Wilkes-Barre, PA — Five fields of 2-year-olds got their initial competitive action during Wednesday morning (May 31) qualifiers at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania.

Before the 2-year-olds took the track, there was a “special guest appearance” by Backstreet Shadow as an example on which to focus future aspirations. The winner of $1,362,042, who equaled the Yonkers all-age record of 1:49.3 during the MGM Borgata Series, was making his first start since the end of the series, and he turned in a winning qualifier in 1:51.3.

Unless the times were eclipsed during Wednesday racing, there were two national season’s records established. One was the Betting Line-A Pippin Hanover pacing gelding Ante Up Hanover, who came home out of the pocket in :28.3 to stop the timer in 2:01.3 for trainer/driver Todd Schadel, owner with his wife Christine.

The Tactical Landing–Murderers Row trotting miss Ruthian powered home in :28.2 to win in 2:03, the other seasonal standard. Mark MacDonald guided the winner for trainer Ray Schnittker and owner Louis Palumbo.

Team MacDonald/Schnittker also combined for the faster of two trotting colt sections, with the Chapter Seven–Sianna Hanover colt Victor Laszlo, winning in 2:02 for Schnittker Arnold, Paul Bordogna, Ted Gewertz, and Arden Homestead Stable.

The other winning trotting colt was Little Mark, a son of Cantab Hall–All In The Muscles who closed out of the pocket in :29.4 to win in 2:03.2 for driver Braxten Boyd, trainer John Marsh, and Keystone Stable.

The pacing fillies were headed by the Betting Line–Someheartsomewhere miss Showboat Hanover, who came her own back half in :58.2 to win in 2:05, completing the double for trainer/driver Todd Schadel, co-owner with Christine Schadel and Caitlin Solt.

Pocono qualifiers can be seen at the www.phha.org website.