by Jennifer Starr, Racing Marketing Manager, Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs

Wilkes-Barre, PA — Looking ahead to an exciting season featuring the Breeders Crown, Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs has announced its 2013 racing schedule.

Opening night will be Saturday (March 23) and it will kick off the Northeast PA track’s 48th racing season. With a post time of 6:30 p.m., racing will take place on a Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday schedule for the months of March through May. A special doubleheader of live racing will be featured on Kentucky Derby Day, May 4, with the first post time of 11 a.m., and the second immediately following the 139th running of the prestigious race.

In June and July, racing moves to five nights a week, with a post time of 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday. A special earlier post of 3:30 p.m. on Fridays is a new addition to the race card.

“We are really excited to offer this earlier post for our fans,” said Dale Rapson, Vice President of Racing Operations. “We will offer the 3:30 p.m. Friday post for the two summer months, and again in September through closing in November, hoping to fill the void in between day tracks and night tracks. This will open up Pocono to new fans who may not have had the chance to watch and wager before, due to conflicts with other tracks. Plus, finishing our card earlier on Fridays gives fans a chance to enjoy an evening out after racing, whether they head out for a late dinner, or even high school football games in the fall.”

The Breeders Crown will be held on one night, Saturday (Oct. 19). Eliminations for the tremendous night of racing will be held on Oct. 11 amd 12. Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs hosted the Breeders Crown in 2010 and welcomed nearly 10,000 fans to a historic night of world-class racing.

Racing in August through Nov. 16 will continue on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday (with the early post) and Saturday.

A total of 140 race days are scheduled. The track will be closed March 31 and the week of Sept. 8 for the Pennsylvania Oktoberfest.