from the PHHA/Pocono

Wilkes-Barre, PA — Early-season divisional bragging rights will be certainly on the line this Saturday night (July 4) at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono when the northeast PA track hosts the $2,268,000 Sun Stakes Saturday supercard, featuring the $500,000 championships for the Ben Franklin FFA pace, the Earl Beal Jr. 3-year-old colt trot, and the Max C. Hempt 3-year-old colt pace, and the $300,000 James Lynch championship for 3-year-old filly pacers.

All four of these events have consolation events, and there are three other Invitationals/Opens on the monster card, with the top racing grouped in races 2-12, in this fashion:

Race 2 — $30,000 Mares Open Pace
Race 3 — $30,000 Open Pace
Race 4 — $50,000 Lynch Pace Consolation
Race 5 — $75,000 Sun Invitational Trot
Race 6 — $75,000 Hempt Pace Consolation
Race 7 — $75,000 Beal Trot Consolation
Race 8 — $75,000 Franklin Pace Consolation
Race 9 — $300,000 Lynch Pace Championship
Race 10 — $500,000 Hempt Pace Championship
Race 11 — $500,000 Franklin Pace Championship
Race 12 — $500,000 Beal Trot Championship

Also, perhaps especially with the “open draw” system Pocono uses in these major stakes, it is important to understand the success rates of the various posts at the nine-across Pocono track, to see what horses gained or lost in position from their elims and relative to their finalists foes:

Post 4 — 17.1 percent
Post 5 — 15.0 percent
Post 3 — 14.4 percent
Post 2 — 13.4 percent
Post 1 — 12.9 percent
Post 6 — 10.3 percent
Post 7 — 10.0 percent
Post 8 — 6.6 percent
Post 9 — 5.2 percent

Here is a preview of the horses competing on Sun Stakes Saturday:

Beal 3-year-old Colt Trot

A couple of weeks ago, this race was thought to be a likely runaway for the Jimmy Takter stable, but things have changed a bit since them. Takter still did qualify two for the race — Uncle Lasse, who bravely rallied to take his elim, and 2014 divisional champ Pinkman, who was just caught late while second in his elimination. But now a few other names are thought to have more than a ghost of a chance.

The winners of the other two elims, Cruzado Dela Noche (trained by Takter’s daughter Nancy Johansson) and Wicker Hanover, have earned respect in recent weeks. Crazy Wow went a hard trip in his elim and finished just behind Uncle Lasse. And Takter’s fellow Swedish expatriate Åke Svanstedt also qualified a pair, including the fast-improving Centurion ATM.

The field (post, horse, trainer, listed driver; there are no coupled betting entries on the entire card; * denotes elim winner): 1, Pinkman, Jimmy Takter, Yannick Gingras; 2, Cruzado Dela Noche*, Nancy Johansson, David Miller; 3, Centurion ATM, trainer/driver Åke Svanstedt; 4, Uncle Lasse*, Jimmy Takter, Brett Miller; 5, Crazy Wow, Ron Burke, Gingras also listed; 6, Wicker Hanover*, Noel Daley, Andrew McCarthy; 7, Shoot The Thrill, Dirk Simpson, Tim Tetrick; 8, Boots N Chains, John Butenschoen, Andy Miller; 9, Southwind Mozart, Åke Svanstedt, John Campbell.

Franklin Free-For-All Pace

In his elimination, State Treasurer, who had drawn post nine, did what not too many horses do at Pocono — come from far behind to win. And even fewer winners are ninth at the three-quarters and eighth turning for home. Dr. Ian Moore should be pleased that this weekend State Treasurer will be starting from the fourth position, with David Miller, who along with Brett Miller and Scott Zeron were the two-win elim drivers last week, watching the developments unfold to work out a winning trip.

Luck Be Withyou, the other Franklin elim winner, got a great start from post eight from speedmaking superstar driver George Napolitano Jr., but it is doubtful whether the pair can make the top that quickly this time around, as they are stuck with the outside post nine, and many others are aware of the need to get some forward positioning. If it rains, however, score an extra point for the Chris Oakes trainee, as he added his sloppy track win last week to his 2013 Breeders Crown 2-year-old colt pace championship at Pocono, also conducted in the slop.

The field: 1, Domethatagain, Rene Allard, Tim Tetrick; 2, Foiled Again, Ron Burke, Yannick Gingras; 3, Clear Vision, Ron Burke, Brett Miller; 4, State Treasurer*, Dr. Ian Moore, David Miller; 5, Dynamic Youth, Aaron Lambert, Andrew McCarthy; 6, Mach It So, Jeffrey Bamond Jr., Tetrick also listed; 7, Captive Audience, Doug Berkeley, Jim Morrill Jr.; 8, Vegas Vacation, Casie Coleman, Brian Sears; 9. Luck Be Withyou*, Chris Oakes, George Napolitano Jr.

Max C. Hempt 3-year-old Colt Pace

What a collection of talent will face the starter in this event. The three divisional winners — Artspeak (1:50), Wiggle It Jiggleit (1:50.1), and Wakizashi Hanover (1:50.4) — all have established sterling credentials, and if one of these three wins, he would be the leader pro tem of this powerful and deep division.

Not to be discounted, in many people’s eyes, are Lost For Words, who had to brush to the lead from far back early and held on well in his first start in three weeks, and In The Arsenal, who looked like he might catch Artspeak until taking a couple of less-than-perfect steps sliding to the famed Pocono Pike passing lane.

The field: 1, Pierce Hanover, Ken Sucee, Brett Miller; 2, Betting Exchange, Tom Fanning, Jim Morrill Jr.; 3, Lost For Words, Brian Brown, David Miller; 4, Artspeak*, Tony Alagna, Scott Zeron; 5, Wiggle It Jiggleit*, Clyde Francis, Montrell Teague; 6, In The Arsenal, Kelvin Harrison, Brian Sears; 7, Wakizashi Hanover*, Joann Looney-King, Tim Tetrick; 8, A Bettor Hat, Gilbert Garcia-Herrera, Yannick Gingras; 9, National Seelster, Chris Ryder, Andy Miller.

James Lynch 3-year-old Filly Pace

The filly with the proper authority to say “I’m No. 1” will be greatly clarified after this contest, especially since 2014 Horse of the Year JK She’salady continues to be a puzzle and finished fifth in her elim, not making this championship.

All three eliminations went in 1:51.3, so there’s no looking to time to help sort the top contenders. Posts, though, may be of some aid: Stacia Hanover, winning last week in her first Lasix start, drew post three; Momas Got A Gun shook post six; and The Show Returns will have to start from the outermost spot in the nine-horse field.

Also likely to draw attention are Sassa Hanover, hard-used in finishing second to The Show Returns, and Bettor Be Steppin, second to Stacia Hanover coming off a sick scratch and drawing the rail here. The latter filly is conditioned by Joe Holloway, who also trains the other second-place finisher, Divine Caroline.

The field: 1, Bettor Be Steppin, Joe Holloway, Corey Callahan; 2, Deli Beach, Brett Bittle, John Campbell; 3, Stacia Hanover*, Steve Elliott, Scott Zeron; 4, Sassa Hanover, Ron Burke, Yannick Gingras; 5, Divine Caroline, Joe Holloway, David Miller; 6, Momas Got A Gun*, Virgil Morgan Jr., Brett Miller; 7, Single Me, Ross Croghan, Brian Sears; 8, Wicked Little Minx, Nancy Johansson, Brett Miller also listed; 9, The Show Returns*, Chris Ryder, Tim Tetrick.

Other Top Races
The $75,000 Sun Invitational Trot marks the seasonal debut of Sebastian K, who astounded the world last year when he trotted the Pocono five-eighths-mile surface in 1:49 — making him the fastest trotter in the history of harness racing. Sebastian K drew post three for trainer/driver Åke Svanstedt; his main competition may come from JL Cruze (post five, trainer Eric Ell, driver John Campbell), who has built on his powerful performance in the Weiss Series here in the spring to post a 2015 record of 15-13-2-0, including two recent defeats of the vaunted Father Patrick.

The $30,000 Open Pace finds JK Endofanera, a top division contender at both two and three and a winner of more than $1.5 million, drawing post nine — and getting an interesting barn change to Jimmy Takter. JK Endofanera has a first and a second in three seasonal starts so far without going a bad mile.

The $30,000 Open Mares pace matches Anndrovette, coming into 2015 off a mind-boggling four straight Older Pacing Mare of the Year titles; Yagonnakissmeornot, who while not always winning has many big victories and is usually close against the best company around; and Radar Contact, the Betsy Ross winner at Philly and a multi-winner in Meadowlands Opens.

It’s a giant, dynamite card, with the first of the evening’s 14 races slated for 6:30 p.m.