Wilkes-Barre, PA — Mon Cheval capped a noteworthy career debut with a :28 final quarter, stopping the timer in 1:54.3 in her $35,000 Pennsylvania All-Stars event for 2-year-old trotting fillies on the Sunday (July 18) twilight card at The Dows at Mohegan Sun Pocono.

Mon Cheval got her purse career off to an auspicious start with a Pennsylvania All-Stars victory Sunday at Pocono. Curtis Salonick photo.

Dexter Dunn drove the royally-bred filly, by Father Patrick and out of Shake It Cerry, as if she were the best, and the overwhelming 1-9 favorite certainly was for trainer Nancy Takter and the noted Solveig’s Racing Partners.

Dunn also won the other All-Stars division, but the victory with the 10-1 Cantab Hall-Dixieland Delite filly Dixiechick Hanover was not as predictable. This section featured all three first-leg Pennsylvania Sire Stakes winners, but all three broke stride. Dunn and Dixiechick Hanover advanced uncovered to circumvent road trouble on the far turn and break maiden in 1:56.2. Lucas Wallin trains the winner for Vestmarka AB and Triple Play Trotters LLC.

So far in 2021, amateur driver Tony Verruso has amassed 11 victories and a .522 UDR, and he improved upon both figures with a win in Sunday’s Amateur Harness Drivers Club Series event. He guided Big Nudge, a son of Donato Hanover, to a 1:55.3 win, drawing away in winning for trainer Symon Spicer, who also shares ownership with George Beck and Michael Sherman Jr.

Several classes of freshman performers will be in the spotlight during Monday’s (July 19) card at The Downs. Post time is 12:30 p.m.; program pages are available at the PHHA website.