Wilkes-Barre, PA – Team Cushing – trainer Heidi and driver Ron, the latter also the co-owner with Kevin Sywyk — swept into Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on Monday afternoon (March 9) and promptly swept the two featured paces for top distaffs.
Last week the Vincent mare Turn The Page N came to the mountain oval and parlayed a perfect pocket trip to victory in the $27,500 distaff feature; in the same class this week the route couldn’t have been more different or harder, but the mare went on courageously in a 1:52.2 clocking.
The Kiwi import had cover past the :26.2 opening quarter and was then left raw as Lydeo surged past favored Fearless Bettor at the three-eighths. Despite having to take all the air in middle splits of :55.2 and 1:23.4, Turn The Page N gained unceasingly and made the lead nearing the top of the stretch. The second-over (AVF Claire), third-over (Strutsville) and fourth-over (Miki In Luv) came barreling through the lane and were all within three parts of a length of the winner at the wire, but Turn The Page N was dead-game, with the winning margin a head and the two-wide horses finishing in the order listed above.
As hard-fought as was the victory of Turn The Page N, the Team’s Sweet Lou mare Sweet Hayley Jane A won just as easily in 1:51.3, taking the $17,500 co-feature for females and completing the trans-Tasman double. After fractions of :27.1 and :56.1, Sweet Hayley Jane A went to the three-quarters in 1:23.3 and started leaving the field behind, crossing the wire 4¾ lengths ahead while lowering her mark by 4 4/5 seconds.
The featured event for male pacers was a $15,500 contest for developing horses, with the Lazarus N gelding Lazarus Star continuing the good afternoon for Down Under-connected horses by making two tough moves and then holding off Bettor’s Desire, who was on his back, by a nose, taking a new mark of 1:52.1. Braxten Boyd guided The Meadowlands invader for trainer Mark Silva and All Star Racing Inc.
The Pocono tote board provided an early-season fireworks display as Frank The Great was along late to win his race and return $150.00 for every $2 win ticket. This March 9 “bomber” came far earlier than the first 2025 rank outsider – June 17, when Rwehomeyet paid $180.20, the only win mutuel in the last three years to top that of Frank The Great.
The last six races at Pocono on Monday were won, in order, by George Napolitano Jr., Ron Cushing, Tyler Buter, Mark Herschberger, Ridge Warren, and Anthony Napolitano – with each of the six completing a driving double and sharing the day’s honors. The aforementioned Heidi Cushing had the card’s only training double.
Tuesday’s 1 p.m. Pocono program (March 10) will feature a $15,500 class for up-and-coming trotters; there will also be a double carryover into the fifth race Pick 5 wager. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.