Wilkes-Barre, PA — Alluneedisfaith N was hard-used to make the top in Saturday’s (Juine 18) $17,500 featured pace at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, but once there he established his superiority by winning handily in 1:51.1.

Alluneedisfaith N won handily in 1:51.1. Curtis Salonick photo.

It was only 57 degrees in the mountains Saturday, but a :26.1 opening quarter could certainly be classified as “hot,” with the winning Art Major gelding needing past that point to clear an early battle for supremacy. Alluneedisfaith N got to the half in :54.1, then actually got a third quarter breather to a 1:23.1 checkpoint, with a headwind aiding that slowdown, enabling the leader to come home in :28 to win confidently.

George Napolitano Jr. was the driver behind the winner of $482,533, who now has won two of his last three, for trainer Nik Drennan and the ownership of Robert Cooper Stables and Jared Cooper.

In the $17,500 trotting contest, the Napolitano brothers tussled throughout the mile, with George and favored Ambassador Hanover making the lead just past the :28 opener over Anthony and Macmorris Hanover, then going on to refuse Macmorris Hanover a retake, with that one tucking back in the pocket before the :56.2 half.

Ambassador Hanover got no breather fighting the first-over to a 1:25.2 three-quarters, and the breather Anthony could grab with his horse in the two-hole paid dividends in the stretch, where he regained the lead for good and held off Robbie Pev by a head in a 1:54.4 mile.

Bob Baggitt Jr. trains the victorious altered son of Cantab Hall, the winner of $264,083, for the team of Howard Taylor, Ben Mudry, Douglas Millard, and Timothy Murray.

The Muscle Hill 4-year-old Southwind Tyrion had gone nearly two years between his last race (Oct. 9, 2020) and a start in a $17,000 trot. That last start, he set the world record for 2-year-old trotting colts with a 1:51.1 victory at Lexington; here he was a going-away winner in 1:54 to start his comeback. Sarah Svanstedt handled the winner of $289,297 for trainer/husband Åke Svanstedt, with Åke Svanstedt Inc. co-owner with S R F Stable, Knutsson Trotting Inc., and Brittany Farms & Riverview.

Matt Kakaley won five races on the Saturday card, again moving him close to perennial Pocono leader George Napolitano Jr., who had forged to the lead recently after Kakaley’s hot seasonal start. George, who won twice on the card, now has the thinnest of leads, 110-109, over Matt at the top.

Pennsylvania Sire Stakes and Stallion Series 3-year-old trotting fillies will contest their third preliminary rounds during Sunday’s 5 p.m. card. The four Sires winners to date — Dreamonhigh, Manon, Palermo Hanover, and Samosa — will all be looking to double their victory totals in the PaSS competition. Program pages are available at the PHHA website.