Wilkes-Barre, PA – Keg Stand and Global Pandemic were the winners in two $37,500 divisions of a Pennsylvania All-Stars event for two-year-old trotting colts at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono on Monday (July 5) afternoon, as the freshmen saw their first stakes action at the mountain oval in 2021.

Keg Stand breaks his maiden with an easy win in a Pennsylvania All-Stars race Monday at Pocono. Curtis Salonick photo.

Keg Stand, a colt by Bar Hopping – Palm Beach Bi, was kept just off the upfront action by Dexter Dunn as Big Miles gave way to S I P nearing the :28.1 quarter; Whiskey Hanover came out in front of the stands and took over the top before the :58.1 half. Dunn moved Keg Stand first-over and was in gear going to the 1:27.1 three-quarters, and through the stretch Keg Stand had too much while finishing his mile in 1:55.4 for a maiden mark. S I P rallied for second, 1-1/4 lengths behind Keg Stand, who is trained by Nancy Takter for Black Horse Racing, Christina Takter, and John Fielding.

Global Pandemic is now undefeated after two starts by winning a Pennsylvania All-Stars contest Monday at Pocono. Curtis Salonick photo. 

Keg Stand had been a closing third in his only other purse start, in a Tompkins-Geers stake; the horse who won that race, Global Pandemic, is now undefeated in two starts after clocking his All-Stars mile in 1:57.2. Big Ben Hanover set the pace with fractions of :28.3, :58.3, and 1:27.2; Yannick Gingras moved the successful son of Cantab Hall – Nicole’s Promise uncovered from third down the backstretch, and in the lane drew away to finish four lengths ahead of the fractionsetter for trainer Ron Burke and the partnership of Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC along with Hatfield Stables.

On the eleven-race Monday card, if it wasn’t a stakes race, chances were – literally – that driver Marcus Miller won it, as Miller paraded back five winners to Victory Lane, moving him into a tie for fourth with Tyler Buter in the local drivers standings.

The usual three $15,300 end-of-the-week features for the developing younger horses are in place for the Tuesday (July 6) program, with one division each for pacing males, pacing females, and trotters. Program pages for the 12:30 p.m. card are available at https://www.phha.org/downsmsppps.html.