Three $20,270 races for developing horses were the featured events over a sloppy track during the first Tuesday afternoon card of the year on March 5 at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania.

The Googoo Gaagaa gelding Bur Bun, who had done well near the end of the Philly meet last year but then tailed off in two 2024 starts in Maryland, enjoyed his return to the Keystone State, taking a new mark of 1:55.3 despite the off going in the headlining trot. Braxten Boyd (four wins on the day) sent Bur Bun right down the road from the rail and was never headed, withstanding pocket-sitter I Cant Refuse by 1-1/2 lengths for owner/trainer Howard Birney.

Tennessee Smooth bided his time in third until the three-quarters, then charged up and took the advantage in the latter stages of the top pace for males, lowering his mark to 1:53.2, with fraction-setter El Yerno a half-length behind the winner and a nose ahead of pocket-sitter Dark As Night. The oft-winning (14-for-32 lifetime) Well Said gelding Tennessee Smooth was driven by Braxten Boyd for trainer Brandy Wine and the ownership of Brett Boyd Racing Inc. and Geoffrey Howles. 

Lady Chrislyn, a daughter of Big Jim who had been closing well against the best distaffs at Monticello, needed every inch of the Pocono stretch to win the top event for distaff pacers in a lifetime mark of 1:56 for trainer Robert Lounsbury and owner David Del Pezzo. Tyler Buter (who also guided a quartet of winners) set the mare up with a second-over trip as pacesetter Exciting Times A and first-over Racing For Royalty engaged in a protracted duel, then just got her nose to the wire first over her game opposition, with the leader withstanding the first-up by the same margin for second. 

Racing resumes at Pocono on Saturday, March 9 at 1 p.m. when there will be six $17,500 USD divisions of the second leg of a Game Of Claims Series, with the base tag elevated slightly to $27,500 USD this week for these hard-hitters. All six winners in the first leg are back in for more series action Saturday (this year the rules say a horse must start in all legs of the series to make the final) – three will meet in race nine, two face off in race 12, and the other will be in the card’s curtain-raiser.

(PHHA / Pocono)