 Photo: Curtis Salonick |  Photo: Grace Zimmers |
By: Jerry Connors, Jr.
WILKES-BARRE PA – Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania annually presents the Pennsylvania All-Stars series of races, giving the state-sired stars of the sport an additional opportunity of racing while bringing quality horses to the northeast Pennsylvania oval. The first of the All-Stars races, for the "glamour division" of the three-year-old pacing colts, will be held this Saturday (May 9) in four sections; its companion race for fillies will be held in three cuts on Pocono’s following racing day, Monday the 11th.
It was taken for granted that trainer Ron Burke would have many of the top contenders among this group of three-year-old pacing males. Frantic Hanover set a one-year Sire Stakes record for earnings of $288,564 in 2025, beating the ten-year-old mark of pacing filly Pure Country, $286,918, while winning all four of his prelims and then the Sire Stakes Championship; he was also a factor on the national scene, as were stablemates Al Papi and Melillo, 2-3 to him in the PaSS Championship.
All three of these horses raced in the Sires first leg at The Meadows last Saturday, but none came away with a win – “Frantic” and Melillo were second, Al Papi third. Yet the Burke Brigade still won a Sire Stakes division behind the developing Another C Note, perfect in four starts this year and having taken his mark of 1:50.4 at Pocono in his seasonal debut. Another C Note, a Captaintreacherous colt owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC along with Let It Ride Stables Inc. and Scott Dillon, will be driven Saturday by local leading sulkysmith Tyler Buter from post four in the fourth race All-Stars division, which like the others will go for $30,000.
Monday’s filly contests find all the first state-sired prelim winners – two from the Sire Stakes and five from the Stallion Series – entered into the All-Stars. The most attention will be on the rapidly-developing Miss Jum Jabber, who spoiled the 2026 debut of Dan Patch Award winner Loua Dipa in their Sires matchup, coming from last and flashing home in an almost-unbelievable :53 - :26.2 to catch Loua Dipa in 1:51.3! Miss Jum Jabber, a daughter of Bettor’s Wish trained by Brett Pelling for his Pelling Racing LLC, will be starting from post five in the twelfth race Monday, with Andrew McCarthy set for sulky duty. This will be only her sixth lifetime start; it’s a bit scary if she continues to get better!
The All-Stars contests for the Pennsylvania three-year-old trotters will be held later in May; all four two-year-old contests are clustered in the first half of July. It should be noted under “Pennsylvania-Sired Stakes News” that the following Saturday (May 16) will find Pocono hosting the second preliminary of the Sire Stakes and Stallion Series for the pacing colts, races which should bring more early-season clarification to this talented division.
WILKES-BARRE PA – Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania annually presents the Pennsylvania All-Stars series of races, giving the state-sired stars of the sport an additional opportunity of racing while bringing quality horses to the northeast Pennsylvania oval. The first of the All-Stars races, for the "glamour division" of the three-year-old pacing colts, will be held this Saturday (May 9) in four sections; its companion race for fillies will be held in three cuts on Pocono’s following racing day, Monday the 11th.
It was taken for granted that trainer Ron Burke would have many of the top contenders among this group of three-year-old pacing males. Frantic Hanover set a one-year Sire Stakes record for earnings of $288,564 in 2025, beating the ten-year-old mark of pacing filly Pure Country, $286,918, while winning all four of his prelims and then the Sire Stakes Championship; he was also a factor on the national scene, as were stablemates Al Papi and Melillo, 2-3 to him in the PaSS Championship.
All three of these horses raced in the Sires first leg at The Meadows last Saturday, but none came away with a win – “Frantic” and Melillo were second, Al Papi third. Yet the Burke Brigade still won a Sire Stakes division behind the developing Another C Note, perfect in four starts this year and having taken his mark of 1:50.4 at Pocono in his seasonal debut. Another C Note, a Captaintreacherous colt owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC along with Let It Ride Stables Inc. and Scott Dillon, will be driven Saturday by local leading sulkysmith Tyler Buter from post four in the fourth race All-Stars division, which like the others will go for $30,000.
Monday’s filly contests find all the first state-sired prelim winners – two from the Sire Stakes and five from the Stallion Series – entered into the All-Stars. The most attention will be on the rapidly-developing Miss Jum Jabber, who spoiled the 2026 debut of Dan Patch Award winner Loua Dipa in their Sires matchup, coming from last and flashing home in an almost-unbelievable :53 - :26.2 to catch Loua Dipa in 1:51.3! Miss Jum Jabber, a daughter of Bettor’s Wish trained by Brett Pelling for his Pelling Racing LLC, will be starting from post five in the twelfth race Monday, with Andrew McCarthy set for sulky duty. This will be only her sixth lifetime start; it’s a bit scary if she continues to get better!
The All-Stars contests for the Pennsylvania three-year-old trotters will be held later in May; all four two-year-old contests are clustered in the first half of July. It should be noted under “Pennsylvania-Sired Stakes News” that the following Saturday (May 16) will find Pocono hosting the second preliminary of the Sire Stakes and Stallion Series for the pacing colts, races which should bring more early-season clarification to this talented division.
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