Kimberlee and Sharen Hanover both became three-time winners in the preliminaries of the Bobby Weiss Series for pacing mares at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono Monday, as the track hosted two $15,000 divisions of the fourth and final Weiss preliminary.

Kimberlee is 3-for-3 in the Weiss, and 4-for-4 in 2018, after winning in her prelim, which was timed in 1:55. The Rock N Roll Heaven filly won the first Weiss week, skipped the second, and now has victories last week and this. Driver Marcus Miller sent Kimberlee to the lead after the first quarter, and the sophomore came home in 57 to win for trainer Åke Svanstedt and owners Knutsson Trotting Inc and Asa Sjoberg.

The four-year-old Well Said mare Sharen Hanover, second in the Weiss first round and then entrusted to the care of trainer Rene Allard, remained undefeated in three starts for Rene and driver/brother Simon after posting a crackling 1:52.2 mile, a lifetime mark. The opposition tried to make it hard for “Sharen” as Jewels Forreal refused to let her get the top early, and after she took the pocket Carly Girl came with a quick quarter-move, leaving Sharen Hanover in the undesirable third-inside spot. But the fast distaff patiently awaited the famed Pocono Pike, then showed a big stretch burst to be an easy winner for owner Geoffrey Lyons Mound. Jewels Forreal photoed Carly Girl for major minor honours.

In unofficial standings (please check with the Pocono Race Office for the official list) calculated immediately after the races, the top ten point winners in the preliminaries, in order, are: Sharen Hanover, Kimberlee, Miss Hill, Line Dancer, Unnreal, Pretty Angel Eyes, Carly Girl, Jewels Forreal, Sweetest Devotion, and Sing Along.

The top horses declaring in will race for $30,000 in their Weiss Championship during the evening portion of the doubleheader of racing on Kentucky Derby Saturday, May 4; if enough horses declare in, there will be a $15,000 consolation event held during the afternoon racing that day.

The Allard brothers also triumphed in a $14,000 claiming handicap pace for mares, with the Stonebridge Regal mare Strawbs Chippie N posted her second straight wire-to-wire win since being claimed by Team Allard, in this victory lowering her lifetime mark over three seconds to 1:52.3. But there won’t be a third straight win from the mare for the ownership of Allard Racing Inc and Ameer Najor – there were four claims in the seven-horse field, including the 1-2-3 finishers.

(PHHA/Pocono)