Wilkes-Barre, PA — There were decidedly mixed results in $20,000 first-round preliminaries of the Bobby Weiss Series for 3-year-old pacers on a cool Saturday afternoon (April 6) at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania. In the three dashes for fillies, two favorites and a second choice won; but in action for the sophomore males, the chalk met its Waterloo, with four second choices, a third choice and a 36-1 prospect winning.

The fastest winner among the males went off at 90 cents on the dollar, and he was even not the favorite in his grouping. But Bonaparte, a gelded son of Bettor’s Delight out of top mare Treacherous Reign, raced like a sure thing, heading right down the road for George Napolitano Jr. and winning over pocket-sitting Supplemental Fee by three-quarters of a length in a new mark of 1:51.3 for trainer Richard Johnson and owner Guy Gemore.

Bonaparte refused to surrender the lead in a 1:51.3 victory at Pocono on Saturday afternoon. Curtis Salonick photo.

Bonaparte was one of four winners on the afternoon for driver George Napolitano Jr.; matching him at that figure was leading driver Matt Kakaley, who was the only driver to win twice in Weiss competition. Kakaley put maiden marks the American Ideal gelding Howlenthehills, home in 1:53.3 for trainer Travis Alexander and Symmetry Stables LLC; and Liillbliss, a striking white colt who won gate-to-wire in 1:54.1 for trainer Åke Svanstedt and Knutsson Trotting Inc.

The biggest-priced winner in the favorite-blanking parade among the males was the Courtly Choice colt Spring Blake, picking up his first lifetime win in 1:52.2 in line to Mark MacDonald and paying $75.60 for trainer Blake MacIntosh, who shares ownership with Hutt Racing Stable, Ozzie MacKay and Robert Mac Neil. The fastest last quarter was the :26.4 clocking turned by the Captaintreacherous gelding Captain Caveman, a pocket rocket who lowered his mark to 1:53 for driver Tyler Buter, trainer Robert Cleary, and owner Robert Corrigan.

The only winner in the Weiss races for males who did not lower his mark was last year’s Pennsylvania Fair Sire Stakes champion Ante Up Hanover, a Betting Line gelding who led throughout in 1:53.4 for trainer-driver Todd Schadel, who shares ownership with Christine Schadel.

The quickest of the Weiss female winners was Whassup Hanover, a Captaintreacherous filly who ran her 2024 record to 6-4-2-0 while also earning a speed badge of 1:54.2 for driver Jason Bartlett and trainer Eric Ell, the latter of whom shares ownership with Lisa Ell. The other winning favorite among the Weiss fillies was Beautiful Roz, who brought $260,000 as a yearling as a daughter of Always B Miki out of a full sister to Precocious Beauty. She is now fulfilling that promise by winning her second straight in 1:55.3 for driver Jack Pelling, trainer Brett Pelling, and the partnership of Kentuckiana Racing Stables, Melvin Segal and Bud Hatfield.

Spoiling a chalk sweep in the filly ranks was the Roll With Joe distaff Petrol Queen, who was ready in her seasonal bow to reduce her mark to 1:55.1 for driver Braxten Boyd, trainer Jacob Hartline, and Anatolia Racing LLC.

The series action continues full-tilt at Pocono on Monday (April 8) and Tuesday (April 9) cards starting at 1 p.m. Monday features four $20,000 divisions of Weiss trotting colts and seven $9,000 cuts in a Game Of Claims Series for pacers tagged at $12,500; Tuesday will find six divisions each of Weiss trotting fillies going for $20,000, as well as $27,500 claiming trotters contesting $17,500 Game Of Claims sections. Free Pocono programs are or will be available at www.phha.org.