Wilkes-Barre, PA — First-class racing will again be featured this weekend at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.

A $30,000 leg of the Great Northeast Open Series for top pacers will highlight Saturday’s (June 8) card, which will begin at approximately 7:30 p.m. after the Belmont festivities are over, while Sunday’s (June 9) 7 p.m. card will feature four $30,000 divisions of the Pennsylvania All-Stars for 3-year-old trotting fillies.

The early favorite in the Great Northeast Open pace is Highalator, a son of Somebeachsomewhere starting from post six for trainer Jenny Bier, who is co-owner with Joann Dombeck and Midsize Construction Inc. A winner of five of six starts since teaming with driver Rick Still, Highalator was victorious here in the first leg of the series on May 4, raising his lifetime record at the mountain oval to 11 for 18.

In the fifth race first division of All-Stars competition on Sunday, early favoritism was assigned to Cloud Nine Fashion, starting from post one for red-hot trainer Jim Campbell and driver Tim Tetrick. Third in her Breeders Crown race last year, Cloud Nine Fashion broke in her only purse start so far in 2019, but she’ll attract attention off a 1:56.1 qualifier at The Meadowlands, during which she flew home in :26.1.

The seventh race second cut of the All-Stars finds The Ice Dutchess as the opening choice despite drawing the outside post seven. The Nancy Johansson trainee won her first start at The Meadowlands in 1:52, then finished third, beaten two lengths, in a PA Sire Stakes event here. She was moving very strongly at the end of that mile, and she may again have to be a big closer to win from this spot.

The tenth race third division of the trotting filly event will feature the only three-time Pennsylvania Sire Stakes preliminary winner, Millies Possesion, who begins from post two for trainer Campbell and driver Dexter Dunn. Unraced at two, she has yet to taste defeat in four career outings, but she may get stiff opposition here from Beautiful Sin (post five, trainer Per Engblom, driver Tim Tetrick), a $480,000 yearling who finished only 1-1/4 lengths behind Millies Possesion in her only start of the season.

Driver Yannick Gingras has another All Stars favorite in the 12th race fourth division in Asiago, who will have to negotiate the outermost post seven. Asiago has two Sire Stakes victories for trainer Per Engblom, and overall is three-for-five in the young season, with her two defeats coming by a combined three-quarters of a length.