The 2020 stakes season kicks into high gear starting Monday afternoon at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, with three nine-horse divisions of two-year-old trotting colts getting their first taste of fast-class action in $30,000 sections of the group’s Pennsylvania All-Stars racing.

The barn of Marcus Melander, voted the 2019 Trainer of the Year after sending out Greenshoe, Gimpanzee, and a seemingly-endless line of quality stakes trotters, will be harnessing the favourites in two of the divisions. In race seven, Melander actually has the two favourites in the morning line, with the Father Patrick – Tanyas Dance colt Incentive given a slight edge off a 1:57.2 Meadowlands victory as he starts from post three for driver Brian Sears; In Range, the Bar Hopping – Ilia colt who finished second to Incentive in his first lifetime start, will try to turn the tables on his barnmate from post one for driver Tim Tetrick.

The race ten favourite will be another horse for Marcus Melander and sire Father Patrick, Bidensky (dam Southern Senorita), who will start from post six with Marcus’s younger brother Mattias slated for sulky duty. Bidensky was second after setting the tempo in a very fast 1:55.2 Meadowlands mile in his last start, two lengths behind Southwind Tyrion; his primary competition may come from another son of Father Patrick, Glacier Hanover (dam Global Desire), a $470,000 yearling who showed improvement between his first and second start.

In race nine, Father Patrick’s sensational sire success early in his career gets reaffirmed by the appointing of another one of his sons, Ethics, as the morning line favorite. Out of the dam Speak To Me, Ethics was just outsprinted at the end of a 1:57 qualifier at The Meadowlands last time out. Tim Tetrick will be driving for trainer Per Engblom; the youngster will face the difficulty of starting from post eight in his purse bow.

Monday will give the local bettors their first chance to see these two-year-old trotting colts; many of them will be back here August 23 for a leg of their Sire Stakes event, and then the best of the group will gather on Saturday afternoon, September 5 for their Sire Stakes Championship on a $1.2 million Championship day for the various divisions of two-year-olds at The Downs.

(PHHA / Pocono)