PA All Stars | 2ct
June 30
Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennnsylvania
Wilkes-Barre, PA
Purse $90,000 (3 Divisions)
Cheers Hanover
By PHHA/Pocono
BABY TROTTING COLTS IN POCONO'S PA ALL-STARS
Two-year-olds saw their first stakes action on the last day of the first half of the year at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, as there were three $30,000 divisions of a Pennsylvania All-Stars event for baby trotting males.
David Miller won his third type of Pennsylvania stake on the day in taking the quickest division, 1:57.1, with Cheers Hanover, adding an All-Stars win to his Sire Stakes and Stallion Series victories notched at Philly this afternoon. The successful Bar Hopping – Chez Lucie colt let Elan Hanover go by at the :29 quarter and was content to wait in the pocket through middle fractions of :59.4 and 1:29.1. Miller tipped him down into the Pocono Pike and the freshman found a higher gear quickly, catching the pacesetter in the :28 kicker by a neck, with the first-over Portobarosso AS NL just another neck off in third. The first-time starter is trained by Ron Burke for Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Jim Simpson, and J&T Silva- Purnel & Libby.
Tim Tetrick took full advantage of the wind and the talents of the Greenshoe – Fashion Athena gelding Fashion Green to take a new mark of 1:57.2 to open his career with two wins. After a :29.2 opener Tetrick moved the Fashion Farms LLC-owned freshman to the lead, making his move with the prevailing air to reach the top in :58.3. With no backstretch challenger, Tetrick could back off the three-quarters to 1:29.3, then sprint home in :27.4 with the chalk to stave off Meshuggah by a neck. The winner’s trainer, Jim Campbell, will next Sunday be 95 miles ENE of Pocono – being inducted into the Hall Of Fame in Goshen NY.
Set The Bar went right out to the lead in a :29 quarter in his division, and then driver Todd Schadel was able to give him a breather to the half in 1:01.1 even with the wind “advantage.” The Bar Hopping – Promisemethis gelding got to the three-quarters in 1:31.1, met the outside challenge of Arrowhead Hanover and the Pocono Pike challenge of The Fix Is In, and powered home in :28.2 to break his maiden in 1:59.3, a head ahead of The Fix Is In and three parts of a length ahead of favored Arrowhead Hanover. Cody Schadel handles the talented colt for his father, the driver, his mother Christine, and Rick and Regina Beinhauer.
PA All Stars | 3ft
May 27
Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennnsylvania
Wilkes-Barre, PA
Purse $120,000 (4 Divisions)
Elista Hanover - 3FT
By PHHA/Pocono
ELISTA HANOVER FASTEST OF PA ALL-STARS TROTTERS
Elista Hanover continued her rum as the horse to beat among the Pennsylvania-sired three-year-old trotting fillies, winning for the fifth straight time in one of four $30,000 divisions of a Pennsylvania All-Stars contest in 1:54.3 over “sloppy” going Monday afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania.
Jeff Gregory reserved the daughter of International Moni off the early pace of :28.2 and :57.3, then asked her to get into high gear, and “Elista” complied quickly, challenging for command by the 1:26.1 three-quarters and taking over late on the far bend. The filly won by 2¾ lengths over the closer Fannie Lipkowitz, and she now has won a Weiss Series Final, a Pennsylvania Sire Stake, and now an All-Stars event in her last three trips to the gate for trainer Annie Stoebe, co-owner with R. Lynn and Philomena Curry.
Two of the All-Stars contests went to horses driven by Matt Kakaley for trainer Åke Svanstedt. The Father Patrick miss Slip Sliding Away showed no ill effects from being away from the races for nearly seven months, getting stronger as she went nearer to her destination of the wire to win over Loveyoubunches in 1:55 for Marvin and Lynn Katz and Al Libfeld. Kakaley/Svanstedt also clicked with the Southwind Frank sophomore She Shaq, three-wide from late backstretch through most of the far turn and still winning by a neck over Cheval Rapide in 1:56 for Åke Svanstedt Inc., Little E LLC, and Matt Franklin.
The other All-Stars winner was the richest of the successful stakes quartet, the Bar Hopping filly Sambuca Hanover, who went to the lead for driver George Napolitano Jr. in front of the stands and won handily over The Moment in 1:55.2 to raise her earnings to $303,500 for trainer Nifty Norman and owners David McDuffee, Paul Bordogna, and Melvin Hartman.
PA All Stars | 3ct
May 19
Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennnsylvania
Wilkes-Barre, PA
Purse $90,000 (3 Divisions)
Security Protected | 3CT
By PHHA/Pocono
SECURITY PROTECTED WINS FASTEST ALL-STARS DIVISION
Two out of three favorites prevailed in $30,000 divisions of a Pennsylvania All-Stars event for three-year-old trotting colts Sunday evening at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, with the fastest winner, the Father Patrick colt Security Protected, scoring in 1:53 after closing furiously in his seasonal bow.
Tim Tetrick tucked fifth with Security Protected early, then came out third-over and was not particularly well-served by his cover in a race with fractions of :27.2, :56.4, and 1:24.4. But Tetrick tipped the Marcus Melander trainee four-wide in the lane, and the pair rallied from sixth, 4½ lengths behind at the stretch call, to get the decision by a half-length over railshooting White Shoe Hanover, coming his own last panel in :27.2, for Judith Taylor, Brad Grant, and Order By Stable AB.
The other All-Stars chalk was the Cantab Hall colt Blackhawk Zette, who opened his season with five straight wins at The Downs, including a sweep of his Weiss series, before finishing second in the Dexter Cup. Here he rebounded to his winning ways, inheriting the pocket after a :27.3 opener, staying there through a :56.3 half, then moving outside before the 1:25.2 three-quarters. Blackhawk Zette trotted smartly on to command, then was 2¼ lengths clear of closer Skydiver while lowering his mark to 1:53.3 under the guidance of Matt Kakaley for trainer Robert Baggitt Jr. and J L Sadowsky LLC.
The only outsider winning an All-Stars division was the Bar Hopping gelding Usain Hanover, who made two speed moves during fractions of :29, :57.3, and 1:26, then sprinted home in 27.3 to withstand Luke The Spook by half a length, with the 1:53.3 final clocking a lifetime best. Usain Hanover had gone 2-1-1 in the Weiss Series prelims before breaking in the final, and a subsequent break in an overnight caused the crowd to release him at 8-1, but he was at his best Sunday for driver Tyler Buter, trainer Nifty Norman, and Enzed Racing Stable Inc.
PA All Stars | 3cp
May 11
Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennnsylvania
Wilkes-Barre, PA
Purse $120,000 (4 Divisions)
Women Layer - 3CP
By PHHA/Pocono
ANDREW MCCARTHY, BRETT PELLING DOUBLE IN POCONO STAKES
WILKES-BARRE PA – Last year’s Breeders Crown champion Gem Quality made a successful 2024 debut on Saturday afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, winning one of four $30,000 divisions of a Pennsylvania All-Stars event for three-year-old pacing males.
The son of Captain Crunch, whose Crowning achievement was accomplished in 1:50 at Hoosier Park, ironically produced the slowest winning time in the All-Stars, 1:53, but the early fractions were relatively dawdling (:27.3, :57.1, and 1:25.2), and he covered his own last half in :55, moving uncovered past the five-eighths to gain a short advantage by headstretch. That lead expanded to 1¾ lengths at the wire, with Timeisonmyside, who made a first-turn break, making up a lot of ground for the deuce behind the Chris Ryder trainee, who was driven by Dexter Dunn for Let It Ride Stables Inc., Odds On Racing, Brad Grant, and Enviro Stables LTD.
The other three All-Stars sections each went in 1:51.3, with Sweet Lou gaining two siring credits. Women Layer gave driver Todd McCarthy North American win #998, heading down the road in :26.4, :56.1, and 1:23.4, then equaling his mark while a length to the good of Southwind Celsius. The Brett Pelling-conditioned gelding is undefeated in four sophomore starts for Howard Taylor, Order By Stable, Judith Taylor, and Jerry Silva.
Sweet Lou is also the sire of Solid Character, who moved from the pocket on the far turn after Copperfield had laid down splits of :26.4, :55.2, and 1:23.1. then had his task made much easier when that rival lost stride. The gelding won by five lengths over Target Aquired while reducing his lifetime mark for trainer Ron Burke and owners Burke Racing Stable LLC, Robert Jackson, Timothy Sullivan, and Tom Wilson.
Ivy Park also lowered his lifetime record in his seasonal debut, with the Captaintreacherous colt moving out before the :28 quarter and brushing to command, then putting up midfractions of :56.2 and 1:23.3. Ivy Park was kept to business late as Armada Hanover made up a ton of stretch ground while weaving for clearance, only to be a neck shy of the victorious Nancy Takter-trained sophomore, owned by Black Horse Racing, John Fielding, Joe Sbrocco, and Nancy Takter & JAF Racing.
Many of these “glamour division” horses will be back at Pocono in seven days time to contest Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and Stallion Series races.
Chief Rocco authored the fastest trotting mile of the year to date at the mountain oval when he won a $17,000 contest in 1:52.4. The Walner gelding made the most of getting in off the “also eligible list,” setting a new life mark for driver Simon Allard and trainer/owner Mark Akins
A trio of $15,000 paces for high-priced claiming horses top the Sunday card at Pocono, which begins at 6 p.m. ; there will also be a carryover into the Pick-5 wager that begins in race five. Free Pocono programs are or will be available at www.phha.org.
PA All Stars | 3fp
May 5
Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennnsylvania
Wilkes-Barre, PA
Purse $90,000 (3 Divisions)
Rocket Deo - 3FP
By PHHA/Pocono
ANDREW MCCARTHY, BRETT PELLING DOUBLE IN POCONO STAKES
Driver Andrew McCarthy and trainer Brett Pelling each captured two of the three $30,000 divisions of the Pennsylvania All-Stars event for three-year-old pacing fillies, as Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania welcomed back both Pennsylvania-sired stakes racing and Sunday evening cards.
McCarthy and Pelling hooked up behind the fastest of the trio of winners, the Captaintreacherous filly Rocket Deo, who took the lead later on the first turn and set all the pace. She went on to win by 2½ lengths over pocketsitting stablemate Sweet Gal while taking a mark of 1:53.1 (the track surface, listed as “sloppy” all night, had been moved from “+1” to “+2” before this division of the stake) for Morrison Racing Stables and John Fielding.
McCarthy’s other All-Stars win came behind Flawless, another daughter of Captaintreacherous also making her seasonal debut and also looking good to defeat a resilient Bellucci by three-quarters of a length in 1:53.4. Nancy Takter trains this champion in the Kentucky program last year for Marvin Katz and Sam Goldband.
Brett Pelling’s second stakes success came after a four-horse photo finish as his son Jack piloted the Always B Miki miss Beautiful Roz to success in 1:57, with Big City Daisy, Flower Shops, and Ginger Tree Belle next in line in that order., just a nose off of the horse immediately in front of them. Beautiful Roz, unraced at two, now has five wins and two nose defeats in her burgeoning career for Melvin Segal, Kentuckiana Racing Stable, and Bud Hatfield.
Away from the stakes, deserving of a mention is the Art Major ten-year-old Tam Major A, the fastest pacer of the year at Pocono with a 1:50.2 win last week, and here home first in 1:52.3 in the off going for his fifth straight win against the track's priciest claimers -- and the fifth straight time he will be going to a different home after winning.
Tam Major A provided the meet’s leading driver Matt Kakaley with one of his four wins on the night; George Napolitano Jr., right behind Kakaley in the standings, posted three successes on the night to add to the two he achieved at Philly before heading northward.
Pocono will be in action on Monday and Tuesday afternoons, both cards with 1 p.m. starts. Free Pocono programs are or will be available at www.phha.org.