Sire Captain Corey swept the two Pennsylvania Sire Stakes (PASS) divisions of the third preliminary round for freshman trotters on Monday, Aug. 17 at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania with Orinoco, who followed two Sire Stakes seconds with a win, and then Two Day Hangover, now two-for-two in the Sire Stakes while handling an off track brought out by mid-card rain.

The “Captain's" offspring also won two of the four Stallion Series divisions during a card, which featured $263,739 in stakes action, and which was soaked by rain mid-card, changing the surface from fast to sloppy.

Orinoco (dam Bonnie Lou) flowed right to the lead for Åke Svanstedt, rebuffed several challenges along the way by favoured Birr Castle, who was bidding for her third straight PASS win, and finally won out by 1-1/4 lengths over that pesky foe in a new lifetime best of 1:54.1 before the rain came. Svanstedt trains the successful filly, and his Åke Svanstedt Inc. of Wrightstown, New Jersey co-owns her with Knutsson Training Inc. of Delray Beach, Florida.

Absent from the first Sire Stakes leg, Two Day Hangover (dam Sherry Lyns Lady) set a moderate pace in the off going, then sprinted home in :28.1 to win in 1:55.2, with first-over Miss Eliza (a previous Sire Stakes winner) photoing Pattys Girl for the deuce. Two Day Hangover also has a PA All-Stars victory on her resume and starts off unbeaten in three starts for driver Mattias Melander, trainer Marcus Melander, and the partnership of Brittany Farms and Marvin Katz LLC, each of Versailles, Kentucky.

Captain Corey also sired one of the three third prelim contestants in the Stallion Series who now has two victories in that category. Twouldmakemesing (dam Woman Of Power), who followed cover then won in 1:57.3 in the first race (including all the Stallion Series races) conducted in sloppy going. Tyler Buter guided the winner for trainer George Ducharme and FTM Racing Stable of Ocala, Florida. The fourth Captain Corey winner was Andersson Hanover (dam Angel Eyes Hanover), grinding to a maiden-breaking 1:57 win for river Patrick Ryder, trainer Chris Ryder and owner John McKeon Jr. of Yardley, Pennsylvania.

The other two second-time Stallion Series winners were the International Moni-Lily Kronos IT filly Ops Mearas S, fastest of the divisions at 1:55.4 for driver Ridge Warren, trainer Nicklas Andersen and Snogarps Gard Inc. of Delray Beach, Florida, and the Greenshoe-Sevenopper miss Sevenoops Hanover, up in 1:56.2 to give Tyler Buter a second Stallion Series win as he guided her for trainer Petter Engblom and Engblom Farm of Wrightstown, New Jersey, Evans Nation of Seaford, New York and Hickory Hollow Stables of Spencerville, Indiana.

Mention must be made of the Mets Hall millionaire gelding Sir Pinocchio, who prepped for a slot in the Sebastian K S Free-For-All Trot during Sun Stakes Saturday at the end of the week by going down the road on a still-fast track in 1:51.1 in a $29,167 overnight. Brian Sears got the drive behind the Linda Toscano trainee for owner Carolyn Atherton of Scarsdale, New York.

Meet leader Tyler Buter had four wins on the day, all for different trainers and as mentioned two in the Stallion Series. Driver Dan Rawlings and trainer Jose Godinez mutually benefitted each other in two victories.

The Sun Stakes Saturday card has now been drawn, and a separate story has been posted about the $2.3 million USD in stakes action. Before that, Pocono will race on Tuesday at 1 p.m., with four $16,000 USD races for freshmen, one of each gait/sex combination, spotlighted.

(With files from PHHA / Pocono Downs; photo of Two Day Hangover)