By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – What in the name of Rod’s Faybill has been going on this past week at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania?
 
In the third race at Scarborough Downs (ME) on Tuesday, June 23, 1981, a trotter named Rod’s Faybill, starting from post eight, attracted a solitary $2 win wager. Rod’s Faybill was far back most of the mile, but he took advantage of a mixup on the far turn and won (by 15 lengths!), returning a win payoff of $1365.80 – according to the Internet, still the largest in harness racing history. (That single ducat was held by a vacationer from Virginia.)
 
In the sixth race at Pocono on Tuesday, a trotter named Bijou Blue Chip made her career debut from post eight, and she was dismissed at 92-1, the longest odds in the race. Bijou Blue Chip was in the second half of her field most of the race, but then was able to mount a winning rally in her bow.
 
Bijou Blue Chip’s win payoff was $186.40, the highest recorded at The Downs since Spit And Vinegar paid $214.60 on October 12, 2021. This was the third consecutive card at the mountain oval where a $100+ longshot blew out the tote board (four for eastern Pennsylvania if you count the $107.00 winner at Philly on Sunday). That kind of “triple” has not been matched in the last ten years at Pocono. A total of ten carryover pools were generated by the massive overthrow of the form book during the three-day week.
 
Bijou Blue Chip was actually a feature race winner at Pocono, as the card headlined four $16,000 contests for two-year-olds. The Back Of The Neck – Read The Book trotting filly clocked a good maiden time of 1:57.2 for driver Lauren Tritton and trainer Annie Stoebe, the latter co-owner with Blue Chip Bloodstock Inc. and R. Lynn Curry. The race for her male counterparts was won by the Walner – Molto Bene gelding Celebrity Tequila, with whom driver Brian Sears (6-for-15 in his “comeback”) set a slow pace then maintained the advantage for a maiden mark of 2:00 for Flying A Racing Stable, Celebrity Farms, and trainer Hunter Oakes’s H O Racing Inc.
 
There were also two cuts for pacing fillies, both bringing maiden victories. The Perfect Sting – Philly Hanover distaff Philly’s Sting got the nod in a 1:55.4 decision for driver Ridge Warren, trainer Juan Cano, and Hot Lead Farm, while the Stay Hungry – Chant Down Babylon filly Kinda Girl U Like went into grinding mode to be along in 1:56 for Anthony Napolitano and trainer Scott Di Domenico, whose Triple D Stables Inc. owns the baby.
 
Racing resumes at Pocono on Saturday (August 15) at 1 p.m., with a $21,000 fast-class pace the top event of the day. A week from this Saturday, August 22, Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania will be proud to host North America’s top three-year-olds and free-for-allers in the $2.3M Sun Stakes Saturday supercard, with a first race post that day only of 2:30 p.m. The fields for Sun Stakes Saturday will be drawn the morning of Monday, August 17. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – The Åke Svanstedt barn sent out three winning sons of Captain Corey in PA-sired third preliminary round stakes action for two-year-old trotting males Monday afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Sun, including the colt winners of both divisions of Sire Stakes events contested over a “sloppy” oval.
 
The quicker of the two, Jimdougie Armitage (dam Quick Bet), broke his maiden in fine style with a 1:55.1 victory. Svanstedt, elected to the Hall of Fame last week, was in the sulky behind the winner, coming first-over and still able to win by 2¾ lengths over Dream Shaq, who had to rebound from an early bobble as he sought his third straight PaSS win but had to settle for the deuce. Second in a PaSS event and third from post ten in a Kindergarten leg before Monday, Jimdougie Armitage graduated with flying colors for the ownership of S R F Stable, Knutsson Trotting Inc., Brochart Stable Inc, and Svanstedt & Midnight Sun.
 
Yankee Boss (dam Brigit Of Kildare) won in 1:56.3 just after a midcard storm changed the track from fast to sloppy, reducing his mark from a previous overnight win. The “Boss” was the boss after making the lead past the quarter, with his only end-stage challenger, Big Time Trot S, losing stride in the stretch while close enough to contend. Svanstedt drove “Big Time,” which gave the catch-driving opportunity to a top driver but one you might not associate with Åke’s horses – Jonathan Roberts. The longtime MidAtlantic star is part of the horse’s ownership of Kiwi Stables LLC and Graham Grace Stables LLC, who are also partners in the millionaire pacer Beau Jangles.
 
The other Svanstedt / Captain Corey connection was in the Stallion Series, which was conducted in four $20,000 divisions to swell the day’s stakes money to $191,292. Hook N Reel (dam Flos Conch Shack) added a second victory in the Stallion Series series in back-to-back starts, the gelding winning in 1:57.3 (three of the StS races were held over fast going). Driver-trainer Svanstedt is also an owning partner with Brochart Stable and S R F Stable, giving those entities a second stakes ownership win. Svanstedt also won an overnight race to end his day with three sulky successes and four training triumphs.
 
Captain Corey earned a second PaStS credit and a fourth stakes victory on the day in the fastest StS cut, as the gelding Strapped (dam Borrow And Spend) ran his record to two for three with a new mark of 1:55.4 for driver Tyler Buter, trainer Nicholas Devita, and owners David Hamm and Glenn Phillips.
 
The other fast track Stallion Series contest went to the Greenshoe – Tuscany colt Scarpa, bringing Pocono’s leading driver Tyler Buter a second stakes win while breaking his maiden in 1:57.3 for trainer Nifty Norman, whose Enzed Racing Stable Inc. shares ownership with Melvin Hartman.
 
Friday Night Fats, a Cantab Hall – Lovely Liv colt, also notched a second win in StS races, also in consecutive starts, with a 1:57.1 success over a surface which had gone over to sloppy. Mike Wilder drove the Matthew Burkholder trainee for Dark Horse Farm LLC.
 
Pocono will be hosting the $1.4M Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Championships on September 7, Labor Day Monday; the best of this card’s horses should be on hand, as will many performers highlighting the Tuesday 1 p.m. card, which has four $16,000 overnights for freshmen. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
HONESDALE PA – The Pennsylvania Fair Circuit made the first of two consecutive stops in this northeast Pennsylvania borough, not too distant from the New York state line, on Saturday and Sunday for a 2-Day Fair Sire Stakes meet; there will also be two days of racing during the fair proper this coming Wednesday (the 11th) and Thursday (the 12th).
 
The Two-Day meet had a simple theme each day – the cards was A Tale of Two Teams, with one braintrust having a tremendous Saturday with their two-year-olds and another combination dominating the three-year-old action the next day.
 
The freshman kings came largely from the Todd Schadel operation, with the headliner the International Moni – Alidade trotting colt Allmymoni Hanover, who won in 2:03.1, fastest on that gait by the babies (and even faster than the sophomores the next day). This was his third fair victory for Team Schadel (Todd trainer-driver and co-owner with Christine), turning back RT Road To Glory, the season’s recordholder.
 
The latter trotter campaigns for driver Eric Neal and trainer Tom Loughry Jr.; they would bounce back in the filly division with 2026 fair speed leader Western Twister, now undefeated in four fair outings after a 2:03.3 triumph that missed the Honesdale record by two ticks.
 
On the pace, Todd Schadel as trainer-driver-co-owner had a sweep of the freshman “A” events for males, with the colt Fast Getaway (Papi Rob Hanover – Warrawee Quick, 2:02) and the gelding Keystone Carnegie (Sweet Lou – Pending Approval, 2:03.1). Putting a fourth fair win on the “A” filly Harmony Hanover (Papi Rob Hanover – Hailey Hanover, 2:06.4) ran the barn’s win count on Saturday to five, with Todd handling four (son Cody piloted two winners, one for his dad and the other a catch-drive).
 
Sunday and the three-year-olds redirected the brightest beams of fortune to the combination of driver Eric Neal and trainer Tom Loughry Jr., who had already won one “A” trot with a filly and was second in another with a colt the day before. That one dropped “A” race was the only “A” trot that Neal/Loughry didn’t win during the meet; in fact, on Sunday they won both the “A” and the “B” trot for both sexes!
 
The “A” winners on the trot for Team Neal/Loughry were the filly Hot For Her (sire Father Patrick, 2:04) and the Fordham Road gelding RT Wonder Colt, who needed only 2:09.3 in a two-horse event. Like Team Schadel, Team Neal/Loughry has one principal owner (for them, the Brocious Racing Stable; for Schadel, usually some combination of Todd and wife Christine), but both have “outside” owners, all enjoying the successful run of luck they are both going through.
 
Todd did in fact on Sunday sweep the filly paces with Papi Knows (Papi Rob Hanover, 2:03.1) and Don’t Be Late (Bettor’s Wish, 2:03.3). Fastest mile of the meet came in the “A” sector, by another Papi Rob Hanover offspring, Adam Cheesehead, who won in 2:01.3 for driver Billy Carter, trainer Neil Balcerak, and owner George Prushnok.
 
The two hot combos split the horsemen’s honors for the two-day meet: Eric Neal drove seven winners, one more than Todd Schadel, while Schadel sent out one more winner than Loughry, 6-5. And all of the totals involved in these battles are especially noteworthy when you consider that the meet consisted of only 18 races.
 
The “luck” may be wider-spread when the Honesdale Fair meet goes into action on Wednesday at 3 p.m. and Thursday at noon. Entries are drawn on Monday the 10th, per Pennsylvania fair custom; and horsemen are reminded that the Honesdale Fair meet offers two $2000 free-for-all contests, with the pacers going on Wednesday and the trotters on Thursday – if you have a candidate, Monday’s the draw day. 

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Favorites won the three featured races at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on Hambletonian Saturday afternoon – but after that, mutuel mayhem was more the order of the day.
 
Dandy Ideal and Ruthless Hanover were the two horses handicapped to the outside posts in the $29,500 fast-class featured pace – with the scratch of Ruthless Hanover, Dandy Ideal became the overwhelming favorite, and he proved himself worthy of the faith with a 1:49.1 victory. Tyler Buter sent the American Ideal gelding to the lead nearing the :26.1 quarter, then got a breather to the :55.1 half. The pace picked up with a tailwind at the three quarters to a 1:21.4 fraction into the turn, and then Buter could get a :27.2 last quarter out of him into the breeze, fastest of the day (the average last quarter of the other races on the day was :29).
 
The game Congressional, as quick a gateleaver as anyone, went out and sat the pocket, but he was 1¼ lengths behind Dandy Ideal, who now has career earnings of $1,19,007 from 20 victories in 35 starts. Hunter Oakes trains the winner for Susan Oakes and Alan Johnston.
 
The Betting Line gelding Goliath Hanover had to overcome the rough tuck then first-over journey in the $16,000 fast-class pace subfeature, but the pacer proved equal to the tough task, grinding to the wire first ahead of pacesetter Be Dazzle Lou A (:26.3, :56, 1:23.1) to win by the smallest possible margin in 1:51. Jack Pelling got the giant effort out of the winner for trainer Darren Taneyhill and P T Stable.
 
A $17,500 trot for up-and-coming horses saw the Walner gelding Night Phantom go wire-to-wire in his debut for trainer Lily Cimino, leading past the poles in :26.2, :55.4, and 1:23.4 en route to a three length win in 1:53.3. Anthony Napolitano had the sulky duty behind the winner of four of his last five for owner Jaypaul Hoover.
 
The other side of “the chalk line” is reflected by the fact that there were three winners who paid $50.00 or more to win – the first time that event has happened at Pocono since April 29, 2024. Nvrfearlloydishere was the top payer at $115.40, and Tyler Buter was also a part of the longshot lunacy with Imaginary Line despite post eight at $62.00. Of course, it figured that Buter would be somewhere in the big-number mix – in addition to having the most overall victories for the meet, Buter also has the most $50+ winners with five (one ahead of Anthony Napolitano, who is second to him in the seasonal standings!).
 
Buter had four winners overall Saturday to earn himself another distinction; Simon Allard doubled. Trainers with two wins include Hunter Oakes and Darren Taneyhill, with Buter driving both of the former’s and one of the latter’s.
 
The Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and Stallion Series come to town for their third preliminary leg on Monday card beginning at 1 p.m., with $191,292 up for grabs among two Sire Stakes divisions and four Stallion Series sections. And of course just around the corner is the $2.4 million SUN STAKES SATURDAY supercard – more details as the August 22 card firms up. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – La Miki N was used hard in a determined bid to make the lead in a contested :26.3 opening quarter, did so, and then held sway the rest of the way to win the $14,000 featured distaff pace for developing younger horses Friday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
 
Perfidious Crown was away quickly from the rail, La Miki N (George Napolitano Jr.) was between horses, and favored Wise Professor was three-wide as they battled into the first turn. Track geometry dictated that Wise Professor prudently tuck in third, with La Miki N continuing up and wresting the lead from the stubborn Perfidious Crown.
 
La Miki N rated the half to :56.2, then got uncovered company from Threecurtaincalls to the 1:24.1 three quarters, with Perfidious Crown still in the two-hole and Wise Professor a locked-in third. La Miki N kept going with a :27.3 last quarter to win by a length over a late-clearing Wise Professor, with Threecurtaincalls and Perfidious Crown  crossing the wire in a dead-heat for third, though the latter was placed fourth for a pylon violation.
 
The meet’s top trainer, Per Engblom, has gotten four wins with the Always B Miki mare since taking over her care seven starts ago, including her last two. She is owned by M T Stables Ontario Inc.
 
The $12,000 co-feature, also for pacing distaffs, saw the Philos Hanover four-year-old mare House Blend continue her love affair with the month of August: she is now two-for-two in her career during the eighth month of the year while winless in the other eleven after a 1:52.4 lifetime best. George Napolitano Jr. got the four-year-old away quickly, took a three-spot, then came blasting with her at the half and ripped off a 26.1 third quarter uncovered to open up an insurmountable lead. The Cancelliere Brothers (trainer Tom and owner John) saw their mare go the mile of her career on Friday.
 
“George Nap” led all Philly drivers Friday with four victories on the card; Troy Beyer and Art Stafford Jr. came home first twice.
 
Sunday at 12:40 will be the final racing card of the week at Philly, and it is headed by the third preliminary round of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and Pennsylvania Stallion Series for two-year-old pacing fillies, with the Keystone-sired combatants going for a combined total of $207,254. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – There were two divisions of two-year-old trotting fillies racing in preliminary number two of the group’s Pennsylvania Sire Stakes action on Thursday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia. The two winners shared an amazing number of similarities: trainer Marcus Melander, driver Dexter Dunn, sire Captain Corey, being laid off for 23 days, favoritism, lowering their lifetime bests, staying undefeated, and setting a track record for their group. The one place there wasn’t agreement was in the times: Birr Castle won the first grouping in 1:53.4 to equal the Philly divisional track standard, and then Two Day Hangover stopped the clock in 1:53.3 in the second cut to take sole possession of the record.
 
To recap chronologically, Birr Castle (dam Melania), who had been victorious in the first PaSS prelim round, recorded her success before her stablemate, going right to the lead and set fractions of :27.2, :57, and 1:25,2, then holding off a late challenge from pocketsitter Orinoco by three quarters of a length for Pheasant Hill Farm (Ed Lohmeyer). The 1:53.4 equaled the mark of Country Victory (2024) and Ginger Hill Lex, who got her share of the record becoming last year’s Sires champ in this division; this victory pushed Birr Castle’s record to staying unblemished after three starts, with her other win in a Pennsylvania All-Stars race.
 
Those three lost their shared line in the local books 68 minutes later when Two Day Hangover (dam Sherry Lyns Lady, whose second dam was the famous D Train) captured the second division while lowering the record. With leavers to both sides of her, Dunn decided to duck “Two Day” into fourth early, and after fractions of :27.2 and :57.3 came uncovered. The new recordholder, whose only other start was also an All-Stars success, gained ground to the 1:25.4 three quarters, gained more around the turn and into the stretch to take the lead, and won off by 2½ lengths for Brittany Farms LLC and Marvin Katz LLC.
 
The five $20,000 complementary Stallion Series divisions, which brought the day’s stakes purses to $211,892, had some commonalities too: the winners all established lifetime bests (four of them maiden marks), and none of the five were the crowd’s choices. The fastest StS winner was the only non-maiden, Opa Mearas S (International Moni – Lily Kronos IT), a 1:55 winner for driver Andrew McCarthy, trainer Nicklas Andersen, and Snogarps Gard Inc.
 
McCarthy gained a second StS win with Sevenoops Hanover (Greenshoe – Sevenopper), a 1:57 winner for trainer Petter Engblom and Engblom Farm LLC, Evans Nation, and Hickory Hollow Stables.
 
Trainer-driver Trond Smedshammer also doubled in the Stallion Series: giving International Moni a second siring credit with Southwind Galli (dam Southwind Gilly), a 1:58.3 winner for American Viking Racing Stable and M3 Racing Stable, and with the debutante Sevecorey (Captain Corey – Seven Wood), home in 1:58 for Purple Haze Stables LLC.
 
Captain Corey got a second StS siring winner, and a fourth stakes win on the day, when T’wouldmakemesing (dam Woman Of Power) avoided wholesale early confusion en route to a 1:56.2 victory for driver Trae Porter, trainer George Ducharme, and FTM Racing Stable LLC.
 
All fifteen races on Thursday were for trotters, and the highest classes had their weekly features, both won by driver Yannick Gingras. Developing horses, going for $14,000, were fronted by $76.80 winner Captain Parker, a Musical Rhythm gelding who dropped his mark to 1:53 for trainer Chuck Crissman Jr. and owners Barbara Boese and Wendy Crissman.  A $13,000 handicap for fast-class established horses went to the Wishing Stone gelding Guido Di, coming east from The Meadows and promptly winning in 1:53 for trainer Steve Schoeffel and owners Kathy Schoeffel, Lewis Falton, and Marian Schilling.
 
Yannick Gingras was the big human winner on the day with four sulky successes, two of which were for the new Hall of Famer Åke Svanstedt (one of Svanstedt's was with fellow new Hall of Famer Al Libfeld as a partner). Trainer-driver Trond Smedshammer doubled; trainer Nicklas Andersen had his winners driven by Andrew McCarthy and Philly leader Tim Tetrick, each of whom also had two; and of course the featured Marcus Melander – Dexter Dunn combo.
 
Distaffs have the spotlight on Philly’s 12:25 card on Friday; on Sunday at 12:40 there will be PA-sired action for the two-year-old pacing filly set. And of course you can watch and wager on the big Hambletonian Day card at The Meadowlands Saturday, which begins at noon, through the track’s simulcasting system. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – On a speed-favoring Tuesday afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania (only one horse came off cover to win all day), the Always B Miki – Gigi From Fiji freshman filly Gigi N Miki went wire-to-wire in the biggest purse event of the day, a $16,000 event restricted to two-year-old pacing misses, kicking home in :28 to break her maiden in 1:55.1.
 
Driver Jim Pantaleano and  the Michael Deters trainee made a second move to control the throttle after a :29 quarter, landing the top and cutting out moderate midsplits of :58 and 1:27.1. Favored Philly’s Sting advanced uncovered from midbackstretch, and these two had quite a tussle through the stretch drive, with Gigi N Miki holding off her brave foe by the smallest possible margin for the ownership of trainer Deters, Lawrence Barrett, Joel Warner, and John Spindler.
 
A quartet of $14,500 races for horses looking to climb the classladder were the co-features, with the only pace, for distaffs, showcasing the Bulldog Hanover sophomore filly She’s A Bulldog as she won in a lifetime best 1:50.1 for Pocono’s top duo of driver Tyler Buter and trainer Ron Burke. The 2025 Three Diamonds winner after finishing second to stablemate Loua Dipa in the Breeders Crown, She’s a Bulldog made the lead from the outside post eight after being pushed by American Story almost to the :27.1 quarter, stopped the timer midrace in :55 and 1:22.4, then held off the game pocketsitter by 1¼ lengths for owner Brad Grant, raising her earnings to $427,679 with her third lifetime victory.
 
The faster co-feature for trotting males saw the Tactical Landing three-year-old gelding Southwind Fargo win his second straight and third in his last four outings, putting up fractions of :27.4, :56, and 1:25 en route to a 1:53 triumph. Åke Svanstedt drove and trains the talented winner for Rivers Stable Inc. In the other section, El Orion, a Six Pack sophomore colt coming off two wins and a second at Tioga, brought his good form southward with him, winning a long stretch battle with favored Breakthrough under the guidance of Braxten Boyd while lowering his mark to 1:56.3 for trainer Bob Krivelin and his Hero Stables.
 
The other co-feature was carded for trotting females, and it went to the Walner three-year-old filly R Candy, who came her back half in :57 uncovered to succeed in 1:54.3 for driver George Napolitano Jr., trainer Linda Toscano, and lessees M&L DE / Armitage Farm.
 
Buter and “George Nap” each had three victories on the day and between them they brought home trainer Dean Eckley’s three-bagger – two by Buter and one by Napolitano. Other doublers included the team of driver Simon Allard and trainer Mark Akins; drivers Braxten Boyd and Anthony Napolitano also each tasted success twice.
 
Racing resumes at Pocono on Saturday at 1 p.m., with millionaire speedsters Dandy Ideal and Ruthless Hanover assigned the two outermost starting slots in the $29,500 fast-class handicap pacing feature. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – Shalom Hanover, a two-year-old pacing colt by Papi Rob Hanover – Sammy’s Magic Girl, captured his division of a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes event for his grouping on Monday afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, winning easily in 1:49.2 – a time which makes him the fastest two-year-old of 2026 and the fastest two-year-old of all-time at Pocono, and a clocking just a fifth shy of the all-time record for any freshman on a 5/8-mile track (Frantic Hanover’s 1:49.1 in last year’s Sire Stakes Championship at Philly).
 
Louis Roy settled his Dr. Ian Moore-trained colt, the heaviest of favorites, in third early, then was on the move just as Atomix Hanover passed the quarter on top in :26.3. “Shalom” quickly raced to the front then paced to middle splits of :54 and 1:22, with Atomix Hanover gallantly sticking right on Roy’s helmet. But the winning horse and driver looked relaxed and in firm control, and if they went around the oval again the 1¼ length margin that existed the entire last half between the two might not have been diminished.
 
Shalom Hanover has been victorious in all three starts to date – a Tompkins-Geers race at Woodbine Mohawk, the first PA Sires prelim at The Meadows, and now this second PaSS preliminary for the Shalom Hanover Stable. “Shalom” is a Hebrew word that can mean either “hello” and “goodbye” – or maybe the same thing at once, such is the ease and speed that this colt has exhibited.
 
Who had been the fastest two-year-old of 2026, and who had held the Pocono mark for both all freshmen and for colts? The answer to most of that question had been provided 34 minutes earlier – and the rest of the answer goes back almost thirteen years.
 
The Captaintreacherous – Scarlett Hanover colt Starstruck Dreamer had toured the Pocono oval in 1:49.4 two races before Shalom’s race, also winning his second straight Sires prelim. In this race, the field appeared headed for a lineup, but then driver Tyler Buter thought that disadvantageous for his 1-5 shot starting from post five and quickly got him on the boil, striding right up to take over shortly after a :27.1 initial quarter and then passing the next two poles in :54.4 and 1:21.4.
 
The field bunched up down the backstretch, with everyone separated by less than four lengths at the three quarters – and then suddenly, nobody was making any further headway, and what was a 1½ length stretch call lead became an 8¾ lengths rout under the wire. The 1:49.4 time made him the year’s first sub-1:50 freshman, and it also tied the Pocono record for two-year-olds set by Somestarsomewhere in his 2013 Breeders Crown elimination. Noel Daley conditions the “Star” baby for Steve Wienick Racing LLC, Pryde Stables Inc., Jfoderatritchiecanamerica, and Hyatt Holdings Inc.
 
There is a very interesting breeding correlation involving the two Sire Stakes winners – the dam of Shalom Hanover, Sammy’s Magic Girl, is also the second dam of Starstruck Hanover through her O’Brien-winning daughter Scarlett Hanover!
 
It should be noted that Pocono hosts the $1.4M Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Championships for two-year-olds on September 7, Labor Day Monday – and who knows what the records will be by then?
 
And a word must be said about Starstruck Hanover’s driver Tyler Buter, Pocono’s winningest driver last year and this – for on Monday Buter won six times (tied for PcD’s high for the campaign), with five of them in stakes: this Sire Stakes contest plus four of the five Stallion Series events on a card where $231,892 was distributed to the state-sired males.
 
Buter drove the fastest Stallion Series winner, the Captain Crunch – Dandy’s Sweetness gelding, Dapper Station, who took a new mark of 1:52.1 in his second stakes win for trainer Hunter Oakes and H O Racing Inc., Louis Peachey and Tribbett Racing. Tyler also brought in Celtic Wave (gelding by Captaintreacherous – Certified Ideal, 1:52.3 for a maiden mark) for trainer John Berger, co-owner with Kiefer Elite Bldstock LLC and Theresa Donnelly, and Dujoe (Stay Hungry – Do Your Job, 1:54.3) for trainer Brandon Presto and owners Meredith Farms LLC and Rocco Stebbins.
 
And even Buter needs some occasional luck: Five Alarm Fire was going along in good order on the lead when he appeared to see a shadow from an infield lightpole on the track at three-quarters, flicking his ears and then making a “hurdling” break; with him in the centerfield, the fair circuit star Kurt (Always B Miki- Cheyenne Deo) lowered his mark six seconds with a 1:55 head victory for trainer Bill Daugherty Jr. and Stephan Brochu.
 
The final StS division saw some familiar names (driver Ron Wrenn Jr. trainer Ron Burke, owners Burke Racing Stable LLC, Lawrence Karr, Knox Services Inc, and Brad Grant) associated with the Tall Dark Stranger – Tall Drink Hanover gelding Tom Collins, who reduced his mark to 1:53.1.
 
Pocono will be right back in action Tuesday at 1 p.m., with the $16,000 feature for two-year-old pacing fillies finding Heavens To Betsy going for two straight as the morning line favorite. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – The Dragon Reborn certainly got a break when he drew the rail for the $14,000 featured pace for classclimbers Sunday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia. He needed only one more break in the race, and after that he maximized his ability to score a 1:51.2 victory.
 
Pack A Punch shot right out to the lead, with Moving On Over getting away second and The Dragon Reborn third. Then nearing the :26.2 quarter, the “Dragon” got his break as Moving On Over lost his gait, putting the son of Bettor’s Delight in the golden chair as Pack A Punch carved out fractions of :55,2 and 1:23.1, towards the latter station facing an uncovered bid from favorite Ayr Dave GB.
 
Pack A Punch had been off for two months before this race and could not continue on as Ayr Dave GB started to take over entering the stretch. But Art Stafford Jr. guided The Dragon Reborn to the inside and the pacer exploded with a fine last eighth to go 1¾ lengths clear of the chalk while missing his mark by a tick. Tyler Davis trains the winner for J&T Davis LLC.
 
Obliterate, a Perfect Sing colt coming off a nigh-impossible two-move trip in his Meadowlands Pace elimination, found the $13,500 sub-class for developing younger pacers more to his liking, although he had to work hard to withstand the closing Half Past Midnight by a half length in 1:49.4. PA Luke put in breakneck fractions of :26, :54.2, and 1:21.2 but couldn’t sustain in the lane; Obliterate started an uncovered bid late in backstretch, made the lead before midstretch, then held off the closer and pocketsitter Good Friday (in the photo for second) to win for driver Patrick Ryder, trainer-father Chris, and owners Robert Mondillo, Craig Henderson, and FAC Racing LLC.
 
Taranaki had won two straight at the $13,000 purse level for fast-class veteran pacers; however, his drawing the outside post eight against a talented group may have caused the public to let him go at 5-1. But with a sharp turn of early foot the roan son of Huntsville overcame his starting slot, setting fractions of :26.3, :55, and 1:22.2 before crossing the wire first under no imminent danger in 1:50. Johnathan Ahle guided the pacer for trainer Paul Jessop, who is also the co-owner with Laurie Molnar.
 
George Napolitano Jr. came home first three times, twice for trainer Dean Eckley; other driver-trainer pairings for doubles were Simon Allard with Joseph Columbo, and amateur driver William Clark Jr. guiding two from his own barn. Corey Callahan also had a sulky double.
 
$211,814 will be on the line when the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and Stallion Series hold their second prelim round for two-year-old trotting fillies as “Trottin’ Thursday” takes on an even bigger meaning at Philly – all fifteen races will be conducted for diamondgaited horses. The first round Sire Stakes winners, Birr Castle and Miss Eliza, drew in separate PaSS divisions, which will be joined by five Stallion Series sections. There will also be a carryover into the fifth race Pick 5 wager. Free Philly program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.