Wilkes-Barre, PA — A world record for 1-1/4 miles on a five-eighths-mile track was broken in last year’s inaugural edition of the Great Northeast Open Series finals, and this coming Monday (Sept. 9) at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, the world record at both gaits for the elongated distance, twice around the Pocono oval, may be in jeopardy in this season’s three $100,000 finals.

It was Homicide Hunter who lowered the record on the trot to 2:22.2 in winning his series final, and he returns to Pocono Monday for trainer Ron Burke and Crawford Farms Racing. The gelded son of Mr Cantab starts from post six in a field of seven in the 11th race, with David Miller driving.

The horse to beat starts just outside of him, and is a stablemate, 2017 Horse of the Year Hannelore Hanover, owned by Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, Frank Baldachino, and J&T Silva Stables, and to be driven by Yannick Gingras. The daughter of Swan For All has won half of her eight seasonal starts, has beaten 1:51 twice, and was undefeated in two series starts, including setting a Philadelphia track record of 1:52 in winning the final prelim.

The pacing record for 1-1/4 miles is 2:19.4 (it is not kept separate by sex), and it appears to be under greater threat from the open pacers division, race 12. The field is replete with high-percentage winners, one being Highalator (post seven, trainer Jenny Bier, driver Richard Still), 11-for-23 in 2019, who won three series prelims, including last week’s, and is the year’s co-fastest horse on a five-eighths-mile track over the mile in 1:48.

A fellow three-time series winner is None Bettor A (post eight, trainer Andrew Harris, driver George Napolitano Jr. listed), who is 10-for-14 this season, won nine in a row earlier in the year, and controlled a good Open field at Yonkers last time out.

Add in Backstreet Hanover, who lost a five-race winning streak last time out, and Prairie Panther, each of them a winner in half of their 20 seasonal starts, and you have many fast horses who know the way to get to the winner’s circle.

The No. 1-ranked harness horse, pacing mare Shartin N, is sticking to her intermittent racing pattern, so she is not in the mare pacing final (a race where she had a rough trip and faded last year). One distaff who will not regret her absence is the Bettor’s Delight mare Caviart Ally, who is having an excellent season in the shadow of the superstar. In fact, Caviart Ally has not lost a race that Shartin N did not win since her seasonal debut on April 30. She has given Shartin N some notable battles, and she may be in controlling position from post two in the tenth race field of seven for driver Andrew McCarthy, trainer Brett Pelling, and Caviart Farms.

Eclipse Me N, the horse who beat Caviart Ally in her 2019 bow, is still going strong over four months later, and she’ll have the home field advantage Monday in that she is trained by Rene Allard, leading trainer at Pocono. Rene’s brother Simon will be driving from post three.

In addition to these three outstanding races for the more seasoned performers, the Monday card will also feature eight $40,000 finals for Pennsylvania Stallion Series high preliminary point winners.

Post time for the first of 14 races at Pocono on Monday is 4 p.m.