With Pennsylvania All-Stars contests for state-sired two-year-olds on the horizon, a pair of Åke Svanstedt trainees took the spotlight in $22,857 prep races for freshmen on the Sunday, June 28 twilight card at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania.

The one-two finishers in Sunday's trotting event for colts and geldings established themselves as rookies to keep an eye on ahead of the first All-Stars event for male diamondgaiters set for next Saturday.

Trainer-driver Svanstedt put the favoured Yankee Boss ($2.40) right on the lead – often a good place in a race for green trotters, and especially so in this chaotic contest. The Captain Corey-Brigit Of Kildare colt just went about his business and was untroubled in notching a 1:57.4 score for Kiwi Stables LLC and Graham Grace Stables LLC. Celebrity Hunter (Tyler Buter), who was in the pocket early when he miscued, dropped so far back that he wasn’t in the broadcast picture until the top of the stretch, and was charted in :56 for his back half in closing for second after an inquiry. Bel Ragazzo (Jim Marohn Jr.) was third. Four of the seven horses in the race broke stride.

Team Svanstedt also won the two-year-old filly trot race with the Walner-Jula Emmylou Me miss Emotica ($5.60). The crowd choice controlled the tempo, then sprinted home in :58.1 - :28.4 to complete a 1:58 maiden victory. Ake Svanstedt Inc. co-owns the promising baby with Santandrea Inc. and Little E LLC. Im A Hugger (Anthony Napolitano) finished second, followed by Honey And The Moon (Jim Oscarsson).

Pacing colts and geldings were also gathered, with the Captain Crunch-Ideal Lifestyle A colt Crunchstyle ($5) being pushed wide before the half then left uncovered shortly thereafter, yet still able to go his last half in :55.3 for a 1:53.4 maiden win. The rugged colt was driven by Ridge Warren for trainer Juan Cano, whose Cano Racing Stable LLC shares ownership with Ernie Davis LLC. Tom Collins (Tyler Buter) finished sharply for second over Fast Getaway (Andy Miller).

In the sub-featured $22,143 contest for the track’s top claimers, Statesidelckdwn Gb ($4.40) blasted away from the inside post and kept control throughout, pacing his back half in :54.2 to lower his mark to 1:50.2. Anthony Napolitano guided the altered son of Tom Hill-Secret Code for trainer Lou Pena and Todd’s Auto. Bettors Donttell (Ridge Warren) was a narrow second over Hesa Kingslayer N (Simon Allard).

No one at Pocono had more than two victories on Sunday. The sulky two-baggers were earned by Tyler Buter, Anthony Napolitano, and Svanstedt; Svanstedt also trained his two winners, a feat also achieved in conditioning by Cameron Capone and Lou Pena.

Featured on Pocono’s Monday 1 p.m. card will be a $17,500 USD conditioned pace for top-level distaffs, along with a $16,500 USD conditioned trot for horses seeking advancement up the class ladder.

(With files from PHHA/Pocono; photo of Yankee Boss winning on June 28)