from the PHHA/Pocono

Wilkes-Barre, PA — Three $30,000 divisions of a Pennsylvania All-Stars event for state-bred 3-year-old trotting colts and geldings were featured on the afternoon portion of a Kentucky Derby doubleheader on Saturday (May 7) at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono. Some sophomores who had been flying “just under the radar” at two took advantage of breaks by the divisional favorites and got their 2016 stakes seasons off to a fast start.

In the opening cut, Tyson picked a good time to break his maiden, in control of the situation for the last half in a 1:55.4 mile, last quarter :28.3 for driver Corey Callahan, trainer Trond Smedshammer, and the ownership combine of the Purple Haze Stables LLC, American Viking Racing Stable, Anderson Farms, and Marc Goldberg.

The altered son of Donato Hanover stayed steady throughout the mile while his main rivals kept knocking themselves out of competition — first 2-5 chalk Love Matters, then quick-leaving Pilgrims Tide (6-1), and finally pocketsitting Hollywood Highway (7-1), who had yielded command to 9-2 second choice Tyson and his move in front of the stands the first time. Tyson went on to an easy 2-1/4 length win over Edinburgh, with Will Self rallying for a distant third.

Mikkeli Hanover, named after the Finnish countryside oval where Varenne once set the world standard for five-eighths-mile tracks, might have a little ways to go to come close to the talent level of that one, but according to driver Yannick Gingras, he’s still a little green, and yet he was able to lower his mark three seconds by winning his division by a length in 1:56.3.

The Andover Hall colt, the 7-1 third choice, made a second move to go to the lead past the five-eighths, then benefited when favorite Massive Clout, who had followed him down the back and had re-tucked in the pocket behind him, made a break on the far turn, leaving Mikkeli Hanover with a big lead late on the turn. Second choice Granite State and Marion Gondolier came on with late bids, but they had to settle for minor honors behind Mikkeli Hanover, who is trained by Ron Burke for his Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, Crawford Farms and The Panhellenic Stable Corporation.

The third division was also the fastest, and it produced a second All-Stars winner for driver Corey Callahan in 14-1 shot Hititoutofthepark, who worked to the lead at the quarter, shook off the first-over challenge of favored Make Or Miss (that colt eventually broke) and then staved off potential pocket rocket Lagerfeld by a head in 1:55, lowering his lifetime best by a tick, with Cloud Nine Hanover third.

The Yankee Glide ridgling, a five-time winner at two, is conditioned by John Butenschoen for owners Give It A Shot Stable, Kurt Welling, and VIP Internet Stable.