Wilkes-Barre, PA — The Game Of Claims Pacing Series will again be featured this racing week at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, with 58 of the amazing 60 horses claimed during opening weekend (for $1,001,500) returning for second preliminary round action for their new connections.

There is a slight “bump-up” in claiming price each preliminary week of the Game Of Claims, so this Saturday afternoon seven $25,000 divisions will feature horses with a baseline tag of $27,500.

Only the 13th race, the last preliminary at this level, features a matchup of two winners from opening week. One was not claimed, I Get That, who paid $83.20 in winning for trainer Mark Akins and draws post four here; and one who was taken, American Rebel, who will begin from post six for trainer Daniel Renaud.

Saturday’s card, which begins at 12:30 p.m., also brings together five $15,000 sections of pacers who will go for a base tag of $17,500. Again, it is their last preliminary of the day, race 12, which finds winners squaring off, and again there is one who was claimed last week (Sunset Braydon, post six, trainer Kelly Hastings) and one who was not (Fernado, post four, trainer Jennifer Bongiorno).

Sunday’s twilight card at 5 p.m. has four $10,000 divisions for horses with a $12,500 price before any allowances, and all four of this level’s winners in round one have drawn into separate divisions this time.

Such is not the case in the five $7,500 divisions for $9,000 base-tag performers that evening. The eighth race section, for example, will match three first leg winners who did not have to adjust to new surroundings, but here will have to adjust to starting on the right-hand side of the gate: Don’tcallmefrancis (post six, trainer David Russo), Onlythetuffsurvive (post seven, trainer Marc Mosher), and Pop Icon (post nine, trainer Dennis A. Laterza).

Since Pocono lost its scheduled opening card on Feb. 6, a special card has been added for this Monday (Feb. 22), with a 12:30 p.m. post time, with overnight horses featured during the program.

Horsemen are reminded that nominations for the Game Of Claims Series for trotters starting with a base price of $15,000 are due by this Saturday (Feb. 20).

Veteran John Kakaley drove three winners during the Wednesday morning qualifiers at Pocono. John is the father of Matt Kakaley, who won seven races here on opening weekend. Matt also grabbed himself a qualifying victory.