Photo: Curtis Salonick
By: Jerry Connors, Jr.
WILKES-BARRE PA – Tyler Buter drove three of the last four winners on the final 2025 card of racing at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on Saturday afternoon, raising his seasonal total at the mountain oval to exactly 300 while capturing his first local victory crown.
The 40-year-old, seventh in North America in wins this year, brought home Nob Hill Flash ($10.40) in race eleven, then won both halves of the late double to reach 300. Oakwood Heymiki IR was expected to win at 1-20 and did, and then Buter overcame the outside post with Seven Reps ($10.80) in the finale, closing off cover to bring a fine season to a fine ending for his pilot.
Seven Reps is trained by Ron Burke, and the ubiquitous trainer saw his final seasonal win total locally get to 113 as he won his fourth straight crown and fifth in the last six years. Pocono also keeps historical data on UDR leaders, and it’s no surprise that Jason Bartlett, having the year of his career, would take that title, “hitting” .401 with enough starts (one per card) to take his first local title. Pocono’s “B-Boys” (Buter, Burke, Bartlett) certainly had a season to remember at the northeast Pennsylvania track.
The top races on closing day at Pocono focused on performers looking destined to find their way to the top national classes in a short time. The biggest purse of the day, $17,500, was captured by the Bar Hopping sophomore filly Bay Breeze Hanover, who already has experience with state-level stakes horses, and may be headed to richer opportunities after battling gamely on a dank day (“good” +1) to hold off Pocono Pike-scooting favorite Kovu AS by a head in 1:57. A winner of three of her last four including a Liberty Bell stake, Bay Breeze Hanover was handled by Colin Kelly for trainer Maria Alvarez and the partnership of Friendship Stables LLC and Rotiboy4Eva Racing Stable.
Pacers a rung lower on the classladder contested $16,000 in a race taken by the Always B Miki gelding Chief Bogo, like trotting feature winner “Bay Breeze” victorious in three of his last four races. The Chief came up the inside from a pocket journey to overhaul pacesetting Captain Luffy by three parts of a length in 1:52.3 for driver Anthony Napolitano, trainer Nicholas Devita, and owner Eric Prevost.
Pocono bettors had a host of good chances to make a little holiday money, as there were carryovers in three races, and since it was the last day, mandatory payouts on five exotic wagers (including one with a carryover). Well-regarded horses won early, but then the money got spread around by lightly-regarded horses winning, including Raven Banner N ($62.00) in the fifty-sixth race a winner paid $50 or more at Pocono this year.
WILKES-BARRE PA – Tyler Buter drove three of the last four winners on the final 2025 card of racing at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on Saturday afternoon, raising his seasonal total at the mountain oval to exactly 300 while capturing his first local victory crown.
The 40-year-old, seventh in North America in wins this year, brought home Nob Hill Flash ($10.40) in race eleven, then won both halves of the late double to reach 300. Oakwood Heymiki IR was expected to win at 1-20 and did, and then Buter overcame the outside post with Seven Reps ($10.80) in the finale, closing off cover to bring a fine season to a fine ending for his pilot.
Seven Reps is trained by Ron Burke, and the ubiquitous trainer saw his final seasonal win total locally get to 113 as he won his fourth straight crown and fifth in the last six years. Pocono also keeps historical data on UDR leaders, and it’s no surprise that Jason Bartlett, having the year of his career, would take that title, “hitting” .401 with enough starts (one per card) to take his first local title. Pocono’s “B-Boys” (Buter, Burke, Bartlett) certainly had a season to remember at the northeast Pennsylvania track.
The top races on closing day at Pocono focused on performers looking destined to find their way to the top national classes in a short time. The biggest purse of the day, $17,500, was captured by the Bar Hopping sophomore filly Bay Breeze Hanover, who already has experience with state-level stakes horses, and may be headed to richer opportunities after battling gamely on a dank day (“good” +1) to hold off Pocono Pike-scooting favorite Kovu AS by a head in 1:57. A winner of three of her last four including a Liberty Bell stake, Bay Breeze Hanover was handled by Colin Kelly for trainer Maria Alvarez and the partnership of Friendship Stables LLC and Rotiboy4Eva Racing Stable.
Pacers a rung lower on the classladder contested $16,000 in a race taken by the Always B Miki gelding Chief Bogo, like trotting feature winner “Bay Breeze” victorious in three of his last four races. The Chief came up the inside from a pocket journey to overhaul pacesetting Captain Luffy by three parts of a length in 1:52.3 for driver Anthony Napolitano, trainer Nicholas Devita, and owner Eric Prevost.
Pocono bettors had a host of good chances to make a little holiday money, as there were carryovers in three races, and since it was the last day, mandatory payouts on five exotic wagers (including one with a carryover). Well-regarded horses won early, but then the money got spread around by lightly-regarded horses winning, including Raven Banner N ($62.00) in the fifty-sixth race a winner paid $50 or more at Pocono this year.
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