Photo: Curtis Salonick
By: Jerry Connors, Jr.
WILKES-BARRE PA – The second and final preliminary of the Winter Is Coming Pacing Series was held Monday afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, and the series name told the tale of the weather – temperatures barely above freezing and a strong wind, mostly against backstretch movers.
With only two prelims and no repeat winners, director of racing Rick Kane will be carefully checking the standings, based on finishes and starts, to see who makes next Monday’s $20,000 Winter Is Coming Pacing Championship.
Two first-time series starters provided the two fastest wins. Quickest of all Monday was the Boston Red Rocks gelding Boston Rocks, a career winner of $618,644 who was extended to turn back the late charge of Big Bang Bang by a head in 1:52.2, with twin panels of :27.4 coming home. Jim Pantaleano drove Boston Rocks to the victory for trainer Mike Deters and the ownership of Rick Berks and Peter Blood.
Also new to the series, and a closer after the front part of the card had a big speed bias, was the Always B Miki gelding Building Boost, who barreled home from sixth at the three-quarters to overhaul pacesetting Pompeo Hanover by 1¼ lengths in 1:53.1. Anthony Napolitano drove the 11-1 shot to victory for trainer Jake Guff and owners Rosie Huff and Beauty Bridle Racing Stable Inc.
No horse or trainer had a win in both weeks of the series preliminaries, and only George Napolitano Jr. among the drivers paraded back to Victory Lane as a winner both weeks. Monday he did so with the Betting Line gelding Boardwalk Bet, fourth though beaten only half a length in the first round; here the horse went to the lead at the half, withstood a big challenge from Petrol Queen, and finally won by two lengths over that rival in 1:54 for trainer Eddie Sager (the only doubling conditioner on the day) and owners Gary Weidelman and Howard Taylor.
Top purse of the day, $15,500, went to developing trotters, a race taken by the Walner sophomore gelding Don’t Ask For More in 1:57.2 to make it three straight. But Don’t Ask For More, co-owned by trainer-driver Åke Svanstedt as Åke Svanstedt Inc. in partnership with Nils Munkhaugen and Barry and Michael Carter, did have to have more asked of him as he set the pace, for Global Twist came out of the pocket and gained inch by inch in the lane, only to come up a nose shy.
The Napolitano brothers, George Jr. and Anthony, second and third respectively in victories at the meet, drove three winners; doubling in the sulky were meet leader Tyler Buter and Braxten Boyd.
The Winter Is Coming Trotting Series will conduct its second round on Tuesday’s 1 p.m. card. The $20,000 Winter Is Coming Series Championships on their respective gaits will be conducted on Monday-Tuesday the 17th-18th on 1 p.m. programs; those Championship cards will be bracketed by 1 p.m. racing on Saturday the 15th and the 22nd, the latter the last card of the 2025 season at Pocono. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.
WILKES-BARRE PA – The second and final preliminary of the Winter Is Coming Pacing Series was held Monday afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, and the series name told the tale of the weather – temperatures barely above freezing and a strong wind, mostly against backstretch movers.
With only two prelims and no repeat winners, director of racing Rick Kane will be carefully checking the standings, based on finishes and starts, to see who makes next Monday’s $20,000 Winter Is Coming Pacing Championship.
Two first-time series starters provided the two fastest wins. Quickest of all Monday was the Boston Red Rocks gelding Boston Rocks, a career winner of $618,644 who was extended to turn back the late charge of Big Bang Bang by a head in 1:52.2, with twin panels of :27.4 coming home. Jim Pantaleano drove Boston Rocks to the victory for trainer Mike Deters and the ownership of Rick Berks and Peter Blood.
Also new to the series, and a closer after the front part of the card had a big speed bias, was the Always B Miki gelding Building Boost, who barreled home from sixth at the three-quarters to overhaul pacesetting Pompeo Hanover by 1¼ lengths in 1:53.1. Anthony Napolitano drove the 11-1 shot to victory for trainer Jake Guff and owners Rosie Huff and Beauty Bridle Racing Stable Inc.
No horse or trainer had a win in both weeks of the series preliminaries, and only George Napolitano Jr. among the drivers paraded back to Victory Lane as a winner both weeks. Monday he did so with the Betting Line gelding Boardwalk Bet, fourth though beaten only half a length in the first round; here the horse went to the lead at the half, withstood a big challenge from Petrol Queen, and finally won by two lengths over that rival in 1:54 for trainer Eddie Sager (the only doubling conditioner on the day) and owners Gary Weidelman and Howard Taylor.
Top purse of the day, $15,500, went to developing trotters, a race taken by the Walner sophomore gelding Don’t Ask For More in 1:57.2 to make it three straight. But Don’t Ask For More, co-owned by trainer-driver Åke Svanstedt as Åke Svanstedt Inc. in partnership with Nils Munkhaugen and Barry and Michael Carter, did have to have more asked of him as he set the pace, for Global Twist came out of the pocket and gained inch by inch in the lane, only to come up a nose shy.
The Napolitano brothers, George Jr. and Anthony, second and third respectively in victories at the meet, drove three winners; doubling in the sulky were meet leader Tyler Buter and Braxten Boyd.
The Winter Is Coming Trotting Series will conduct its second round on Tuesday’s 1 p.m. card. The $20,000 Winter Is Coming Series Championships on their respective gaits will be conducted on Monday-Tuesday the 17th-18th on 1 p.m. programs; those Championship cards will be bracketed by 1 p.m. racing on Saturday the 15th and the 22nd, the latter the last card of the 2025 season at Pocono. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.
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