Wilkes-Barre, PA — Matt Kakaley, the winningest driver at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania last year and already atop this year’s standings with 12 triumphs in the first four cards, kept the hot hands during Wednesday morning’s marathon 15-race qualifying session, winning five times, including the two quickest outings with horses sent out by the 2023 meet’s leading trainer, Travis Alexander.

The Bettor’s Delight gelding Jack’s Legend N, owned by Symmetry Stables, came out of the pocket to edge by Im Sir Blake A by a half-length in a 1:54.1 mile that featured back fractions of :55.4-:27.4. Both of these horses may be pointing towards the MGM Borgata Series at Yonkers, where Jack’s Legend N won two preliminaries last year and Im Sir Blake A was victorious in the consolation.

The 2021 Messenger Pace winner American Courage went wire-to-wire in winning a 1:54.4 qualifier that featured a last quarter of :27.2. The son of American Ideal is owned by Fiddler’s Creek Stables.

Kakaley’s other three winners during the qualifiers came behind horses trained by Jenny Melander, who conditioned four of this a.m. session’s winners, all trotters.