by John Zimich, publicity director, Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs

Wilkes-Barre, PA — Jim Morrill, Jr., leading driver at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, is having second thoughts as to whether he is going to “shut down” driving here for the remainder of the 2009 harness racing season that runs through November 21. And it wasn’t because Joe Pavia, Jr., his nearest rival in the standings, had seven wins Wednesday night.

After driving at the Northeastern Pennsylvania racetrack last week Morrill was giving serious consideration to concluding his catch driving here. But after further review he said he would like to make appearances two days a week, preferably on Wednesdays and Fridays.

“I don’t want to shut down too early,” Morrill stated Wednesday morning prior to driving in Delaware, Ohio. “I’d go stir crazy.”

There’s one big catch to his coming to Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs for the remainder of the season. And that is his wife, Molly.

“After the New York Sire Stakes on Saturday, I’m going to take a week off, take my wife to a good dinner and ask her what she thinks about me continuing to drive at least two days week at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs,” he added.

Morrill, who won the $350,000 Jugette Wednesday afternoon at Delaware, is having a fabulous year at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, winning 26.2 percent of his races. Coming into this week’s action, he collected 217 wins, 145 second place and 102 third place finishes at the Wilkes-Barre area racetrack for a Universal Driving Rating of .400 and $2,504,756 in purses.

He seized the opportunity to drive here when Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs went back to evening racing and he knew premier drivers like Tim Tetrick and Tony Morgan wouldn’t be competing here on a regular basis. The prior year Morrill only came onto the scene late in the meet and raced two days a week.

“I made the right decision to come to Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs,” said the track’s leading driver. “It was better than I thought it would be. I’ve been lucky since I drove for the likes of trainers like Chris Oakes, the leading trainer there.

“I’m really looking forward to returning next year. The racing surface is super and there’s a great bunch of drivers to compete against. I knew most of them before coming. Drivers like Tom Jackson, Mike Simons, Jim Taggart, Jr. and Joe Pavia, Jr.”

A resident of Hamburg, N.Y., near Buffalo, Morrill has another passion besides driving Standardbreds. When he does shut down for the season he will resume his passion of playing hockey and skiing during the winter months.

“I’ll skate five days a week from 1 to 3 in the afternoon,” Morrill offered. “It really keeps me in shape. I would have loved to become a professional hockey player but wasn’t quite good enough.”