by PHHA/Pocono Downs
Wilkes-Barre-PA — Keystone Velocity has been selected as Pacer of the Year at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono by the racing team. The same group picked Wilberforce as local Trotter of the Year and Mccedes as Claimer of the Year.

Curtis Salonick photo
Keystone Velocity has been selected as Pacer of the Year at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
Keystone Velocity established himself as a piece of harness racing trivia before he set foot on the racetrack, as at $3,000 he was the lowest-priced offspring sold at auction from the last crop of the great sire Western Hanover. He added to his credentials with numerous placings in important races during his youth.
After 22 months away from the racetrack, Keystone Velocity returned to sulky sport competition in May of this year and showed a distinct liking for the red clay at Pocono, posting five wins and a second in nine local starts, good for $54,365 in earnings. At age eight he twice paced in 1:48.2, which is his lifetime best.
Lauretta Galm had owned Keystone Velocity from the time he was auctioned off as a yearling until his last start at Pocono in Sept. He earned just a shade under $500,000 for her account.
Wilberforce, a gelded son of Caviar Crown owned by Dale Wareham in parternship with trainer Kris Rickert, came to Pocono in June with a 1:56 mark. It was a win over a low-level conditioned field at The Meadows, and he received little respect from the fans. In his four 2016 victories before shipping east, the horse paid $26.80, $89.20, $10.40, and $18.40.
But the 4-year-old matured into a rugged high-level performer locally, posting a 13-5-1-3 record. He added $62,320 to his bankroll and lowered his lifetime mark to 1:53.1 in his first victory at Pocono on July 10, while moving up to the highest trotting class offered at The Downs.
Mccedes, an 11-year-old McArdle gelding, certainly had seen his share of racetrack success before this year, earning $1,310,011 and posting a mark of 1:49.3 as a sophomore. The desire and class of this tough pacer was evidenced during the 2016 campaign.
On April 16 he went wire-to-wire, throwing a :27.2 last quarter-mile in to complete a 1:50.2 mile. The solid performer, going up and down the claiming class ladder in the $10,000 to $20,000 range, had eight victories this year at Pocono, along with two seconds and two thirds from 19 starts. He earned $54,060 at The Downs while “just racing in claimers.”
He changed hands via the claiming box several times over the season, and virtually everyone associated with him made money.
All three horses will be honored in special ceremonies in the Hanover Shoe Farms Winner’s Circle on Saturday (Nov. 19); Wilberforce after the 8th; Keystone Velocity after the 10th; and Mccedes after the 12th race.
The Driver and Trainer of the Year will be awarded and honored on closing night, Saturday (Nov. 26) with a full release to follow.