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

Wilkes-Barre, PA — The 2009 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes season at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs will open on Friday (June 12) with seven divisions for 3-year-old trotting colts and geldings. Each sires stake division on the 16-race card will carry purses of $36,000-plus.

Three of the trotters racing Friday night have been prominently mentioned as horses to watch in the $1.5 million Hambletonian. They are Citation Lindy, Explosive Matter and Keystone Activator.

Shermans Mountain, a 3-year-old Broadway Hall gelding trained by Chris Oakes, will be heading up the sixth division of seven on Friday evening. Dave Palone, one of the nation’s top drivers, will be in the sulky. Shermans Mountain has won five of six starts in 2009 with the latest being in a $41,000-plus sire stakes division at Harrah’s Chester with a time of 1:55.3.

Also in this division is Triumphant Caviar, trained by Christopher Beaver and coming off a close second in the sires at Harrah’s Chester. Triumphant Caviar made $127,272 in his first year of racing and was fourth in last year’s Breeders Crown race.

Another division will be featuring the Ray Schnittker trained and driven Citation Lindy, a winner of three of five starts this year and coming off two straight sire stakes victories at the Meadows and Harrah’s Chester. Citation Lindy trotted the mile in 1:54.4 in winning that last sire stakes race at Harrah’s Chester on May 27.

Even Better Odds, slated to be driven by Tim Tetrick and trained by Chuck Sylvester, won three of seven starts in 2008 and $114,975 in earnings. Even Better Odds has had only one start this season with an eighth place finish at the Meadowlands and will be in the same division as Citation Lindy.

Trainer Noel Daley will have ninth race favorite Explosive Matter in that sire stakes split. This 3-year-old Cantab Hall colt won five of six starts last year with one second and $342,968 in earnings. Explosive Matter, who is scheduled to be driven by Ron Pierce, was second in the $700,000 Breeders Crown and will be starting for the initial time in 2009. The trotter recently had a qualifying win at the Meadowlands in 1:55.2.

Keystone Activator, another outstanding 3-year-old trotter, heads up the second division of seven. Trained by Jim Raymer and scheduled to be driven by Jim Morrill, Jr., Keystone Activator has won five of eight starts this season and is coming into this race with a 1:55.2 victory in the sire stakes at Harrah’s Chester.

NF Quotable, trained by Steve Cook, is another trotter to watch after finishing in the money in all 12 starts last season and earning more than $200,000. NF Quotable is coming off a 1:56.3 win at Harrah’s Chester in an overnight event.

First post is 6:30 p.m.