By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – You Got Me raced to a strong 1:54 engine victory in the $15,500 featured claiming handicap trot Monday afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania.
 
All of the five outermost starters were away briskly, with You Got It, a four-year-old son of Chapter Seven, parked with cover well past the :27.4 quarter, then going on to the lead approaching the second turn and a :56.3 half. Once on the point the winner left no doubt he was going to be best this day, passing the three-quarters in 1:25.1 then stretching a two length stretch margin to six lengths at the wire for driver George Napolitano Jr.
 
The only negative note for the horse’s connections, trainer Joe Pavia Jr. and owners Vincent Ferriero Jr., Jeffrey Glenn Hess, and Pint Size Racing Stable LLC, is that they are no longer the horse’s connections, as the winner was taken on a $31,250 claim. At least You Got Me departs leaving a $7750 winner’s check behind.
 
The Tuesday subfeatures were a quartet of $15,000 events for classclimbing younger horses, with two races for each gait. The pacing males were led by Yankee Clout, a Sweet Lou gelding who won by a nose here in his last start in 1:52.2, then here doubled his winning margin – to a head – while tying his newly-established best. The pocket rocket caught pacesetter Always B Elvis for Team Whelan – driver Michael and trainer Walter – and owner Christopher Nicol.
 
In the distaff pace, the Roll With Joe three-year-old filly She’s Got It (no relation to feature winner You Got It, starting with the gait) had finished second in a photo in her last three starts, but here she was on the winning side of the picture while lowering her mark four seconds to 1:52.4. Matt Kakaley raced the winner on the lead, shook off the outer tier opposition, then withstood a late burst by 48-1 shot Big City Daisy to win by a nose for trainer Cory Stratton and owner James Crawford IV.
 
The trotters were not divided by sex. In one section, the Ready Cash sophomore gelding Big Ben Pellini S, who authored a 1:52.1 mile here on a 91-degree day in July, didn’t need to go as much during Tuesday’s 48-degree climes, working up to the lead past the first turn and winning fairly comfortably in 1:55.3. Ridge Warren handled the three-year-old, unraced at two and a winner in half his eight starts, for trainer Åke Svanstedt and Order By Stable AB.
 
In the other subfeature trot, the Alarm Detector mare Shiny New Penny saved every bit of ground, then had enough late to defeat Kelly’s Greatest by a neck in 1:55.4. The winner, owned by Jaypaul Hoover, was driven by Ridge Warren and trained by Anthony Faulkner, who both appear in the next paragraph.
 
Tyler Buter posted four driving victories on the day; Ridge Warren had three. Trainer Anthony Faulkner sent out two winners, after just rejoining the ranks of conditioners after twelve years away; Robert Cleary also harnessed a pair of winners.
 
Racing resumes on Saturday at 1 p.m. with a solid band of overnight horses across many classes. On Monday’s and Tuesday’s cards, both of which also begin at 1 p.m., there will be Simpson Series stakes action for freshman fillies and sophomore pacers, with in excess of $450,000 scheduled to be on the line in the stakes competition. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Dancing Lew, dismissed at 18-1 despite a third and a fourth in the same class since coming from Tioga, went wire-to-wire in the $15,500 featured claiming handicap pace Monday afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, nosing out the potential pocket rocket Oakwoodnitownit IR in 1:52.4 as the temperatures clearly reflected the oncoming of fall.
 
Ridge Warren hustled the altered son of A Rocknroll Dance to the lead fairly easily despite post seven, and the pair put up fractions of :27.3, :56.4, and 1:24.3. Expected challenges from horses in the wide tiers failed to materialize, but Oakwoodnitwnit IR surged in the Pocono Pike nearing the wire, with the Edgar Clarke trainee winning by the slimmest of margins for owner William Emmons.
 
In a $15,000 trot for developing horses, the Cantab Hall three-year-old gelding Breezy Hall ran his winning streak to three with an easy victory in 1:55.4, unfazed from having to go first-over. Philip Scott Sonsteby trains the winner, and his Philip Scott Racing Stable co-owns him with Bay Pond Racing Stable.
 
Breezy Hall was handled by Matt Kakaley in his last drive of the day at Pocono, bringing his win total to six after taking the first three races on the card as well while solidifying his perch atop the local sulky colony. Ridge Warren had a fine day with four winning drives, sweeping the Late Double after Kakaley accounted for the Early Double. Also getting a mention in this “horsepeople with accomplishments” section is trainer Cher Beaudin, who has sent out only a handful of horses since starting out at Sudbury Downs in 2009, harnessing her first winner, Fox Valley Ren.
 
Pocono closes out its racing week on Tuesday at 1 p.m., with a $15,500 trot for claiming horses the top purse event. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – Harrah’s Philadelphia returned to the racing wars on Sunday afternoon after an early fall “freshening up” for all concerned.
 
The Always B Miki gelding Mad Max Hanover, bottomed out a bit chasing a wild pace but still second last week, moved after the quarter to the lead in the $13,000 featured pace and was a handy winner in 1:51.1. Mad Max Hanover, a five-year-old who is trained by Jake Leamon for owner Marvin Rounick, was a multiple stakes winner in his youth and second in the Governor’s Cup at two and the Meadowlands Pace at three; he now has a career bankroll of $769,433.
 
The driving victory behind Mad Max Hanover was one of two on the day for George Napolitano Jr., a figure matched by Tim Tetrick, leaving Napolitano with a 117-115 lead in the meetlong standings, which figures to be a protracted duel between the pair of sulkysitters who have captured seventeen straight Harrah’s win titles between them.
 
Another driving doubler, Corey Callahan, sent the Nutcracker Sweet sophomore gelding Pineapple Crunch to a 1:53 lifetime best on the engine in the $12,000 co-feature. Team Cancelliere, trainer Tom and owner John, have had a 36% win rate lately, and they had two more successes today.
 
Trainer Jeff Cullipher also had a double, as did amateur driver Ray Burt. Both of Burt’s successes came in the AHDC events, including last race winner Gemini Express at $55.80, making him one of three horses to pay over $50 on the card: Don’t Get Shocked ($60.60) and Pretty Ricki ($57.40) also caused the tote board to exert extra power. Three Superfectas, including two in the first trio of races, were uncovered and produced carryovers, as did the Pick 3 that ended with Gemini Express’s success; that carryover will go over to the seventh race Pick 3 on the next local racing card.
 
Racing this coming week will be conducted on Friday night at 6:30 and Sunday afternoon at 12:40; both cards will feature races in the Liberty Bell stakes series for Pennsylvania-sired horses. The Thursday cards at 12:25 p.m. re-enter the picture on October 24. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – The pacer Congressional and the trotter Asteroid proved the best in their respective $18,5000 fast-class features on a sunny Saturday afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania.
 
The ultra-consistent Always B Miki gelding Congressional, who has used his speed to work out many good trips in the top classes at Pocono, raced on the front end in the top pace, putting everybody in behind in a :26.4 opener, getting a breather to a :56 half, then following up with quarters of :27.2 and then :27.1 to ward off the prolonged first-over challenge of 53-1 almost-upsetter Lou’s Sweetrevenge by half a length in 1:50.3, with Nicholas Beach just edged for second from the two-hole. Unraced at two, Congressional has now earned $130,118 off a 2024 summary of 33-10-9-7 after also earning in six figures at three.
 
In the fast-class trot, the Creatine ridgling Asteroid moved to the lead after a :28 opener, put up middle fractions of :56.2 and 1:24.3, then left the field behind while in full control to the wire at the end of the 1:53 mile. The lightly-raced six-year-old has ability when on his game, as shown by his lifetime record of 15 wins in 40 starts and earnings of $318,771. George Napolitano Jr.,  top driver on the day with four successes, drove the talented trotter for trainer Jeff Cullipher and Pollack Racing LLC.
 
There were also four $17,000 events for up-and-coming horses, two on each gait. The quicker of the second-line paces went to the Heston Blue Chip colt Rush In, who took control early, then sped home in :54.3 - :26.3 with nobody able to gain on him in the 1:51 mile. A six-time winner this season, Rush In was driven by George Napolitano Jr. for trainer Linda Toscano and the partnership of Let It Ride Stables Inc., Odds On Racing, South Mountain Stables, and Island Sun Stable.
 
In the other pace, the Captaintreacherous gelding Captain Up was settled in third early by driver Brad Irvine and sat in, found room up the inside late and came through steadily to equal his mark of 1:51.3. Laura Shock is the trainer and owner of the well-traveled winner, who came to Pocono from Running Aces via Lexington.
 
In what was on paper the tougher of the pair of subfeature trots, favorite Dejerate Hanover, on an eight-race winning streak, made a break early, leaving the path clear for the E L Titan sophomore gelding Super Duper Cooper to win easily while lowering his mark to 1:54. Jason Bartlett quarter-moved with the three-year-old, recently second in his New York championship, and had no anxious moments thereafter in triumphing for trainer John Butenschoen while raising his lifetime earnings to $332,847 for Timothy Drag, James Crawford IV, and Carl Austin Jr.
 
The other division went a tick faster at 1:53.4, and in an exciting stretch battle it was the Six Pack sophomore filly St Pauli Girl having the most trot on the money to edge Scotty Deo and pacesetting Diamante Hanover while taking a new mark. Ridge Warren handledthe winner, moving to conditioned company from stakes action, for trainer/owner D.R. Ackerman.
 
Pocono’s racing week continues on Monday and Tuesday with a 1 p.m. start; the Monday card will feature a carryover into the Pick 5 wager beginning with the fifth race. Saturday was a rough day in general for favorites for most of the card: in addition to the Pick 5 bet, three of the first six Superfectas, including the first two, went uncovered, causing immediate carryovers, and only a pair of the first eleven chalks paraded back to Victory Lane.
 
Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – After pushing the favorite past the quarter then surrendering the lead to sit the pocket, Absolute Power stayed with Staying With Emily as the rest of the field struggled, then moved in the lane and just caught the pacesetter while winning the $17,000 distaff pace for improving horses Tuesday afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania in 1:51.1.
 
Staying With Emily let other leavers settle then went on to command past a :27.1 opener and then put up splits of :55 and 1:22.4, with only the winner staying close. Anthony Napolitano moved the Sweet Lou mare outside in the lane and gradually worked past the leader, finishing a head ahead of Staying With Emily for Team Cancelliere, trainer Tom and owner/brother John.
 
There were three $15,000 events for horses who are a rung lower on the Pocono classification ladder. One division was reserved for male pacers, and Team Cancelliere followed up on their feature victory with the Always B Miki gelding Steven’s Saloon, a winner in 1:52.2. This sophomore also got a pocket trip, got clearance in the lane, then proved the strongest to the wire for driver Ridge Warren while coming within a fifth of his mark.
 
In the pace for females, the Bettor’s Wish filly overcame a 26-day layoff, a stepup in class, and a ship from Running Aces in Minnesota to post a new lifetime mark of 1:52.4 while paying off at 26-1. Braxten Boyd kept the sophomore midpack behind contested fractions, then swung wide and rushed past horses involved in the early battle to tally for trainer Edwin Quevedo and owner Bryan Quevedo. Driver Boyd, currently fifth in the Pocono win standings, was the star sulkysitter of the day with five winners, all of them for different trainers.
 
The trotting section fell to the Greenshoe sophomore gelding Going Green, a 1:55.4 winner. Matt Kakaley patiently got the winner to the top just before the second turn and they had a relatively easy time of it from there with the Jenny Melander trainee, owned by Melander Racing, Clark Stables, and Noonan Harness Racing.
 
Racing resumes at The Downs on Saturday with a 1 p.m. card, one replete with features for fast trotters and pacers, whether fast-class or developing. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha,org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – The impeccably-bred (Greenshoe – Hannelore Hanover) sophomore colt Loxahatchee was on his best behavior Monday afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, taking the $15,000 trotting feature in wire-to-wire fashion while stopping the timer in 1:55.
 
Loxahatchee, who had made a break in his previous three starts, left the gate errorless under Ridge Warren’s handling and set all the pace, putting up fractions of :28, :57.1, and 1:26.1 while keeping a foe parked out, then trotted away to beat out pocketsitter Mischievous G by 4¼ lengths. Marcus Melander trains the winner for Courant Inc.
 
Warren, top winner among drivers on the day with four victories,  was also in the sulky behind the International Moni freshman gelding Encomium, knifing that trotter out and clear late to get the decision for LCL Stable at a $97.00 mutuel. Trainer Mahlon Martin has been the King Of The Longshots at Pocono recently: with his last eleven local starters, he has had four winners, with three of them paying $94.20 or more. A $2 win bet on all his racers during the string would have netted a player a profit of over 1300%!
 
The presence of a $97 horse in the midcard Pick 5 wager helped ensure that there would be a carryover in the pool for Tuesday’s card, with the Pick 5 starting in race five on a program beginning at 1 p.m. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – The fast-class veterans headed the Saturday afternoon card at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, with an $18,500 race carded on each gait and both decided by a neck margin on a day when many features required the use of the photo finish camera.
 
On the pace, the Sportswriter gelding Big Skewy N, in his initial Stateside campaign, showed himself to be in career form by authoring a new mark of 1:48.3. George Napolitano Jr., who had a big day with five visits to Victory Lane, moved after a :26.3 quarter and hustled the Scott Blackler-conditioned horse to the lead in front of the stands around early pacesetter Carabao A. That one stayed close in the two-hole during splits of :53.3 and 1:21.1 and took a big shot in the lane, but “Skewy” was equal to his challenge, winning for Arrhythmic LLC, moving his bankroll to $115,420 for the year and $207,742 lifetime.
 
On the trot, owner Vincent Campolong recently assumed the role of trainer for the Swan For All mare Swans Eye, and the distaff made his trainer’s first-ever conditioning success a memorable one by warding off the late charge of favored Kinnder Thinktwice to post a 1:53 victory. The winner set fractions of :27.1, :56.2, and 1:24.4 for driver Braxten Boyd then held gamely to the wire, adding this victory at Pocono to recent wins at Tioga and The Meadowlands as she pushed her current run to three straight.
 
There were also three $17,000 races for developing horses. Two of them were on the trot; in the pacing contest, the Stay Hungry three-year-old gelding De La Hoya Hanover, who won his Stallion Series Championship, has now taken three of his last four races, working to grab control of the racetrack early and then keeping pocketsitting chalk Southwind Celsius safely away late while winning in 1:51.4 by the popular margin of a neck. Simon Allard drove for trainer Joe Bongiorno and the partnership of Jennifer Bongiorno Stable LLC, Robert Weinstein, and Barbara Bongiorno Stable LLC.
 
Last week Dejerate Hanover set the pace and held off Pedal On Metal to record his seventh straight win; this week the roles were reversed, with “Pedal” on the lead and the streaker the stretch challenger, but the result was the same: the International Moni sophomore gelding Dejerate Hanover recorded his eighth consecutive victory, here by a head in 1:53.3. George Napolitano Jr.  got just enough out of the Ron Burke trainee to keep the win streak going for Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, FAC Racing LLC, and Yannick Gingras.
 
Parola Hanover made a big backstretch move to go by Chef Rocco, hard-used to get the early lead, then kept that resilient rival a neck away at the finish to lower his mark to 1:54.1 in the other subfeature trot. The son of Bar Hopping was driven by Braxten Boyd for trainer David Wiest and the partnership of David Wiest Stables LLC, Pamela Kimmel, and James Rappold.
 
In the $16,500 claiming handicap for high-priced horses, the Sweet Lou gelding Lunar made a quick brush to the top before the far turn, then stayed clear under active encouragement to record a 1:50.3 victory. William Hartt owns the winner, who was the second successful collaboration of the day for driver George Napolitano Jr. and trainer Dean Eckley.
 
Pocono will be racing this Monday and Tuesday afternoon, starting 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 quartet of $15,000 races topped the Tuesday afternoon program at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, two for conditioned pacers and two for claiming trotters.
 
The Captaintreacherous colt Maxim Hanover, who won a Governor’s Cup elimination last year and was third in the final but had had only one start in 2024, showed he was ready to go four months after that last race, overcoming post eight and posting a race mark of 1:51.4 in the feature for male pacers. Tyler Buter, the top pilot at Pocono on Tuesday with four victories, got a midpack early spot with the sophomore, then worked out a second-over trip, wearing down the stubborn first-over Trumpster Blues by  three parts of a length for trainer Robert Cleary and Royal Wire Products Inc. while raising his bankroll to $200,478.
 
Madam X has now won four of her last six starts, overcoming a tough first-over move from midfield in the last half and digging in to win the distaff pace headliner, equaling her fastest mile ever with a 1:52.1 clocking. The Bettor’s Wish sophomore responded to driver Braxten Boyd’s stretch coaxing to down potential Pocono Piker She’s Got It a neck for trainer Jeff Cullipher and Pollack Racing LLC.
 
The quicker of the trots was won by the Andover Hall gelding Jive Ninety Five, not quite able to hold on after setting the pace last time but here able to brush at the half to clear before the end of the backstretch en route to a 1:55.1 victory for driver Anthony Napolitano. Owner/trainer Pete Pellegrino saw his horse, who boosted his career bankroll to $200,669, claimed out of the winning effort for $15,000.
 
Burn Notice set the pace in the other topline trot and got a slow half, which left him with plenty to maintain his advantage to the wire in 1:56.2. The Tioga shipper, a Cayenne Turbo gelding, was driven by meet leader Matt Kakaley for trainer Mike Deters, co-owner with Joel Warner and John Manning.
 
Racing resumes at Pocono on Saturday with a 1 p.m. card, an outstanding card with $18,500 fast-class features on both gaits and several other top-notch events; there will also be a carryover into the last race High 5 wager. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.