Wilkes-Barre, PA — Driver Jim Pantaleano took both trotting features at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono on Tuesday afternoon (June 7), going on the front end and holding off the favorite by a nose in both instances.

In the featured $15,000 event, Pantaleano moved Kaseville to the lead after a :27.3 quarter, taking command in front of the stands and reaching the midway point in :57.1. They were joined by sophomore filly Cash Machine Girl, who had a prolonged battle for supremacy with the pacesetter, from before the 1:25.1 three-quarters and all the way to the wire, where Kaseville won by the slimmest possible margin in a lifetime mark of 1:54.

Kaseville (Jim Pantaleano) and Cash Machine Girl (Andy Miller) show the drama of a fierce stretch duel, which Kaseville won in 1:54. Curtis Salonick photo.

Tom Gummerson trains the 4-year-old Sebastian K S gelding for owners Joseph Colancecco, Mary Gummerson and James McCormick.

Pantaleano then came back in a $12,500 fast-class trotting co-feature to guide Grapple Hanover to a slim victory over Papi Hanover in 1:54.2, just a tick off his mark. The winning Andover Hall gelding circled Papi Hanover past the :27.1 quarter and maintained command through fractions of :56.2 and 1:25.1, with the pocket sitter battling hard late in the Pocono Pike. Grapple Hanover narrowly prevailed for trainer Bucky Angle and owners Howard and Joshua Kauffman while raising his earnings to $230,442.

Racing resumes at Pocono on Saturday (June 11) with a 1:30 p.m. card, gathering the usual hard-hitting top overnight horses. On Sunday (June 12), there will be two $66,554 second-round Pennsylvania Sire Stakes events for 3-year-old trotting colts. Both first-round PASS winners, That Ole Bar Stool and Dandy, will be on hand, along with Ducasse and Kosher Mahoney, who joined That Ole Bar Stool as winners in the Pennsylvania All-Stars races on May 22. Program pages will be available on the PHHA website.