Photo: Curtis Salonick
By: Jerry Connors, Jr.
WILKES-BARRE PA – The Monday afternoon features at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on a chilly day proved exciting contests, each decided by a neck. Two of the trio of features were won by the favorite, while the third winner paid $106.20 – while being driver by meet leader Tyler Buter.
The $20,000 Winter Is Coming Pacing Series Championship had its major players in line early – favored Boston Rocks, Big Bang Bang, Lyons Music, and Points North were already 1-2-3-4 before the :27 quarter. Points North was up into uncovered position challenging the leader by the :56 half and continued the fight to and past a 1:23.3 three-quarters.
In the stretch, it appeared that Big Bang Bang would have the best chance to catch the leader via the Pocono Pike – Points North had dropped back slightly, while Lyons Music was moved by Tyler Buter into a blindswitch position, with no immediate path to gain. Big Bang Bang was commencing a rally when he went offstride midstretch and was taken inside the pylons; Buter shot Lyons Music to the left of the leader in the suddenly vacant space, and the pacer hit his best gear quickly, outsprinting the chalk in the last 100 yards; Points North was only three parts of a length back at the wire after a brave effort.
Lyons Music, an altered son of A Rocknroll Dance, was third in his only Winter Is Coming start; he had two recent wins, but both were at the track’s lowest conditioned level. But he was on song for a big mile in his Championship for trainer Susan Marshall, co-owner with John Marshall. (And an interesting fact: Lyons Music was Buter’s third winner at Pocono to pay $100+ in 2025; no other sulkysitter has more than one.)
Three Times Bettor went one more than her name by winning her fourth straight race, a $22,000 fast-class handicap pace for females in 1:51.3. Coming off a sweep of the Kentucky stakes program at Cumberland Run, the sophomore Bettor’s Delight miss went first-over from the half, advancing while her pacing her own third quarter in :26.4, then swept to the lead early in the stretch. But a battle with another distaff who likes to win, Louisville GB (14-for-27 over the last two years), with the latter having the advantage of a cover trip, saw Three Times Bettor keep digging to win for Team Pelling (driver Jack, trainer/father Brett) and owner Thaddeus Wier.
In a $16,000 trot for developing horses, the Bar Hopping three-year-old gelding Onemore Volo won for the second time in his last three outings, gradually working to the lead into turn two, then holding off a long, game first-over bid by Beersnsunshine Deo in 1:55.4. Braxten Boyd was the sulkysitter for trainer John Butenschoen, Andray Farm, and David Miller (a resident of Florida, not the one soon to move to Ohio).
Buter and Matt Kakaley both had three winners on the card.
The Tuesday card will be the next-to-last presentation of 2025 at Pocono, and it will feature the $20,000 Winter Is Coming Trotting Series Championship, as well as two carryovers: into the fifth race Pick 5 wager and into the last race High 5.. The season will then come to a close on Saturday, November 22, and all bets that are usually “carryovers” will go into a MUST-WIN situation after the last time they are offered that day. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.
WILKES-BARRE PA – The Monday afternoon features at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on a chilly day proved exciting contests, each decided by a neck. Two of the trio of features were won by the favorite, while the third winner paid $106.20 – while being driver by meet leader Tyler Buter.
The $20,000 Winter Is Coming Pacing Series Championship had its major players in line early – favored Boston Rocks, Big Bang Bang, Lyons Music, and Points North were already 1-2-3-4 before the :27 quarter. Points North was up into uncovered position challenging the leader by the :56 half and continued the fight to and past a 1:23.3 three-quarters.
In the stretch, it appeared that Big Bang Bang would have the best chance to catch the leader via the Pocono Pike – Points North had dropped back slightly, while Lyons Music was moved by Tyler Buter into a blindswitch position, with no immediate path to gain. Big Bang Bang was commencing a rally when he went offstride midstretch and was taken inside the pylons; Buter shot Lyons Music to the left of the leader in the suddenly vacant space, and the pacer hit his best gear quickly, outsprinting the chalk in the last 100 yards; Points North was only three parts of a length back at the wire after a brave effort.
Lyons Music, an altered son of A Rocknroll Dance, was third in his only Winter Is Coming start; he had two recent wins, but both were at the track’s lowest conditioned level. But he was on song for a big mile in his Championship for trainer Susan Marshall, co-owner with John Marshall. (And an interesting fact: Lyons Music was Buter’s third winner at Pocono to pay $100+ in 2025; no other sulkysitter has more than one.)
Three Times Bettor went one more than her name by winning her fourth straight race, a $22,000 fast-class handicap pace for females in 1:51.3. Coming off a sweep of the Kentucky stakes program at Cumberland Run, the sophomore Bettor’s Delight miss went first-over from the half, advancing while her pacing her own third quarter in :26.4, then swept to the lead early in the stretch. But a battle with another distaff who likes to win, Louisville GB (14-for-27 over the last two years), with the latter having the advantage of a cover trip, saw Three Times Bettor keep digging to win for Team Pelling (driver Jack, trainer/father Brett) and owner Thaddeus Wier.
In a $16,000 trot for developing horses, the Bar Hopping three-year-old gelding Onemore Volo won for the second time in his last three outings, gradually working to the lead into turn two, then holding off a long, game first-over bid by Beersnsunshine Deo in 1:55.4. Braxten Boyd was the sulkysitter for trainer John Butenschoen, Andray Farm, and David Miller (a resident of Florida, not the one soon to move to Ohio).
Buter and Matt Kakaley both had three winners on the card.
The Tuesday card will be the next-to-last presentation of 2025 at Pocono, and it will feature the $20,000 Winter Is Coming Trotting Series Championship, as well as two carryovers: into the fifth race Pick 5 wager and into the last race High 5.. The season will then come to a close on Saturday, November 22, and all bets that are usually “carryovers” will go into a MUST-WIN situation after the last time they are offered that day. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.
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