from the PHHA/Pocono
Wilkes-Barre, PA — Some 3-year-old trotting colts who have the Earl Beal Memorial (eliminations Saturday, June 23), the Hambletonian, and other major races on their minds will be gathering at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono on Sunday (June 17) for three $30,000 divisions of their Pennsylvania All-Stars event.
The first All-Stars section is race eight, and it finds Whats The Word as the early choice as he leaves from post seven for driver Corey Callahan. The Donato Hanover colt had won three straight races, including two Pennsylvania Sire Stakes, after putting on the trotting hobbles, and last time he was in against tough older trotters on a sloppy track and did well to be third. His main opposition is expected to come from Samo Different Day, making his second start of the year from post four for Jimmy Takter after banking $337,000 as a 2-year-old.
The race 11 section finds You Know You Do installed as the early favorite for driver Yannick Gingras despite drawing post eight. A $374,000-plus winner at two, You Know You Do won a Pennsylvania Sire Stake here on May 26, but has only had a qualifying mile since then, and he can expect a strong challenge from two members of the Millers’ Team Orange Crush, Haveitalltogether and Max’s Beast.
Race 12 will be the final of the night’s All-Stars events, with Donatover accorded early favoritism for Trond Smedshammer off a 1:53.1 mark and a recent Pennsylvania Sire Stakes triumph. If you’re looking for a longshot in this event, how about a 15-1 shot whose driver has never lost a race and who is a full brother to Father Patrick and Pastor Stephen? That would be Brothers N Arms and Josert Fonseca (undefeated in three career drives).
Another $30,000 trot on the strong Sunday Pocono card, race 10, will be a Great Northeast Open Series event, with a full field of nine. The 2016 Trotter of the Year Marion Marauder (post six, Scott Zeron) has a first and a second in two seasonal starts, both in the Great Northeast. Just outside him will be Homicide Hunter (driver George Napolitano Jr.), who comes back to his “home base” after equaling the world record for older trotting geldings with a 1:50.3 triumph in the Charlie Hill Memorial at Scioto last week.