Millionaire trotting mare R Melina made a successful seasonal qualifying debut during the Wednesday, May 7 morning session at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Sun Pennsylvania.

Tyler Buter, who has been the leading driver at Pocono during the afternoon and evening pari-mutuel racing, decided to extend his dominance to the mornings as well, as he won five qualifying races at the northeast Pennsylvania oval on Wednesday, guiding three of trainer Hunter Oakes’s four victorious charges and also doubling for trainer John Butenschoen.

Among the winners Buter drove for Butenschoen was R Melina, a top Grand Circuit stakes competitor in her class last year. The now four-year-old daughter of Chapter Seven-Goodtogo Hanover, who numbered the Kentucky Filly Futurity, a division of the Del Miller Memorial and the New York Sire Stakes Championship among her successes, returned to action with a dominating 1:56.3 qualifying victory for the ownership of M and L Delaware/Armitage Farm. She won by 8-1/2 lengths over three-year-old gelding Wendell Blue Chip, the Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots champion last year, and the European imported mare Farah Trio IT.

Trainer Oakes had a trio of talented three-year-old pacing males take victories, with two of them driven by Buter and sired by Huntsville: Excelsior Series final winner Invictus wired his field in 1:53.4 with a :28 last quarter, and multiple New York Sire Stakes winner Thirsty Thursday went to the lead nearing the far turn and came home in :27.3 to stop the clock at 1:55.2. Oakes teamed with Jason Bartlett as Dandy Ideal, a son of American Ideal who ended his rookie campaign with four straight successes including the Matron Stakes (in which Thirsty Thursday was second), flashed home in :26.2 from second-over in a 1:54.1 triumph.

(With files from PHHA/Pocono; photo of R Melina winning the 2024 Kentucky Filly Futurity)