Wilkes-Barre, PA — Two-year-old pacing colts were featured in four $30,000 divisions of a Pennsylvania All-Stars event at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono during the Sunday (July 10) card.

The thrills — both high and low — of racing talented but green 2-year-olds were on display in the first event. Mamba went quickly to the lead before favored Ken Hanover looped out of the gate and pressed on to command past a :27.4 quarter, while second choice Lousain Bolt, sitting third, came out of the turn a mite wide.

Ken Hanover continued on to the half in :57.1 and had the lead deep down the back when the Sweet Lou–Lucy’s Pearl colt Lousain Bolt, who had been closing well recently without getting up to win, made a sudden burst to the 1:25.3 three-quarters to sweep on by not long past that call. Ken Hanover drifted into the pylons when passed, but was absolved of any foul.

With Lousain Bolt going by, Swift Operator was left raw, and Mamba backed out behind him on the turn, only to drift very wide off that bend. Lousain Bolt was on cruise control in the process of finishing in :26.4 for a maiden mark of 1:52.4 when another pacer moved up — Ken Hanover, who had been left far behind on the turn, closed in sharply late, but still came up 4-1/4 lengths short of the winner.

Lousain Bolt is backed by Yannick Gingras and Ron Burke for the ownership of Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, Elizabeth Novak, and Howard Taylor.

Annapolis Hanover took a neck decision in a new mark of 1:51.3 for driver David Miller. Curtis Salonick photo.

First-time starter Bamboozler was the favorite in the next All-Stars section and set fractions of :26.4, :55.1, and 1:24 while looking good on the lead. But the Stay Hungry–All Night Long gelding Annapolis Hanover was ratcheting up his speed nearing the three-quarters to go up and challenge, and that fast freshman had the needed quickstep to gain into a :27.3 sprint home to take a neck decision in a new mark of 1:51.3 for driver David Miller.

The three-time winner is the pride of trainer/owner Mitchell York.

In the third section, the Captaintreacherous–Scandalous Hanover colt Ship Ship Hooray, the only one leaving with much forward foot, got to stroll to the quarter in :29.3. Favored Girldad had enough of that and rushed to the lead well before the half in 1:00.2. Meanwhile, Nolaughingstock, very steppy away from the gate, commenced an uncovered bid, but was three-wide from before the half as the first-over.

The three-quarters came in 1:28.3, with Girldad leading and Nolaughingstock advancing on the wide side, so David Miller moved Ship Ship Hooray out between horses on the turn, and that one proved to have the most by a neck over Nolaughingstock.

Ship Ship Hooray was the most photogenic in the 1:56.4 mile, and is undefeated in two starts for trainer Chris Ryder and owners Ryder Henderson Mondillo, Ken Jacobs, and Barry Spak.

David Miller picked up his third All-Stars victory of the evening, and Sweet Lou got his second siring credit, when favored Bugaboo Lou (dam Perplexed) tied as fastest All-Star of the night with a 1:51.3 triumph on the engine.

Miller sent Bugaboo Lou right to the top and posted early numbers of :28.2 and :57.3, then visibly asked his horse for more late on the backstretch, which resulted in a 1:25 three-quarters and a :26.3 last panel, leaving Ervin Hanover 2-1/4 lengths behind and Fulton Hanover another 1-1/4 lengths back.

Bugaboo Lou was a winner for trainer Brian Brown and owners Country Club Acres Inc., Joe Sbrocco, AWS Stables, and Acadia Farms Inc.

In all, David Miller had five successes on the Pocono card.

Another outstanding race on the big Sunday card was a $25,000 fast-class pace for mares, which went to No Win No Feed A in 1:50.4. Scott Zeron sent the odds-on favorite to early command, then yielded past the :27.1 opener to second choice Darby Hanover, who went on to post middle splits of :55.3 and 1:23.2. But as soon as Zeron showed the daughter of A Rocknroll Dance some Pocono Pike open stretch, she responded immediately for a one length victory over the pacesetter. Erv Miller trains the winner of $398,925 for owner Douglas Overhiser.

Pocono will close out the week with racing at 1:30 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday. Program pages are available at the PHHA website.