by John Zimich, publicity director, Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs

Wilkes-Barre, PA — Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs welcomed the first arrival of horsemen and horses on Monday (March 1) as the stables opened in preparation for the 2010 live harness racing season.

Pocono Downs photo

Carol Pilger leads 6-year-old gelding pacer Hollywood King off a horse trailer at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. Her husband, Dr. Marland Dulaney, looks on as stables were opened Monday morning. Dulaney and Pilger own Standardbreds that are trained by Clarence Martin Jr.

Ken Kolanich, longtime stall superintendent and paddock judge at the Northeastern Pennsylvania racetrack, said the stables of Clarence Martin Jr., Jim Fortna, Ray Small and Michael Mourad were first on the grounds Monday morning. He noted that some 625 stall applications for horses have been received thus far and that horses will continue to be arriving daily.

Live harness racing opens Tuesday night (March 23) with the action taking place on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights. Post time will be 6:30 p.m. There will be no more Saturday afternoon cards. Special posts of 5 p.m. will be conducted on May 1 and 15 and June 5 in conjunction with Thoroughbred Triple Crown race dates.

First qualifying race dates are scheduled for Thursday, March 11, Tuesday, March 16, and Thursday, March 18. Post time is 10 a.m. Following those dates, all qualifiers will be held on Thursday mornings throughout the season that will run through November 13.

Dale Rapson, vice president of racing, and Saul Needle, director of racing, said revisions are being made to the 2010 stakes season and that schedule will be released sometime next week.

Both Rapson and Kolanich lauded the work of Bobby Weiss, track superintendent, and his crew for ridding the stable area from tons and tons of snow and in readying the jog track.