Driver Tyler Buter stole the show on a Pennsylvania All-Stars card at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on Tuesday, July 14, winning two of the four $42,253 divisions for rookie trotting fillies in a run of five consecutive victories.

Buter teamed up with trainer John Butenschoen for his two stakes successes, first with Winner Hanover ($18.20), who was one of three daughters of Captain Corey to take a division. The filly out of Won An Done enjoyed the biggest victory margin of the four All-Stars contests, taking the second by 4-3/4 lengths over One Tequila (Matt Kakaley) after setting the pace. Winner Hanover suffered interference and broke in her first outing, but she bounced back nicely for a maiden mark of 1:57.3 for owners James Crawford IV and Rich Preziotti. Fathom Hanover (Andy Miller) was third.

The second of the Buter/Butenschoen winners was Pattys Girl ($9.40), a Father Patrick-Day At The Spa miss owned by Bay Pond Racing Stable. She made an auspicious first start with a victory in 1:55.2 in the third division, getting passed down the back by favoured Cabaletta Hanover (Matt Kakaley) yet able to rally to defeat that foe by a half-length. Aviva Station (Veli Pekka Toivanen) finished third.

Buter, Pocono’s leading driver, paired his stakes wins with victories behind Dapper Station ($4.20), Tarpon Springs S ($5.40) and Skymeadow Papi ($8.80). The wins came in Races 5 through 9 – which happen to be the races of the Pick 5 wager at Pocono, which went unsolved, necessitating a carryover to Saturday’s card. Buter has 212 wins from 1,294 starts this year, 157 of which have come at Pocono. That total has him leading the standings by 40 wins.

Team Melander — driver Mattias and trainer Marcus — won two of the four All-Stars divisions with daughters of Captain Corey.

Both of the Melander horses were betting favourites, and both set the pace through most of their miles. The fastest of the four winners, Two Day Hangover ($4.20), was making her career debut in the final split, but the filly out of Sherry Lyns Lady was ready for a 1:55.1 victory. She finished 1-1/4 lengths ahead of Slave To Fashion (Buter) for Brittany Farms LLC and Marvin Katz LLC. Miss Eliza (Matt Kakaley) completed the the ticket.

The other of the brothers’ winners, Birr Castle ($2.60), followed up on a victory in the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes in her career bow with a 1:56 mile on Tuesday. The filly out of Melania withstood potential pocket rocket Orinoco (Ake Svanstedt) by a half-length in the opening division for Pheasant Hill Farm. Sister Lise (Donald Dupont) was third.

In addition to Buter’s five-win exploits, George Napolitano Jr. drove three winners. Butenschoen and Melander were the only conditioners with multiple tallies.

Saturday’s 1 p.m. Pocono card will feature carryovers in the two “Five” wagers – the Pick 5, as mentioned, and the High 5 in the last race. A crack field of fast-class pacers will highlight the racing, competing for a $29,000 USD purse in the Winners Over.

(With files from PHHA/Pocono; photo of Tyler Buter in a previous win)