native also sent out the Six Pack distaff Cocktailwithakick, who set all the pace to hold off Fannie Lipkowitz by a half length, with the others far behind. Cocktailwithakick lowered her speed mark to 1:53.1 while also giving  Åke Svanstedt Inc., partners with  S R F Stable, an owning double.
 
Joining Cocktailwithakick as the only winning favorites in Monday stakes action at The Downs was Sapphirerainstar, who broke her maiden in her last start and here picked up a stakes victory while going a lifetime best of 1:53.4. After sitting behind leader Diamante Hanover most of the mile, the winning daughter of Walner passed that rival to win by a length for driver Simon Allard, trainer Mark Akins, and A 1 Racing.
 
Completing this sector’s quartet of winners was the Uncle Peter filly She’s Spicy, who fashioned a 1:54.4 victory after two breaks: one early by a foe which allowed her to race in the pocket, and another by the pacesetter, which gave her a clear chance to come up the inside to defeat closer Mon Ami Martine by three quarters of a length. Jason Bartlett drove the pupil of Per Engblom for Morrison Racing Stables.
 
Braxten Boyd led the driving colony Monday by bringing home four winners, for four different trainers.
 
Simpson Series stakes action continues at Pocono on a card starting at 1 p.m. Tuesday, featuring $84,000 in purses between two divisions of three-year-old pacing fillies (the Hardie Hanover); there will also be a carryover into the fourth race Pick 3 wagering pool. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – The Liberty Bell stakes series for Pennsylvania-sired youngsters continued on Sunday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia, with three-year-old trotting colts and two-year-old pacing fillies providing the action.
 
The first of the two cuts of the $77,000 (total purse) Liberty Bell divisions for babies produced a 1-2 finish for trainer Jim King Jr., as the Papi Rob Hanover – Paula’s Best miss Pilar Hanover moved to the lead in front of the stands, got a moderate half, then darted home in :55.3 - :27.2 to be well-clear of stablemate Lyons Anitasangel at the end of the 1:53.1 mile. Tim Tetrick guided the winner as she added a Liberty Bell crown to her three Stallion Series triumphs for owners Jo Ann Looney-King and Paton Racing Inc.
 
Tetrick / King were right back in the winners circle after the second and faster division, with the Bettor’s Wish – Mcsauna miss Royally Hot after she lowered her mark to 1:51.3. The two-year-old showed racing technique beyond her years as he was caught in a shuffle on the final turn as the outer tier paced past the leader, but Tetrick (whose Tim Tetrick LLC owns the winner) was able to back her out to the two-wide flow and get her to accelerate quickly. Royally Hot, coming off a Keystone stakes victory, paced determinedly to go clear late of Beckoning Yankee, who won a three-horse photo for second ahead of Papi’s Opinion (third) and Lyons Benz (another Jim King trainee).
 
The pair of fields of trotting males divided a $60,000 total bounty equally. First to parade back to Victory Lane was the Bar Hopping gelding Usain Hanover, who quarter-moved to command for driver Tyler Buter, trotting a middle half of :54.3 to take control of the race, and winning by himself in 1:53.1. Now a winner of half his fourteen seasonal starts, Usain Hanover is trained by Nifty Norman for his own Enzed Racing Stable Inc.
 
The other stake trot provided a minor upset, as Blackhawk Zette was heavily-favored to record his eleventh win of the year. But the Greenshoe colt Luke The Spook proved the better sophomore on the day, moving uncovered down the backstretch and easily going by the pacesetting chalk while lowering his mark to 1:53 for driver Mattias Melander, trainer/brother Marcus Melander, and AM Bloodstock Inc.
 
Tim Tetrick had three wins on the day, George Napolitano Jr. one, which means that the two drivers who have between them won the last seventeen Philly dashwinning titles (Tetrick nine, Napolitano eight) are dead-even at 121 victories during 2024.
 
Thursday afternoon racing at 12:25 returns in the next live Philly card, as the track goes back to its normal fall schedule by following up with a 12:25 card Friday and a 12:40 program on Sunday. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Papa Doc took full advantage of the rail to set the pace, slowed the half, then sprinted home in :56 to bring his mark down to 1:53 in winning the $18,500 fast-class trot Saturday afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, an October day where eleven horses set lifetime marks, including every winning horse featured in this story.
 
Braxten Boyd left hard with the victorious Wishing Stone gelding and forced an early “near-lineup” – the call at the quarter was 1-2-3-5-4-6-7-8. With no early movers, Papa Doc could back the half down to :57, then sprinted home at high speed; even at that, Lava Field, after the pocket journey, was hot with late trot, just missing catching the winner, trained by Mark Ford for owners George and Rose Bonomo, by a head. Papa Doc notched his third win in his last five trips to the gate.
 
There was a quartet of $17,000 races for horses climbing the classladder to the fast-class ranks, two on each gait.
 
Southwind Celsius paced his last half in :53.4, most of the way uncovered, and still had enough to outfight pacesetting favorite Vici to the wire in 1:49.4. Anthony Napolitano kept the gelded sophomore son of Captain Crunch going on strongly to score for trainer Nicholas Devita and the ownership of David Hamm, Glenn Phillips, and Pit Bull Stable LLC.
 
Anthony Napolitano won both ends of the subfeatured paces as the other section went to heavy favorite Stay Grounded, with the Stay Hungry gelding having to go up first-over, but he still had enough to wear down pacesetting Vandiemen Bluechip in 1:50.1. Trainer Noel Daley is co-owner with Dean Ehrgott and Waldron Matthews.
 
The faster of the trotting events reinforced the fact that Super Duper Cooper, one of the most consistent horses on the New York stakes scene in his two years of racing, has really taken to Pocono, remaining undefeated in two starts and reducing his best to 1:52.4. Jason Bartlett sent the E L Titan gelding away quickly and let him control his fate, and no one could stay with the John Butenschoen trainee, now a winner of $341,347 and promising more for owners Timothy Drag, James Crawford IV, and Carl Austin Jr.
 
The other subfeature for the diamondgaiters was won by the Trixton gelding Scotty Deo in 1:54.1 for driver Tyler Buter, trainer Charlie Norris, and owners Carrie Norris and LJB Racing LLC. Racing on the engine, Scotty Deo was under serious pressure from an uncovered challenger on the far turn, but when that rival broke, the path to the winners circle was clear for the victor in three of his last five.
 
Fastest clocking of the day was a 1:49 mile from the Sportswriter gelding Sporty M Three for trainer Ron Burke and Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. However, it should be said he had a little help in establishing a mark: Stewardoftheland went out and put up mind-boggling fractions of :25.2, :52.1, and 1:19.4, keeping the lead until midstretch before giving way; meanwhile Tyler Buter moved Sporty M Three four-wide headstretch and paced over tired chasers for the victory.
 
The Napolitano brothers, Anthony and George, joined Tyler Buter in winning three races on the day.
 
There will be racing at Pocono on both Monday and Tuesday at 1 p.m., with the John Simpson Sr. stakes series starting up – events on Monday include races for freshman colt pacers and sophomore filly trotters, while three-year-old pacing distaffs will be in the spotlight Tuesday. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – The Liberty Bell stakes series for Pennsylvania-sired youngsters opened its fall stand at Harrah’s Philadelphia during a Friday night card of racing, and in the very first Liberty Bell event of 2024, the International Moni – Kristins Victory freshman trotting filly Country Victory set a divisional track record of 1:53.4 in winning one of that stake’s two $30,000 divisions.
 
Matt Kakaley sent the fleet freshman right to the lead and rattled off splits of :27.3, :57.1, and 1:25.3, then finished out in :28.1 to leave her opponents far behind while shaving a fifth of a second off the local mark set by Insta Glam in 2020. Trainer Melvin Schmucker and owner Yacht Club 140 LLC saw their two-year-old put her lifetime earnings into six figures with the triumph, and she also posted a lifetime mark.
 
The other baby filly trot also saw the winner turn in a lifetime quickest clocking, with the Southwind Frank – High Heels filly Elaine T S lowering her best by a fifth with a 1:56.1 score. Looped early by a 4-wide Bay Breeze Hanover, Elaine T S and driver George Napolitano Jr. pressed on to the lead as the crowd’s choice, had the field strung out much of the way, then kept her closest rival, two-holer Bay Breeze Hanover, away by three quarters of a length at the finish for trainer Åke Svanstedt and the partnership of Brochart Stable Inc., Ecurie Diocles AB, and Åke Svanstedt Inc.
 
There were also two $32,450 Liberty Bell sections for three-year-old pacing males. Matt Kakaley also won the first section for the sophomores with Vengeance Blue Chip, putting up quick numbers of :27.1, :55, and 1:22.3 with favored Rush In right behind him and the others in the field falling back in the late stages. Vengeance Blue Chip dug in tenaciously (a tribute to trainer Joe Pavia Jr., as the Captaintreacherous gelding had had only one purse race in the last 40 days) and fended off Rush In by half a length while taking a new mark of 1:49.4 for the ownership of Vincent Ferriero Jr., John Whitig, Donald Kayser, and Pint Size Racing LLC.
 
Tim Tetrick hooked up with the Stay Hungry gelding Armada Hanover to post a 1:51.1 victory in this group’s other section. Favored Solid Character went up early but quickly got the message from the streaking Armada Hanover to find a spot along the pylons and then was not a late factor; closest at the finish was the tuck-then-first-over De La Hoya Hanover, but his bid, while solid, came up three parts of a length shy. Brett Pelling conditions the winner for David Mc Duffee, Rojan Stables, and Pelling Racing LLC.
 
A $15,000 event was carded for the fastest overnight trotters at Philly, and the Bar Hopping gelding Keg Stand surmounted the outermost post with good gate speed, taking his field coast-to-coast while fighting off favored potential pocket rocket Mississippi Storm by one length in 1:52.2. Todd McCarthy had the drive behind the winner of $682,798 for trainer Nicholas Devita and the ownership of David Hamm and EVM Racing LLC.
 
The distaff fast-class pace was also worth $15,000, and in it the Four Starzzz Shark mare Elektra A beat out her stablemate, pacesetting favorite Talk Curdy To Me, coming up the inside from the pocket to tally for driver Corey Callahan in 1:51.1, with a neck separating the barnmates at the finish. 75% of the purse went to trainer Jeff Cullipher and Pollack Racing LLC.
 
A $14,000 fast-class pace for males saw Da Delightful, a son of Bettor’s Delight, get moved to the lead early by driver David Miller, then stay clear of grinding chalk I Did It MyWay by a length in a 1:50.4 mile with identical back quarters of :27.2. Mark Silva owns and trains the winner of $476,695.
 
Honors among the horsemen for the night were the triples for George Napolitano Jr. and Tim Tetrick on the driving side, allowing Napolitano to retain a two-win margin over Tetrick atop the local colony. Matt Kakaley, the leading driver at Pocono, had the only other sulky double. On the training side, Jeff Cullipher, who is second in the conditioners’ win standings at both Philly and Pocono, had a triple, and Åke Svanstedt had a double. Two of Cullipher’s winners were driven by Tetrick, and both of Svanstedt’s successes were handled by Napolitano.
 
Racing resumes at Philly on Sunday at 12:40 p.m., with sophomore trotting colts and freshman pacing fillies in the Liberty Bell spotlight. Thursday afternoon racing at 12:25 rejoins the Harrah’s regular schedule this coming week. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.