One After Nine completed a double in the preliminary rounds of the Winter Is Coming Trotting Series on Tuesday, Nov. 11 at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania under conditions befitting the title of the series. Temperatures during the card began at -1 degrees, and the contestants had to deal with stiff winds and snow flurries at times with the track rated two seconds slow the entire day.

Nonetheless, there was excellent trotting action spotlighted on the program, with the second and final preliminary round of the series split into two $17,606 divisions. One After Nine ($3.20) established himself as a strong contender for next Tuesday’s $20,000 USD series championship, as the seven-year-old Andover Hall-Oasis Dream gelding was the only horse to win both of his prelims. He scored here in 1:56.4 on the front end by 2-1/2 lengths over another winner from last week, Tuis Angel (Braxten Boyd). Choco Charlie (George Napolitano Jr.) was third. Jim Pantaleano guided the successful trotter to his third win in his last five outings and sixth in 23 this season for trainer Bucky Angle and owners Howard and Joshua Kaufman.

The other Winter Is Coming Series winner was Sainthood ($10.80), who looked in trouble on the far turn after racing wide the whole way, uncovered from past the three-eighths, but the altered four-year-old son of International Moni-Truffles was very brave and continued on to a 1:57 victory. He was 1-1/2 lengths ahead of Doc Nixon (Ridge Warren), who was last at the three-quarters and passed many horses late while out wide. Mister Boinga (Pantaleano) was up for third. Sainthood, second in the first leg, will also have his backers in the championship after this tenacious victory for driver Simon Allard, trainer Joe Pavia Jr., and owner Bay Pond Racing Stable. He is now five-for-22 this year.

Driver George Napolitano Jr. won five of the day's 13 races, including the top conditioned event of the day for horses looking to climb the classladder, which carried a purse of $21,831. He piloted the Cantab Hall-Sugarcane Yankee gelding Soncando ($7.40) to a front-end 1:58.1 score for trainer David Hoover and owner Jaypaul Hanover. The four-year-old, who entered the race with a 22-0-7-6 seasonal scorecard, was 1-1/2 lengths the best over Las Vegas Journey (Anthony Napolitano), who was followed by Amilyn Holdo (Warren).

George Napolitano Jr. won thrice for trainer Robert Belcher, scoring victories with Oh Coffee Bean ($2.80), Buckeye Cash ($8.60), and Gaelihill ($4.40) from his barn. Belcher is now 18-for-155 this year.

The reinsman also won with Buddy Earl ($2.60) from the Tony Ciuffetelli barn. That’s 15 wins in six November cards at Pocono by George Napolitano Jr., who has collected 366 victories this season overall in 1,951 starts.

Racing at Pocono resumes Saturday with a 1 p.m. first post and a carryover into the last-race High 5 wager. Cards on Monday, Tuesday, and the following Saturday will bring down the curtain on the 2025 season at Pocono.

(With files from the PHHA/Pocono)