By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – The annual late-season run of the Liberty Bell Stakes series began at Harrah’s Philadelphia over a sloppy track on Thursday afternoon, with two-year-old males featured – each gait had two divisions, with $134,200 aggregate on line in the four contests. It was a good day for pacing sire Tall Dark Stranger and trotting sire Captain Corey, as both studs accounted for the two winners on their respective gaits.

The three drivers who each had three victories on the Thursday card – Simon Allard, Jack Pelling, and Johnathan Ahle – took down a division of the stakes racing in a photo decision, with the fourth won by Tim Tetrick, Philly’s leading driver, by a country mile.
 
Quickest mile was naturally on the pace, and it was won by Really Bright, who is out of the quality mare Economy Terror (and also the only gelding among the four stakes winners). Allard got the pacer to the early lead, yielded to sit the pocket, and then came up the inside to defeat Another C Note by a neck in 1:53, last quarter :27.3. Really Bright was the second in a successful consecutive collaboration for Allard and trainer Per Engblom, and the four-time winner, never worse than third in ten career starts, is owned by Howard Taylor and Chuck Pompey.
 
The other Liberty Bell pace was taken by Southwind Spencer (dam Sansovia Hanover), who came from last at the stretch call to get up over passing lane contender Easy Breeze by a head in 1:53.4. Pelling, who had won the Early Double, completed his triple with the Doug Snyder trainee for owner Geraldine Poerio.
 
On the trot stakes side, Jim Beam (dam Melania) bucked the photo-finish trend of the other stakes, going straight to the top and winning by 7¾ lengths while equaling his mark of 1:56. Tetrick was in the sulky for the winner of two straight after doing well in many powerful stakes events in the summer, with Scott Di Domenico training the winner for owner Allen Wenc.
 
The best combination of the day was between driver Ahle and trainer Åke Svanstedt, as they hooked up for three victories, one of them the other Liberty Bell trot winner, the striking piebald Nebbiolo (dam Via Lattea IT). Nebbiolo, owned by Knutsson Trotting Inc., had to be very good to get by the stubborn pacesetter – and stablemate -- Dublin Hanover (driven by Åke’s wife Sarah), but he got the feat accomplished by a neck in 1:57.1.
 
Team Ahle/Åke also won the $16,000 fast-class trotting handicap with Mr Bluebird, a son of Six Pack who since returning to Philly in August now has five wins and one second in six starts for Åke Svanstedt Inc., Little E LLC, and Torbjorn Swahn Inc. Mr Bluebird was yet another neck winner, and he also got the better of a Svanstedt stablemate, favored Khaosan Road, in a 1:54 mile that featured a last split of :27.2.
 
Act III of the Ahle/Åke Show was the Chapter Seven – Inspired By Life freshman filly Who Dares Wins, who broke her maiden easily in 1:56.1 in the goo for Order By Stable AB.
 
The Liberty Bell stakes will continue with three-year-old fillies of both gaits on Friday’s card, which will have a special 2:30 post time because of the Breeders Cup weekend at Del Mar. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
​WILKES-BARRE PA – Non Disclosure made it two victories in a row at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on Tuesday afternoon while winning the $15,500 trotting feature in 1:56.4, while in the subfeature Cassius Hanover moved his recent stat line to three for four with a 1:54.1 triumph.
 
Pocono’s leading driver Tyler Buter sent Non Disclosure, a sophomore Father Patrick gelding, up uncovered in the backstretch, and the David Wisser trainee was able to take the rough journey, moving to the lead in the lane and then holding off the horse who had followed his cover, Rothko, by half a length. The victorious favorite is owned by the trainer in partnership with Rebecca Callan.
 
Cassius Hanover, an altered son of Muscle Mass who had won a pair of races before a head defeat to the tough Duly Resolved in his latest start, got back on the winning track in an event for more seasoned trotters, Also the the favorite, Cassius Hanover needed the hustling urging of driver Kevin Wallis to beat out 17-1 pacesetter Hand Dover Dan by the smallest possible margin.  Emily Bost conditions the sharp diamondgaiter, whom she co-owns with R K 4 Racing.
 
Tyler Buter added to his lead atop the Pocono sulkysitters’ ranks with three successes on the day; top trainer on Tuesday was Dean Eckley, who recorded a like number of successful sendouts.
 
There are ten days to go in the 2025 racing season at Pocono, with the next card starting at 1 p.m. on Saturday; the Breeders Cup for Thoroughbreds will also be available trackside or through the Pocono platforms. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – The sophomore Heaven Needs Me, an altered son of Capt Midnight, won for the second straight time in taking Sunday’s $12,000 pacing feature for developing horses at  Harrah’s Philadelphia, with the 1:52.3 win clocking missing his lifetime best by a tick.
 
Heaven Needs Me has been coming from off the pace in recent starts, but today driver Simon Allard sent him right to command, where he put up moderate early fractions of :28.2 and :57. Heaven Needs Me then sprinted home in :55.3 - :27.3 to maintain a safe advantage over first-up challenger In The Moonlight while winning for trainer Clay Faurot Jr. and owner Chelsey Faurot.
 
Fast-class pacers battled for $11,000 in a race won impressively by the Bettor’s Delight gelding Leave It To Leo in 1:51.4. The fractions were quick, to be sure, but Leave It To Leo still had to come uncovered from sixth from just before the half (covering his third quarter in :26.4). His forward mission never faltered while defeating second-over 40-1 shot Back Pocket Miki for driver Corey Callahan, trainer Dylan Davis, and the combine of Stephen Messick, Michael West, and Dylan Davis Racing.
 
In the $11,000 claiming handicap pace for the top-priced horses at Philly, another Bettor’s Delight gelding was victorious. Santafe’s Coach, who won a Hempt Pace elimination back in 2017, showed there is plenty of life left in his legs as he took advantage of a pocket trip and was along in 1:53.2 for driver Anthony Napolitano, making a rare Philly appearance. Trainer Darren Taneyhill and P T Stable lost the horse to a $22,000 claim here, but in his four starts for that pair since he had been claimed by them on September 20, "Coach" had made $10,050, and they also got $2000 more than what they paid to acquire him.
 
Mark Herschberger and George Napolitano Jr. tied for the day’s driving honors with three wins apiece. Two of Herschberger’s scores came for trainer Eddie Sager, the lone conditioning doubler.
 
The Liberty Bell Stakes series will be conducted on the next two Thursdays and Fridays at Harrah’s Philadelphia, with two stakes divisions each day. On Thursday, two-year-old colts will be racing for $133,200 in aggregate; three-year-old fillies will go on Friday during a card that has a special post time of 2:30, since it is Breeders Cup weekend. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – The John Simpson Sr. Memorial Stakes series continued Saturday at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, with three-year-old colts racing in three divisions on each gait while chasing a total of $193,210.
 
The trotting race, known as the Ayres, saw its fastest mile, 1:52.1, turned in by the Face Time Bourbon colt Gap Kronos S, who was driven by George Napolitano Jr. for Bruni Racing Team Inc. Gap Kronos S, the favorite, had to race first-over from before the half, but coming home in a speedy :55.2 got him under the wire first, two lengths ahead of 74-1 shot Onemore Volo.
 
Gap Kronos S is trained by Åke Svanstedt, and the master Swedish horseman sent out another Ayers winner in the Walner gelding Don’t Ask For More. The second choice sat on the back of favored pacesetter Karinchas, then came up the inside and caught the leader by a neck in 1:54.1 for driver Johnathan Ahle and the partnership of Åke Svanstedt Inc., Nils Munkhaugen, Barry Carter, and Michael Carter.
 
The Greenshoe gelding Sensational, who overcame a break to win upon coming to Pocono in his last start, made it two straight over the mountain oval, never looking back to win in a lifetime best 1:53.2 for driver Matt Kakaley and trainer George Ducharme, the latter’s George Ducharme Stable LLC co-owner with W J Donovan. Had Sensational looked back late, he would have seen the chalk Onejetplane to his right and Warrior to his left, but he won by a neck over the former, who photoed the latter for second.
 
Pocono’s all-time leading driver George Napolitano Jr. had the fastest winner in the Ayres trot, and he also was behind the swiftest of the Albatross pacing winners, World Of Wishes. The Bettor’s Wish gelding quarter-moved to command then came his back half in :55 to complete a 1:50.4 mile a length ahead of Beach Club Monty. Chris Ryder trains the winner, third and timed in 1:47.2 in his Tattersalls section, for Philip Steinberg.
 
The other two Albatross divisions were taken by altered sons of Papi Rob Hanover. First to the winners circle was 15-1 outsider Dreamboat Hanover, who moved with cover behind a fast pace and then was a three length winner in 1:51.1 for the meet’s leading driver Tyler Buter and trainer Todd Schadel, the latter co-owner with wife Christine, Timothy Hayes, and Dr. Megan Moschat.
 
Also successful in the Albatross was the people’s choice Makes Sense, who got great cover from Gold Glove Hanover then finished out his own last half in :54.1 to defeat the raw challenger by 1¾ lengths in 1:51.3. Jack Pelling handled the winner for trainer Robert Cleary and owners Let It Ride Stables Inc. Celtic Racing, and Carl Howard.
 
There were six stakes races on the 15-race Saturday card, and the majority of the non-stakes were won by one driver – and a driver not even a regular at Pocono. But Brett Beckwith is going to represent the U.S. in the World Driving Championship in New Zealand next month – and Enzeds beware that Beckwith is coming to you in top form, having won five times on this Pocono card. Beckwith had won with two 7-1 shots and a 6-1 shot before the (unhit) Pick Four from race one was closed.
 
For the third program in a row, Pocono had a winner pay $50+ for a deuce to be first. The one on Saturday was Literl Lad Hanover, a PA Sire Stakes winner at three and still with firepower at age seven as he won for trainer Dean Eckley and paid $84.20. The “Lad” was driven by Simon Allard, who was coming off a $84.80 win with Jaffa Josh N a day earlier at Philly.
 
Literl Lad Hanover triumphed in the final race of the Pick 5 wager, which undoubtedly contributed to that wager going unsolved. The money will carry over to Monday’s fifth race, and there will be a $4000 guaranteed pool for that wager. Monday will also see the Simpson Series stakes conclude for 2025 with three-year-old fillies in the spotlight, with $190,000 to be contested in the Davidia Hanover for trotters and Razzle Hanover for pacers. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – Favored Lexus Legacy was victorious in the $12,000 trotting division of the co-features on Friday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia, while the section for pacing females produced the opposite pari-mutuel Story – Spicy Story, the longest shot on the board, got home first to return $117.00 for $2 to her scattered win backers.
 
The sophomore Trixton gelding Lexus Legacy was moved first-over from midpack by driver Tyler Miller at the half and brushed up to and then by the leader on either side of the three quarters. Mysterious Frank, who had initially sat in then followed the winner in the outer tier, put up a good stretch challenge but came up a half length shy in the 1:57.4 mile. Ron Burke conditions the winner for a western Pennsylvania partnership known as Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC.
 
Spicy Story, a daughter of Sweet Lou trained by Stacy Chiodo for Timothy Tobias Stable LLC, was in second-over position when she swung wide hearing headstretch, and she gradually made up ground on pacesetting Pirate Princess to record a head victory in 1:53.4 under the guidance of Mark Herschberger. Spicy Story had 22 board finishes in 34 lifetime stats, but perhaps recording only two wins led the wagerers to overlook her.
 
“Longshot mania” held sway in the very next race as well, as Jaffa Josh N, who had not won in five months and a day, had the best stretch kick to get the decision in 1:54.4, paying $84.40. It was only the third time this season that Philly had generated two $50+ win “bombers” in one racing day, and the first time in 2025 two such horses came home first in consecutive races – in fact, the latter feat was last accomplished locally on June 13, 2024. Jaffa Josh N was one of five winners driven by Simon Allard on Friday.
 
In an $11,000 event for fast-class distaff pacers, the Nob Hill High mare Laurel Court now has two wins and a second in three starts since coming to trainer Ed Gannon Jr. after a 1:53 victory. Favored Louisville GB, 18-for-36 lifetime coming into the race, moved three-wide and took a short advantage towards midstretch, but Simon Allard, who had raced the winner in the pocket, got a sharp burst from Laurel Court when she cleared inside, overcoming the chalk’s momentum edge with the half length victory for Jeff Fought Racing and Brian Carsey.
 
Harrah’s Philadelphia concludes its racing week with a Sunday card at 12:40, for which there will be a carryover into the fifth race Pick 5 (no surprise since Spicy Story and Jaffa Josh N won Friday’s fifth and sixth races). The next two weeks, Thursday and Friday racing will each feature two events in the Liberty Bell Stakes series, with racing at 12:25 except for Halloween, Friday October 31, when the post change to 2:30 p.m. will not be precipitated by goblins, but by the Breeders Cup weekend. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – Kinnder Thinktwice, defying a tote board that had him pegged as 18-1 to win the $13,000 featured fast-class trot at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Thursday, went right down the road while winning by 2 1/2 lengths in 1:53.3.
 
Driver Ridge Warren summed up the gate situation and decided to send his horse to the lead early, which he reached well before the first station of :28.1. There wasn’t much letup during middle fractions of :57 and 1:24.3, with the victorious son of Wheeling N Dealin maintaining a lead of 1 1/2 lengths or more at every call en route to his eventual open-length margin of victory. The Quebec-bred went over the $250,000 in earnings with the smart score; Susan Marshall currently conditions the horse, and she co-owns him with John Marshall.
 
In the $11,000 fast-class trot subfeature, the Tactical Landing gelding Naked Cowboy ran his record to three for five since his “summer vacation,” the favorite racing third-over then blitzing his own last half in :56.1 to defeat second-choice and second-over Robbie Pev by two lengths in 1:54.2. Naked Cowboy has now won 14 times in 32 career starts, and could well find himself in the local top class very soon for trainer Dylan Davis and owners Howard Taylor and Dylan Davis Racing.
 
There were also two $12,000 contests featuring developing trotters, and Tactical Landing again made his presence strongly felt by siring both winners. The faster section went to the three-year-old gelding Clear For Landing, who sat just off the pace and finished well to lower his mark to 1:55.1. The Per Engblom trainee, driven by Simon Allard, now has five victories in his last seven starts (miscuing in the other pair), and the sophomore, unraced at two, may be coming into his own right now.
 
The other division of this class provided a memorable moment for 61-year-old provisional driver Mark Lucas, as he took off from the rail with the mare Striking Tactful and never looked back, going 3¾ lengths clear of his opposition while reaching the wire in 1:57.3 for his first career triumph as a driver (a career that spans nine starts). Lucas also trains the winner, and in addition he co-owns her with Betsy Lucas.
 
Mark Herschberger took home both halves of the Late Double to wind up sulky kingpin on the day with three winners; doubling drivers were Simon Allard, Troy Beyer, and meet leader Tim Tetrick. Both Allard’s winners were sent out by Per Engblom, the only doubling trainer of the day.
 
Pacing females will contest two of the three feature races on Friday at Philly, with trotters constituting the other tri-feature. First post is 12:25; free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – The John Simpson Sr. Memorial Stakes continued on Tuesday afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, with three $30,000 divisions of both the Hardie Hanover for three-year-old pacing fillies and the Super Bowl for two-year-old trotting males.
 
Pocono’s all-time leading driver, George Napolitano Jr., won two of the three divisions of the Hardie Hanover, including the fastest split, a 1:51 victory with the Papi Rob Hanover miss Gigglingonthebeach. On a cool day with a stiff stretch headwind that saw only two of fourteen winners have the lead at every call, Gigglingonthebeach had “1”s straight across her line, defeating two-holer Send It Down Slim by a length for trainer Juan Cano and Hot Lead Farm, giving “Giggling” another Pocono stakes triumph to go alongside her win in the Lynch Consolation I.
 
“George Nap” also won a Hardie Hanover split with the Captaintreacherous filly Jordanna Hanover, who set a lifetime mark of 1:52.3 despite having to overcome going raw in a :56.1 last half. She won by two lengths over the horse on her back, Calamity Hour, for trainer Tom Fanning and Fanning Racing LLC, consisting of himself and his wife Moira, who is busy with the Breeders Crown Championships this week.
 
A win in the Hardie Hanover stake meant a great deal to the trainer of the other winner, Time Of The Season, as conditioner Tim Twaddle drove Hardie Hanover to many victories in top competition for trainer John Burns during the honoree’s racing career. Here Time Of The Season paced a wind-aided :26.2 third quarter to go up after leader Fanville, finally getting by that game filly by the shortest stakes margin of the day, a half-length, in 1:51.4 for Birnam Wood Farms.
 
Tyler Buter, Pocono’s leading driver, handled Time Of The Season, and in a maybe-not-so-odd situation, the six stakes were won by George Napolitano Jr. (second-leading driver at both Pocono and Philly), Buter (who had four victories on the day), and Philly’s leading sulkysitter, Tim Tetrick.
 
Buter’s win in the Super Bowl was behind the Six Pack – That Woman Hanover colt Nordic Dancer S, who  moved to the lead early then set a new mark of 1:56.1 in defeating Beer In My Hand by 2¼ lengths for the ownership of Flygind Gaard Inc.
 
Nordic Dancer S is trained by Åke Svanstedt, who also sent out the 1-2 finishers in one of the two divisions of the baby stakes taken by Tim Tetrick. The piebald Captain Corey – Via Lattea IT colt Nebbiolo had the largest stakes winning margin of the day, 4½ lengths, as he defeated Campanzia (who suffered far turn interference) for Knutsson Trotting Inc.
 
Tetrick and sire Captain Corey continued the “doubling up” theme so prevalent in the Tuesday stakes with Captain Jordan, who was the other horse to make every pole a winning one in the fastest baby trot stake division, 1:56. Two lengths back was 56-1 longshot Storm Hanover, who rallied nicely but could not catch the Scott Di Domenico trainee, who is co-owned by Di Domenico’s Triple D Stables Inc. along with Joe Faraldo.
 
We would be remiss if not mentioning the $112.40 upset pulled off by The Bizzness N in the second race. It was noteworthy in that the talent behind the horse was the meet’s leading driver Tyler Buter and the meet’s leading trainer Ron Burke – and for Burke it was his third $50+ “bomber” of the meet, tying him for the seasonal lead.
 
The next two cards of racing at Pocono, Saturday and Monday (both at 1 p.m.), will each feature a pair of Simpson Stakes: Saturday’s for sophomore colts, the Albatross for pacers and the Ayres for trotters, and Monday’s for freshman fillies, the Davidia Hanover for trotters and the Razzle Hanover for pacers. The four stakes will offer combined purses of $283,210. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – The John Simpson Sr. Memorial Stakes started a four-card run at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on Monday, with the eight stakes classes divided into two events each day, and each one named after a champion associated with the Hall Of Famer.
 
Unfortunately, the stakes youngsters coming out for two $45,900 divisions of the Bret Hanover for freshman colt pacers and three $30,000 divisions of the Elma for sophomore trotting fillies were greeted by cool weather and a sloppy track, eliminating chances for a fast mile. Yet three favorites and a second choice won in the Simpson action (the bomber of the day will be described near the end of this story).
 
In the first division of the Bret Hanover, the Stay Hungry – Tempest Blue Chip gelding Thai Hanover was made the favorite after going 1:20.4 in a recent Lexington stake and missing just a length in a 1:48.4 mile. Thai Hanover justified the crowd’s faith by getting the lead in a blink of an eye and maintaining control of the proceedings to the wire, winning in 1:55.2 by 1¼ lengths over Easy Breeze for driver Jeremy Indof and trainer Mitchell York, co-owner with Erin York.
 
Pocono’s leading driver Tyler Buter kept his cool behind the Captaintreacherous – Sweet Lucy Lou colt Treacherous Lou, and the baby came up the inside to win the other Bret Hanover division in 1:57.3. Treacherous Lou, the second choice, was sitting in the pocket behind favorite Superchamp Hanover on the far turn when that one made a nasty break, pushing “Lou” into the infield and the rest of the field wide. Buter got the horse literally back on course, though fourth at headstretch, but the winner had enough recovery kick to defeat 60-1 outsider Whiskey Venom by a length for trainer Robert Cleary and Royal Wire Products Inc.
 
Quickest winner in the three divisions of the Elma was the Southwind Frank miss Hangover, who left strongly and forced tucks, rated the middle half, then drew clear for an easy 1:57.1 success as the punters’ choice. Trainer-driver Åke Svanstedt is also the co-owner of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes winner with Joe Sbrocco & JAF Racing Stable, Little E LLC, and Rivers Stable.
 
The International Moni filly Country Victory set the pace as the favorite in her division, opened up a good margin around the far turn, then tired some but had taken enough of a lead to keep steady grinder Truly Authentic a half length behind her at the wire in 1:58. A Keystone Classic divisional winner and second in the Jugette, Country Victory was driven by Jason Bartlett for trainer Melvin Schmucker and Yacht Club 140 LLC.
 
My Debt Collecter, a New York champion with earnings of $738,518, was made the odds-on choice in her cut despite the outside post six, and with many leaving inside, she had to take back to last early. The Muscle Hill filly Jersey Slide, with names such as Take All Comers and Next Level Stuff in her immediate pedigree, was pointed frontward from the start by driver Jordan Stratton, and though it took her three-eighths to clear, she never surrendered the lead with a strong front-end effort. My Debt Collector, 6 3/4 lengths back at the three quarters behind the runaway, closed steadily but came up three-quarters of a length short in a 1:57.3 race. The familiar combination of trainer Jim Campbell and Runthetable Stables are the connections of Jersey Slide.
 
The French horseman Alexis Collette, a winner of 500 races on the “other side” of Atlantic including nearly one-third of them to saddle (monte), made his U.S. debut in an overnight race, guiding the longest shot on the board, Mrstery Deal. But Collette followed second-over behind favored Choco Charlie, then sliced through a narrow opening inside of “Charlie” and was hustled along to a neck victory – quite the memorable local bow for Collette. And then he showed a razzle-dazzle more associated with Americans – wearing a transparent rain slicker over his colors, he managed to strip it off while still in the sulky coming back to the winners circle, perhaps the better to show the “JOCKIZ” sponsor logo (for a French harness racing game) on his colors!
 
Tyler Buter had four winners on the afternoon; besides his nifty handling of Treacherous Lou in the stake, three times he brushed strongly down the backstretch to a lead nobody could surmount. Åke Svanstedt had the only training double; besides his stakes win with Hangover, he also won with Warrior, who handed Super Chapter a defeat at Lexington two starts back.
 
As noted, Simpson Stakes continue on Tuesday’s 1 p.m. card, and then on the following Saturday and Monday’s programs at 1. Tuesday’s racing will feature three $30,000 divisions of the Super Bowl for two-year-old trotting colts and a similar turnout for the Hardie Hanover three-year-old pacing filly event. The Tuesday program will also feature a double carryover into the last race High 5 bet that was to be decided on Monday, but scratches took the bet “off the board.” Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – The gray Fear The Dragon gelding Fearful Intent, a 30+% winner both this year and lifetime, got a fairly easy half on the lead then dashed home to win the $13,000 featured handicap fast-class pace in 1:51.2 at Harrah’s Philadelphia Sunday afternoon.
 
Tim Tetrick left well from post two with Fearful Intent and soon had everybody looking for spots along the rail, then put up somewhat pedestrian (for these) splits of :27.3 and :56.2. Lyons Steel, a noted lover of the Philly surface who had to tuck third from an outer post upon returning to the local oval, went up uncovered and battled hard with the leader past the 1:24 three-quarters and down the stretch, but Fearful Intent still had a :27.2 kicker in him to keep that foe at bay by a length.
 
Pollack Racing LLC owns the winner, 11-for-31 this season and 32-for-105 lifetime. Fearful Intent was driven by track leader Tim Tetrick, one of three scores for Tetrick as he took the day’s sulky honors. Trainer Jeff Cullipher was the only conditioner to record a double.
 
Co-featured was a $12,000 pace for developing males, won by the Captain Crunch three-year-old colt Dreamlandcappucino in 1:54.4. Tyler Miller got the sophomore, trained and owned by Sergio Lozada, to the lead in a :28.2 quarter, then was content to yield to favored In The Moonlight, who got a breather to a :58.2 half. The price of pacing went on sharply nearing midbackstretch as Miller vacated the pocket and dashed to the lead in a 1:26.3 three-quarters, and from there Dreamlandcappucino held off Stay Focused, who had taken up the uncovered chase when the winner went by, by three quarters of a length, with In The Moonlight lasting for the show dough.
 
The first Thursday card since the track refurbishment earlier this month will take place at 1 p.m. as Philly’s next live presentation, and it finds the “Trottin’ Thursday” group of fast diamondgaiters reassembled, with a solid crew in the $13,000 handicap feature. There will also be a carryover into the fifth race Pick 5 wagering pool. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – There were two $17,500 sections of the feature class at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on Saturday afternoon.
 
In the “nw 7 races” for pacing males, the Papi Rob Hanover sophomore gelding Makes Sense drew post eight and sat last through argued fractions of :27.1, :55, and 1:22.2. Makes Sense swung to the extreme outside for the stretch and was still last midstretch, but the three-year-old found the required late rush, swooping past beleaguered foes to be up by a neck at 10-1 over 28-1 shot Dream Bird, who shot the extreme inside and came up just short in the 1:51.2 mile. Ridge Warren provided the nerveless drive behind Makes Sense for trainer Robert Cleary and the ownership of Let It Ride Stables Inc., Celtic Racing, and Carl Howard.
 
In the trotting co-feature, the Chapter Seven three-year-old colt Karinchak got away midpack for trainer-driver Ray Schnittker and sat during fractions of :28 and :56.4, then followed the cover of Messenger Hanover, who cleared to the lead before the 1:24.2 three-quarters. Schnittker, who also co-owns the winner with Arden Homestead Stable and Ted Gewertz, still had plenty of horse despite his having raced only once in 42 days, going to the lead in the stretch then withstanding fellow closer Give Me A Yankee by 1¼ lengths in 1:54.
 
In the $16,000 claiming handicap pace for the highest-priced horses at Pocono, the winner has an age double the combined ages of the two feature winners, though he used similar tactics to them. The 12-year-old Christian Cullen gelding Hesa Kingslayer N, way back off of cutthroat fractions of :26, :54.1, and 1:22.1, moved three-wide on the far turn and four-wide headstretch, and just got the job done by a neck over Thunder Hunter Joe, whose cover he followed on the far turn, in a 1:51.1 mile. Simon Allard rallied the veteran to victory for trainer-owner Mark Akins.
 
Anthony Napolitano won the last three races on the card to earn the driving crown on the day; two of them came from the stable of Deborah Daguet, the only doubling conditioner on Saturday.
 
The John Simpson Sr. Memorial Stakes start their annual two-week stay at Pocono on the Monday card at 1 p.m., with $181,900 to be contested among two divisions of two-year-old pacing colts and three cuts of three-year-old trotting fillies, the latter group headed by NYSS champion My Debt Collecter. There will also be three carryovers awaiting the plays of the racing public on Monday: one into the Pick 4 wager starting with the opener; a Pick 5 carryover for the wager starting with the fifth race; and a High 5 carryover in the final race of the day.. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.