Wilkes-Barre, PA — Belmondo and Shoresy were impressive winners in the $15,500 co-featured trotting events Tuesday afternoon (March 3) at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, where the track was rated “sloppy” and intermittent precipitation descended at points during the card, which was conducted in temperatures a degree or two either side of freezing.
Belmondo came in from Yonkers and made short work of his opposition in 1:56.3 for driver Daniel Dubé and trainer Deborah Daguet. The 4-year-old Walner gelding, owned by Michael Côté Gagnon, was sent right to the lead and had an open margin the last half of the mile for his first win since taking a Massachusetts Breeders Stakes championship in 2024.
Shoresy notched his third victory in as many starts since going to the meet’s leading trainer, Per Engblom, winning his division of the feature in 1:57.1. Tyler Buter, Pocono’s top reinsman in 2025 and ahead again early in this meet, worked out a second-over trip with the son of Cantab Hall, lost his cover midway on the final turn, and carried on strongly to win for owners Timothy Betts and Shanamphilankilou Inc.
YS Do It Right, a champion in the 2020 Quebec breeding program, continues to achieve at age 8. On Tuesday, he broke a six-way tie for winningest Standardbred in North America by posting his seventh victory in an undefeated campaign, stopping the timer in 1:55. Mark Herschberger made two speed moves with the son of Bettor’s Delight, and the Monticello shipper proved uncatchable late for trainer/owner Autym Sowers.
Herschberger notched a driving triple on the card; Buter, Ridge Warren and Anthony Napolitano had doubles. Trainer Chelsey Faurot sent out two successful charges.
Racing at Pocono resumes on Saturday (March 7) at 1 p.m., featuring the richest race of the year to date at the mountain oval: the $35,000 Game of Claims Pacing Series championship for horses base-tagged at $30,000. In the three Game of Claims prelim rounds, the eight finalists recorded 10 victories and 21 out of 24 possible top-three finishes. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.