Wilkes-Barre, PA — Sun Stakes Saturday, with its over $2 million in purses, will be taking place at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania next Saturday (Aug. 16). Based on the times turned in at the mountain oval this Saturday afternoon (Aug. 9) – seven of 11 paces beating 1:50, and both trots under 1:53 – the record books may be altered more than once on the big card.
There were $17,000 features for developing horses on both gaits. The pacers were commanded by the Always B Miki gelding Its Saturday Night, who kept control over tenacious opposition in 1:49.4. Mark Herschberger wanted to control the pace with Its Saturday Night and did so, even with Lou Grant at his heels from before the half-mile pole, and the victorious pair defeated that luckless opponent by a half length. Nifty Norman conditions the winner, who now boasts lifetime earnings of $314,577, for Dune Road Stables LLC.
The companion top-level trot saw Whiskey Lou take both her second straight win and a new mark of 1:52.4. The champion Illinois distaffer, a daughter of Lou’s Legacy, was directed to the top by Ridge Warren and didn’t have much trouble tallying, taking her lifetime record to an enviable 20-for-32 for trainer Todd Warren and owner Randy Witt.
The $16,000 top claiming handicap pace went to the rampaging Bullville Stephano, now a winner of five of his last six races and author of the fastest mile of the day, 1:49, pouncing from the pocket for Braxten Boyd. The son of Artiscape was claimed for $40,000 out of the race, the fifth straight race after which he has changed shed rows; trainer Jared Bako and owner Dr. Joshua Tanis got $8,000 in purse money and $6,000 in claiming price upgrade from their one week with the pacer.
The features for fast-class horses each offered a purse of $14,500. The trotting contest fell to Yonkers invader Cecil Hanover, a Chapter Seven gelding who equaled his mark of 1:52.3 with identical back quarters of :28 for driver George Napolitano Jr. and trainer Åke Svanstedt, who shares ownership with S R F Stable, Midnight Sun Partners Inc. and Jorgen Sparredal.
Anthony Napolitano threw a pari-mutuel shocker in the fast-class pace as he brought the Huntsville gelding Hurrikane Jonnyboy from last at the three-quarters to prevail in 1:49.2 for trainer Robert Lounsbury and William Dambero. Hurrikane Jonnyboy, the longest shot in the field, returned $93.60 to win, third-highest win price of 2025 at Pocono, and brought Anthony Napolitano’s meeting-leading total of $50 winners to six, a number which stood for 16 minutes, until he rallied Rifleman to win in 1:49.4 and return $50.80 to win.
Three other winners who who broke 1:50, all of whom took new marks, were Lucapelo A (1:49.1), Nineteenth Man A (1:49.3), and Captain Luffy (1:49.4).
A total of $195,778 of stakes action for freshman male trotters will be featured on the Sunday (Aug. 10) twilight card at Pocono, which commences at 6 p.m.: the two divisions of Sire Stakes horses are headed by Mr Big Spender, looking for his third PASS win in as many starts, and the four sections of the Stallion Series will have Rico Tubbs looking to accomplish the parallel feat. There will also be carryovers into the early Pick-4 (races 1-4), the early Pick-3 (races 4-6), and the Pick-5 (races 5-9).
Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.