Wilkes-Barre, PA — Two-year-old pacing colts three divisions strong will contest their $180,855 third preliminary of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Sunday night (Aug. 18) at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono. There will also be four $20,000 divisions of third preliminary action for the group’s Stallion Series races.

There have been two double winners so far in the Sires competition among these freshmen, and as expected both were made the early favorite in their respective divisions.

First to see action will be the Western Ideal–A And G’sconfusion colt Adriano Hanover, starting from post three in the fifth race second division for driver Tim Tetrick and trainer Jim King Jr. Adriano Hanover is undefeated in four lifetime purse starts, and he has a division of the Arden Downs to his credit as well as the two PaSS wins, all recorded at The Meadows. He has a mark of 1:52.2, taken in Sires competition Aug. 10.

That same afternoon the Somebeachsomewhere–Road Bet colt Cattlewash went a tick faster in winning his Sire Stakes cut; in fact, both of his Sires wins have come in 1:52.1. Also a Pennsylvania All-Stars divisional winner here at Pocono, Cattlewash is just a head away from a perfect career, as he was nipped by Seeyou At Thebeach (a rival he faces Sunday) in their Arden Downs cut. Cattlewash will be driven by Yannick Gingras in the tenth race third division as the pair start from post three for trainer Ron Burke.

The third race first Sire Stakes division matches up the other PaSS winners from the first two legs, Caliber and Father Nuno. The Sweet Lou–Allstar Rating gelding Caliber, who won in 1:52.1 to tie his Burke Brigade stablemate Cattlewash for fastest clocking in the Sires divisional competition, has a positional edge as he starts from post three, with Gingras also slated for sulky action. Father Nuno, a Sombeachsomewhere colt out of Worldly Treasure, must surmount the outside post seven for driver George Napolitano Jr. and trainer Tom Cancelliere.

The only double winner in the Stallion Series, the Captaintreacherous–Lets Groove Tonite colt Captain Groovy, is unbeaten in three lifetime outings, having also won a PA All-Stars division here, and his 1:52 StS win at The Meadows on July 3 is a clocking faster than any Sire Stakes horses have posted. Matt Kakaley has the driving assignment Sunday from post five for trainer Ray Schnittker in the 11th race fourth Stallion Series division.

Each of the other three StS sections Sunday features a previous winner in the competition: Lake Charles, Lyons Music, and Cheerio Hill.

The PA Sire Stakes/Stallion Series action continues at Pocono on Monday, with 2-year-old trotting fillies invading the mountain oval.