Wilkes-Barre, PA — The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono will host three $56,868 divisions of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes for 3-year-old male trotters on Sunday night (June 2). The Sire Stakes races are slotted in races three, five, and 11, each having seven entrants, and each section has a winner from the first preliminary round, held at The Meadows on May 11.

In race three Ginger Tree Skyr is the Sire Stakes winner already this year, having posted a 1:55 upset at 26-1 odds. Dan Rawlings will come east to drive the Explosive Matter colt for trainer Steven Cook as they begin from post two.

Also highly-regarded in this division is Gerry (post six, driver Brian Sears), who broke at The Meadows in his seasonal bow but who won in 1:54.3 last year, and Marseille (post four, driver Åke Svanstedt), a maiden who comes in for his 2019 debut off a good second in a qualifier.

Goes Down Smooth will start from post six in the fifth race for the formidable team of trainer Ron Burke and driver Yannick Gingras, who will be freshly-returned from the World Driving Championship in Sweden. In addition to winning in 1:54.3 in his Sire Stakes contest at The Meadows, the Muscle Hill gelding won two starts back in the final of the Walner series at The Meadowlands, and he also shows a 1:53.4 victory at the Jersey miler.

White Tiger, who won his seasonal debut at The Meadowlands in 1:54.2, could be the major danger, starting from post two for driver David Miller.

In the third Sire Stakes cut, Gingras appears to have a good chance to add a second feature tally as he steers the Cantab Hall colt Osterc from post five for trainer Per Engblom. He is undefeated in two starts this year, preceding his 1:55.1 win at The Meadows with a victory in the Dexter Cup at Freehold. He was also the Sire Stakes 2-year-old champion last year.

Guaranteed (post two, driver Tim Tetrick) has a 1:53.4 victory at The Meadowlands this year and certainly could contend on his best outing.

Also on the card are five $20,000 divisions of the group’s Stallion Series. These events are full of young horses who are developing now; 17 horses in the five races show a win within their last two starts. All three winners in The Meadows Stallion Series races are here: Kate’s Massive (race four), Raceace (race seven), and Lapped By Lindy (race 12).

Kate’s Massive may be the most interesting in that he followed his Stallion Series win with a victory in the Currier And Ives Trot at The Meadows, and he is luring the winningest driver of all-time, Dave Palone, for an infrequent visit to Pocono.

Finally, Pocono has carded two $30,000 races Sunday in the Great Northeast Open Series, one for mare pacers and one for trotters. Divisional leader Tequila Monday is in the mare pace and Crystal Fashion, winner of the Earl Beal final here in 2018, is in that gait’s open event.