Wilkes-Barre, PA — Western Fame, based at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono and still the only free-for-all pacer with more than $500,000 in earnings this season, has been made the 5-2 favorite for a $30,000 division of the Great Northeast Open Series for fast-class pacers at the mountain track Saturday night (Aug. 3).

The son of Western Ideal, trained by Pocono’s leading conditioner Rene Allard for the partnership of Go Fast Stable, Stephen Klunowski, B & I Stables, and Gil Short, earned the bulk of his 2019 bankroll during the Levy Series at Yonkers, taking the $664,000 final on April 20. The biggest earner among three career millionaires in the field with a lifetime total of $1,580,320, Western Fame will start from post three for driver Simon Allard, Rene’s brother, and the horse needs a big finish if he is to have a good chance of qualifying for his $100,000 series final, to be held at 1-1/4 miles on Monday (Sept. 9) at The Downs.

Second choice at 3-1 is the Rocknroll Hanover gelding Scott Rocks, who will begin from post four for driver Tyler Buter and trainer Hunter Oakes. Scott Rocks is a veteran Pocono lover, having won in 1:50 or less here in each of the last six years, and a win here would give his $965,274 lifetime winnings a further boost towards imminent millionaire status.

Drawing the rail for driver George Napolitano Jr. and trainer Joshua Parker is the Big Jim gelding Tiger Thompson N, the leading point winner to date in the preliminary rounds. The Kiwi import comes off a 1:49.4 victory at Harrah’s Philadelphia in his last start, and he has the speed to be forwardly-placed in the action throughout.

Completing the field in morning line order is Prairie Panther (post six, driver Marcus Miller, 9-2), Always At My Place (post seven, driver Eric Carlson, 6-1), Proper One (post five, driver Joe Poliseno, 8-1), and Havefaithinme N (post two, driver Anthony Napolitano, 12-1).

The event is the tenth among Pocono’s 14 races on Saturday, with first post set for 7 p.m.