Wilkes-Barre, PA — Alta Madeira N made her local breakthrough on the Sunday (April 24) card at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, taking a new mark of 1:52.2 in the $17,000 featured distaff pace.

Alta Madeira N withstood a challenge from each side in winning the Sunday feature at Pocono. Curtis Salonick photo.

Driver Jim Marohn Jr. moved the daughter of Alta Christiano N from third at the :27 quarter, taking the lead away from odds-on favorite Beach Crazy. Alta Madeira N rated a :56.4 half and then increased the tempo to hit three-quarters in 1:24.2. In the stretch, Beach Crazy took her shot up the Pocono Pike and Milieu Hanover closed well in her 2022 debut, but Alta Madeira N prevailed to the line by three-quarters of a length over Milieu Hanover for trainer Rob Harmon and owner Michael Spaccarelli.

The track’s leading driver, Matt Kakaley, brought home four winners on Sunday, raising his local tally to 73 victories in the first 25 cards; three of his four winners came for trainer Ron Burke.

Monday’s (April 25) 1:30 p.m. card will feature the two $50,000 finals of the Bobby Weiss Series for three-year-old fillies. Silent Crossing was the only pacer to win in all three of her preliminary races, while on the trot, Mimi Ocean Hanover bounced back from a first-round break to be much the best in her last two starts. There will also be $20,000 consolation for each Weiss group. Program pages are available on the PHHA website.