Wilkes-Barre, PA – With the number of days left in the 2025 racing season at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania down to single numbers, Director of Racing Rick Kane has devised a two-legs-and-a-Championship series for both trotters and pacers called the “Winter Is Coming” Series to create year-end extra excitement, and on Monday the pacers contested two $12,500 opening round prelims.
The excitement factor was evident in the faster of the day’s two Winter Is Coming cuts, as the Betterthancheddar gelding Agedchedar Hanover (note that deliberate spelling) closed from third-over to win in a four-horse blanket finish in 1:52.4. The winner came home in :28.1 against the wind to defeat Points North by a head for trainer Jake Leamon and owner Dona McDonald.
The other section went to the only three-year-old to enter in the first leg prelim, the Cattlewash gelding Expedited Service, and the sophomore might turn out to be the horse to beat in the series. Though his mile was clocked in 1:54.3, Expedited Service went his third quarter in :26.4 with the wind to easily clear from first-over and drew off to a 4-1/2 length victory for driver George Napolitano Jr., trainer Richard Johnson, and owner Guy Gemore.
Top purse of the card was the $15,500 offered for developing trotters, with the stakes sophomore filly Margareta Hanover taking command in front of the stands the first time and then posting a new mark of 1:55.4 in winning by open distance. Mattias handled the Maharajah filly for trainer-brother Marcus (who was at the opening day of the Harrisburg Sale) and, appropriately given that reference, owners Hanover Shoe Farms Inc.
Anthony Napolitano led the driving colony with three winners; Braxten Boyd, meet leader Tyler Buter, James Kennedy, and George Napolitano Jr. each had two. “Anthony Nap” earned another distinction by guiding $66.40 winner Costa Diva, giving him a meet-leading eleven “bombers” brought home at Pocono this year. Double Up N also got in the longshot fun by paying $56.40 under Kevin Wallis’s guidance in the first race (only the second “bomber” to open the card among Pocono’s 52 $50+ winners this meet, which includes seven in the last seven cards).
The Winter Is Coming Series will find three $12,500 divisions of the first round for trotters highlighted on the 1 p.m. Pocono card on Tuesday (Nov. 4). Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.