By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – The last two weeks Build The Wall may have given his backers some concern while slightly gapping just off the pace, but both weeks his backers cashed their tickets on him, as he again triumphed on Sunday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia  in 1:52.1.
 
Daniel Dube got away third with the Huntsville three-year-old gelding as Tyson Hanover took over the lead from favored Ishotthesheriff GB and set solid numbers of :27.1, :55.4, and 1:24.1. The “Sheriff” stayed tight on the leader and pulled the pocket late on the far turn, while Build The Wall lurked slightly (not tightly) just off them.
 
But Build The Wall, now eight-for-twelve this year after being unraced at two, has a powerful last eighth in his arsenal, and Dube steered him up the inside and ran down Ishotthesheriff by a neck; the latter in turn won a photo over Tyson Hanover for second. The winner is trained by Maria Reid for the ownership of Fusco Strong LLC and Peter Fusco Racing LLC, and he has won three of his last four trips to the gate.
 
Driving doubles were recorded by Simon Allard, William Carter, Daniel Dube, and Geovany Hernandez (in the AHDC amateur races). Trainers with a pair of winners included Mark Akins (both driven by Allard), Billy Carter (both driven by his son), and Josue Garcia.
 
Harrah’s Philadelphia will not have live racing on Thanksgiving Thursday and Friday; the next program at the riverside oval will be on Sunday, December 1 (and will be drawn Monday morning). Free Philly program pages will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – The final card of the 2024 harness racing season at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania was held Saturday afternoon, with an off track, temperatures barely above 40, and snow in the infield.
 
Closing day features were a trio of $17,000 contests, all of them contested after the track was upgraded from “sloppy +1” to “good +1.”
 
The pacing division, restricted to males, saw the American Ideal three-year-old pacing gelding Seen Here run his record to two wins and a second since entering the Jeff Cullipher stable with a 1:52.2 score. Tyler Buter, who along with Matt Kakaley had four victories on Closing Day, brushed the favored sophomore to command in front of the stands and kept piling on the speed, finishing 1½ lengths to the good of second choice Solid Character for Pollack Racing LLC.
 
The faster of the trotting headliners went to the International gelding Dark Mind, winning for the third straight time for trainer Noel Daley and owner Sonja Katrina Booth, here in 1:55.3. Dark Mind was third-over in a good cover flow for driver Anthony Napolitano, went wide and was along late to beat out pacesetter Green Pastures by 1¼ lengths, with Sapphinerainstar shaking free to get beaten in the photo for the deuce and ending a five-race win string.
 
In the other diamondgaited split, another altered son of International Moni, Dejerate Hanover, followed solid cover, tipped wide, got the lead, and then held off the horse on his back, Kovu AS, by a half length in 1:56.1. Tyler Buter drove the winner, a ten-time winner for the campaign, for trainer Ron Burke and the ownership of Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, FAC Racing  LLC, and Yannick Gingras.
 
The top horsemen of the meet were honored on Closing Day. Matt Kakaley won his third straight dash title and fourth local win title overall (along with two UDR crowns), finishing the Pocono year with      280 visits to Victory Lane. David Miller, with occasional appearances for rich competition, got in enough drives (one per racing day) to qualify for UDR honors and won his first local title of any kind with a .361 “batting average.” And all-conquering trainer Ron Burke had never won a Pocono training crown before 2020, but now he’s won three straight and four of the last five after sending out 79 winners. (UTR records have not been historically kept at Pocono.)
 
There was a retirement ceremony for a starting gate-load of distinguished 14-year-olds, and not since Foiled Again’s retirement fete has perhaps an assembled collective bankroll taken its bow. The eight horses honored – Bilbo Hanover, Blow A Cloud N, Bye Bye Michelle, Frac, Iammrbrightside N, Lachie Maguire N, Scott Rocks, and The Real One – have total lifetime earnings of $5,101,000, with a millionaire, five other $600G+ winners, and all having earned over $318,000 as they head off into their sunsets.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA –- Very nearly as much as the horses and horsemen themselves, the southeast Pennsylvania weather played a decisive factor in the Friday afternoon racing at Harrah’s Philadelphia. Moisture from the sky, whether drizzle or flurries, caused the track to be downgraded from “good” to “sloppy,” and was coupled with a strong headwind in the stretch, which necessitated horses finding success primarily by being close to the pace, and if on the lead backing off quarter two into the frigid wind.
 
Take the $15,000 featured trot as illustrating these points. The Donato Hanover mare Chake was hustled to the lead in a :27.4 quarter, and then driver Rikard Skoglund backed the pace down to a :58 half. Chake thus had some in the tank when first-over Usain Hanover came on strongly before breaking past a 1:25.4 three-quarters, and she went on against the wind to withstand Resolve To Win by a half-length in 1:54.1. The winner, a model of consistency who now has earned almost $128,000 this year alone, is owned by Daniel Sarafian, and is trained by Per Engblom, who sent out four winning charges.
 
Three divisions of the $14,000 fast-class pace came together, with the fastest split showing the importance of a favorable journey. In his previous start, the Foreclosure N gelding Oakwood Paddy IR had set the pace, came home in :54.1, and was beaten a head; on Friday, Andrew McCarthy sat with the Irish-bred in the two-hole behind Lyons Steel, then went inside and beat that rival – by a head – in a race with a back half of :54.1. The 1:52 victory was the third in the last five starts for Oakwood Paddy IR, who is trained by Robert Cleary for Robert Corrigan and Ruari McNulty.
 
David Miller, who won five races Friday to go with his four triumphs Thursday, followed the day’s winning script with the veteran Somebeachsomewhere gelding Nicholas Beach, coasting while leading to a :57.4 half, then hitting the accelerator to storm home in :54.2 and finish clear in 1:52.1. Owned by John Lengacher, Melco Devim Inc., and Jennifer Bongiorno Stable LLC, Nicholas Beach is trained by Joe Bongiorno, who matched Engblom with four winners – in fact, those two trainers furnished Miller with all five of his winning drives, Bongiorno three and Engblom two.
 
The other feature pace  went to the Betting Line gelding Dean B Hanover, who was able to sit in third until late in the backstretch, then overhauled pacesetter Pass Line by a neck in 1:53.3, with Wichita Lineman just photoed for the deuce and pacesetting favorite Camara Moment beaten only a half-length while fourth. Tim Tetrick drove Dean B Hanover for trainer Jeff Cullipher and Pollack Racing LLC.
 
The temperature is forecast to rise to a “balmy” 55 degrees in dry conditions for the final card of the week at Philly, set for Sunday at 12:40. After that, the track will be dark for live racing on Thanksgiving Thursday and Friday, with the trotters and pacers coming back on Sunday, December 1. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – The three-year-old trotting filly Tandem Hanover enjoyed the relief of not having to face Grand Circuit opposition on a cool Thursday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia, picking up a 1:55 victory in the $13,500 featured trot on the card.
 
David Miller, who topped all drivers on the day with four visits to Victory Lane, got the favorite going frontwards early, making the top before a :28.1 quarter, then yielding to the brushing second-choice Supernova Hanover and sitting in the golden chair through midsplits of :57 and 1:25.4. I See A Star gained first-over on the far turn, so Miller waited for the inside to open up in the stretch, and he guided his daughter of Walner to a half-length triumph over her uncovered foe, with G Load parlaying an inside trip into a third ahead of the pacesetter.
 
Andrew Harris trains the successful $510,000 yearling, a full sister to Temporal Hanover and having Glidemaster in the next maternal line of her pedigree, for himself and partners William Pollock and Bruce Areman.
 
There were three divisions of the $12,000 sub-feature class on the Philly “Trottin’ Thursday” card. The fastest, clocked in 1:55.2, went to the Muscle Mass sophomore gelding Stormont Happy Day, who in his second start since coming from Canada took a new mark, going wire-to-wire and easily defeating his conqueror from his initial Philly start, favored Chipper Dale, for trainer Dylan Davis and owner Michael Casalino Jr.
 
Another Philly invader, the Freehold shipper Robert Michael, clicked in his debut for trainer Richard Johnson, with the Crazy Wow sophomore gelding posting a lifetime best of 1:55.4. Simon Allard got a strong :28 backstretch move out of his charge to take over command, and the youngster was not threatened the rest of the way for owner Robert Weinstein.
 
The third co-feature saw David Miller bring in another three-year-old filly, the Tactical Landing miss Embrace The Future, who made the early lead, got a breather to the half, then sprinted home in :28.1 to open a daylight advantage to the wire in a 1:56.1 mile. Yet another Harrah’s Philly newcomer, Embrace The Future won for trainer Per Engblom and the partnership of Jeff Fought Racing, Brian Carsey, and Black And White Racing, who acquired the promising youngster on October 1.
 
Friday’s 12:25 card at Philly features fast-class racing on both gaits, with a $15,000 trot and three divisions of a $14,000 handicap pace the features. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Three $15,000 featured events for up-and-coming horses topped an excellent next-to-last card of the 2024 meet at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on Tuesday afternoon.
 
In the lone headlining contest devoted to trotters, the Father Patrick sophomore gelding Ordained, having upset Breeders Crown elimination winner Daiquiri Hanover in his last start, fooled exactly nobody here (the second choice to the heavy favorite went off at 25-1) with  a facile 1:54.4 triumph. Tyler Buter (who had four victories on the day) brushed to the lead in front of the stands, and any lingering foes were left well behind in the last quarter for trainer Ron Burke and the ownership of Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Beasty LLC , and Frank Baldachino.
 
A pacing contest for males saw Oakwood Heymiki IR again impressive, following up on his 1:49.2 victory in his initial U.S. start at The Meadowlands with an open-length tally Tuesday in 1:50.1. The Always B Miki gelding tucked early for Tyler Buter, came first-over, and still had :54 - :26.4 back numbers in him for the easy triumph, and he is a horse to watch for trainer Robert Cleary while racing for the trainer’s stable name of Huschka&Flowers.
 
The Mcwicked sophomore filly Kiss My Cheek shipped in from Yonkers and promptly reduced her mark to 1:51.4 with an emphatic victory in the tri-feature devoted to pacing distaffs. Matt Kakaley worked her to the lead before the quarter and the pair remained in full control of the race, with back fractions of :55.1 - :27.2 too much to overcome for her opposition. Nik Drennan conditions the filly for Joseph Davino, Drennan Stable LLC, and Patrick O’Brien.
 
World recordsetter and Pennsylvania Sire Stakes champion Beach Cowgirl made short work of a $14,500 pace for fast-class distaffs, coming home in :27 to win in 1:50. Now four and a winner of $470,070, the daughter of Captaintreacherous made the lead just past the quarter and won as she pleased for the combine of meet leaders, driver Matt Kakaley and trainer Ron Burke (both of whom had three victories on the program), and owners Joseph Di Scala Jr., Zippett Racing Stable, and Scarlett Stables LLC.
 
The 2024 racing season at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania concludes this coming Saturday with a 14-race card starting at 1 p.m., at which time the leading horsemen of the meet will be honored. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Dominion Day and Wish List won the $15,000 featured trots at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on Monday afternoon – one in a three-horse photo, and the other as easily as one could wish.
 
Dominion Day was the one who outphotoed two other foes, and the Greenshoe sophomore gelding also had the faster of the clockings, taking a new mark of 1:54.2. Going Green and Pisces Rising each took a turn on the lead during fractions of :27.2, :56.1, and 1:25.3 (the last split against the wind), while Dominion Day was third-over behind sputtering cover and having to come wide in the lane. Pisces Rising went to the Pocono Pike to challenge pacesetting Going Green, with Dominion Day not reaching those two until very late – just about when Going Green went offstride, some 100 feet from the finish.
 
Dominion Day, who was driven by Matt Kakaley for trainer Eric Irving and Elite Harness Racing LLC, flashed by to take dominion over his rivals by a head, with Going Green galloping across the line, finishing in turn a head ahead over Pisces Rising, but then being placed a spot for the lapped-on break.
 
In contrast, driver Ridge Warren had a calm time of it with the Bar Hopping three-year-old miss Wish List, sitting most of the way behind Loranga during fractions of :28.3, :57.2, and 1:26, then passing that one in the stretch en route to a 2½ length win while equaling her career best of 1:55.3. Trainer Robert Baggitt Jr. co-owns the filly with Christine Baggitt.
 
The day went off to a quick start when the Always A Virgin gelding Virgo, in only his third start for trainer Darren Taneyhill and owners Mark Jakubik and Jason Darling, fronted a third-from-bottom conditioned field in 1:49. Virgo went out in :26.2 and :55.3, then went another third quarter of :26.2 under Simon Allard’s direction to freeze the timer at 1:22 early on the far turn, then backed that up with a :27 kicker that kept him 1¾ lengths clear of Building Boost, a close second choice to the winning favorite, to the finish.
 
Five drivers had doubles on the card: Simon Allard, Braxten Boyd, Tyler Buter, Matt Kakaley, and Anthony Napolitano.
 
Tuesday’s 1 p.m. program features three $15,000 features – one for trotters, and one for each sex of pacers – plus carryovers into the fourth race Pick 4 and the last race Hi 5. After that will be Saturday’s closing card of the 2024 Pocono season, also at 1 p.m. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – Its Saturday Night won on Sunday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia, capturing the $13,500 featured pace for developing horses with ease in 1:51.1, just a tick over his mark, which he took in a Simpson stake at the end of October.
 
Bradley Chisholm left with the Always B Miki gelding, trained by Nifty Norman for Dune Road Stables LLC, and when polesitter Lou Vuitton blasted away, Chisholm was content to sit second with the favorite behind fractions of :26.4, :55.3, and 1:23.3, awaiting the right moment to start his horse up. Its Saturday Night, who also won the Hempt Consolation II at Pocono in August,  vacated the two-hole late on the far turn and easily took command in the stretch, leaving the pacesetter 3 1/2 lengths behind at the wire.
 
Tony Morgan hasn’t won 17,772 races, second in North American history, without also possessing some sense of just how much horse he has in front of him, and his judgment was rewarded in the $12,000 co-featured pace when the Huntsville gelding Build The Wall won in 1:53. Morgan was content to sit third behind a moderate pace of :27.4, :56.4, and 1:25 and still wasn’t tight on the leaders approaching the eighth pole. But soon afterwards he asked the question of his three-year-old and got the expected answer, as Build The Wall turned in a powerful last eighth to comfortably for trainer Maria Reid and owners Fusco Strong LLC and Peter Fusco Racing LLC. Build The Wall, the crowd’s choice, was unraced at two but is now seven-for-eleven in 2024.
 
Seven horsemen posted two wins on the card: drivers Bradley Chisholm, Neil Glasser (in AHDC amateur races), Tyler Miller, George Napolitano Jr., and Tim Tetrick, and trainers Dean Eckley, the meet leader, and George Lange. Tetrick maintains a five-win lead over Napolitano atop the standings as the days left in 2024 dwindle down.
 
Harrah’s Philadelphia will be racing this coming week on Thursday and Friday at 12:25 and Sunday at 12:40. The track will then be dark for live racing on Thanksgiving Thursday and Friday, with the trotters and pacers back in action on Sunday, December 1 at 12:40. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – On a cool fall afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania where the spotlight races were very competitive (four of the five features were decided by a length or less), De La Hoya Hanover took a 1:51 decision over Seen Here in the pacing section of three $17,000 top-purse contests.
 
The crowd’s wagering was probably based on how each horse had done against a recent common rival named Southwind Celsius: Seen Here had gone-to-wire against “Celsius” last week, while a week before De La Hoya Hanover had to settle for a not-close second, so Seen Here was made the odds-on favorite and De La Hoya Hanover, who also had to contend with the outside post six, was the second choice.
 
De La Hoya Hanover was sent right to the lead by driver Matt Kakaley and put up fractions of :27.3 and :55.4, then stepped up his game when Seen Here ranged up uncovered from midpack to challenge by the 1:23.1 three quarters. Seen Here had gone his own third split in :26.4 into some wind to gain contention and kept the heat on his rival to the line, but De La Hoya Hanover had a bit more punch coming to the finish and won by three-quarters of a length for trainer Joe Bongiorno and the ownership of Jennifer Bongiorno Stable LLC, Robert Weinstein, and Barbara Bongiorno Stable LLC.
 
In one of the two $17,000 trots, the Walner three-year-old filly  Sapphinerainstar, winless in six starts when coming to Pocono in mid-October, ran her local record to five-for-five by holding back two-holer Hankins Hanover by three-quarters of a length in 1:55.1. Simon Allard steered the streaking sophomore for trainer Mark Akins and A 1 Racing.
 
In the other top trot, Dark Mind launched first-over down the backstretch, went up to the lead in the lane, then kept Tuis Angel at bay by 1½ lengths in a lifetime best 1:54.4. The gelded son of International Moni drifted out a little in the lane and had an objection put in against him, but the judges ruled that no action should be taken against the Noel Daley trainee, who was driven by Anthony Napolitano for owner Sonja Katrina Booth.
 
There were also a pair of $14,500 fast-class events, one on each gait. In the pace, the Art Major gelding Mirragon A sat in the pocket behind a pedestrian half of :57, then paced his own back half in :54 - :26.3 to catch pacesetting Oakwood Paddy IR by a head in 1:51.1. Jim Pantaleano drove the swift-closing winner for trainer Michael Deters, co-owner with Joel Warner and John Manning.
 
On the trotting side, Bee Forever, an altered son of Muscle Hill out of the champion mare Bee A Magician, was moved three-wide by driver Anthony Napolitano near the far turn, went up to take command in the lane, then held off slow-to-clear favorite Yo Beth D by a head in 1:54. Now six, Bee Forever has had only 26 career starts, but 11 of them have been wins, and his gameness was again proven for trainer Peter Pellegrino and owner Erv Peachey.
 
The Napolitano brothers, Anthony and George Jr., each had three wins on the card; George gained a win over meet leader Matt Kakaley, but Kakaley has a 271-263 advantage with but three cards left in the season as he shoots for his third straight Pocono dash championship.
 
A plethora of longshots beginning before midcard caused carryovers for Monday’s first Pick 3, which begins in the fourth race; the Pick 5, which starts in the fifth; and Hi 5, in the last race on the 1:00 card. There will then be racing at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, preceding the final card of the 2024 season at Pocono, on Saturday, November 23, also at 1 p.m. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org. 

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
​CHESTER PA – The Cantab Hall gelding Gaines Hanover got a nice tow-up from second-over in the $15,000 featured handicap trot at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Friday afternoon, then tipped wide with an eighth to go and overpowered his field late to win in 1:53.4.
 
Khaosan Road, winner of four straight and the favorite, left sharply from the outside post eight and reached the quarter in :26.3, but that one yielded to the brusher Chake in front of the stands. Chake posted midsplits of :56 and 1:24.3, to the latter station being pressured by first-over Baroness Hill. The last-named could not sustain her bid, and it was at that point that Pat Lachance tipped the winner of $645,752 wide and finished out strongly to take a two length decision over Chake. Lachance also trains the winner for Gestion J Y Blais Inc.
 
In the fast-class pace, worth $14,000, the Betterthancheddar gelding Agedcheddar Hanover found himself last-over mid-backstretch, but driver Ridge Warren tipped him wide at that point. The horse went up to a furious gear, blindswitching horses and making up ground while wide all the way to the wire, where he caught leader Pat McGarry by half a length in 1:51.1, with the five checkgetters separated by only 1¼ lengths. The winner of three of his last four is trained by Jake Leamon for owner Dona McDonald.
 
A $13,500 pace for developing horses carried the condition “fillies and mares preferred,” but it was the lone male competitor, the Henry Hill gelding Ishotthesheriff GB, who got the biggest check after a 1:53.1 mile. Ishotthesheriff GB vacated the pocket late on the far turn and paced away to win by 2¾ lengths over Seeuonotherisde for driver Andrew McCarthy and trainer Robert Cleary, the latter co-owner with Howard Taylor, David Kryway, and Rich Lombardo Racing LLC.
 
Driving triples were posted by Andrew McCarthy (all for trainer Robert Cleary), George Napolitano Jr. (all for meet-leading trainer Dean Eckley), and Tim Tetrick (each for a different trainer). Tetrick has a five-win lead over Napolitano for the meet, 149-144, and the UDR chase is just as close, with Tetrick (.370) and Napolitano (.364) joined by David Miller (.357).
 
The racing week at Harrah’s Philly closes out on Sunday with a 12:40 card. Philly will race its normal fall schedule of Thursday and Friday at 12:25 and Sunday at 12:40 this coming week, then will be dark for live racing on Thanksgiving Thursday and Friday, resuming on Sunday, December 1 at 12:40. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
​CHESTER PA – G Load raced in the two-hole, then had enough stretch force to overhaul pacesetting Tequini Hanover at the end of the $13,500 featured vent on another “Trottin’ Thursday” program at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
 
Justin Huckabone put the Nuncio gelding on the early lead, then yielded to the quarter-moving Tequini Hanover on a brisk day in southeast Pennsylvania. There the winner waited until headstretch, when G Load moved outside and gradually grinded past the leader to win past a half length tally in 1:56.2. Driver Huckabone also trains the winner for owner Mathew Dugan.
 
There were three $12,000 trotting races for the class just below the feature-level horse. Two were won by horses who were champions in their respective states’ programs, and the other was taken by a Swedish import visiting the winners circle for the first time in North America.
 
The most impressive of the three was the Shake It Off Lindy sophomore gelding Chipper Dale, who made his debut for owners Evans Nation, Jeff Fought Racing, and Brian Carsey memorable in winning by 6¾ lengths in 1:55.1, lowering his record five full seconds. David Miller moved the Per Engblom trainee to the lead in front of the grandstand, and the rest labored to get a minor portion behind the winner of six straight. Chipper Dale has won eleven of fourteen starts this year and scored six of eight times at two while the dominant force in the Maine program; his earnings are now $220,498.
 
The Yall Beneath Me three-year-old filly Only I Exist made a break in her career bow and after that has won fifteen straight races, six last season and this year nine more, including two at Philly since establishing her dominance in Maryland. Russell Foster raced her off the pace in this start, and the winner of $293,006 proved equal to the challenge in 1:57 for trainer-owner Richard Hans of Googoo Gaagaa fame.
 
Koriander Sisu S, a Father Patrick gelding, made an early move to take control of his division, and after taking two seconds in photos in North America, he got the job done here in 1:56.4, a neck to the good of Asher Hanover. Rikard Skoglund guided the winner for trainer Per Engblom and the partnership of Engblom Stable LLC, Nicklas Oestergaard-Andersen, Thomas Svensen, and Darby Mazzarisi.
 
Doublers on the driving side were Justin Huckabone, George Napolitano Jr. (reducing Tim Tetrick’s meet lead to 146-141), Jack Pelling, and Rikard Skoglund; conditioners Scott Di Domenico and Per Engblom also had a pair of wins.
 
Fast-class horses of all varieties will be featured on Friday’s program at Harrah’s Philadelphia, with first post at 12:25 p.m. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.