Like many of the other local horsemen, Mickey Peterson can’t wait for the 2009 harness racing season to open April 1 at Pocono Downs.

“It has been a long five months,” said Peterson, who is one of a large number of horsemen who have purchased homes in Northeastern Pennsylvania and campaign mainly at the Northeastern Pennsylvania racetrack. “I only raced a little at Yonkers over the fall and winter months but for the most part my horses were given the time off and are well rested.”

The 2008 season at Pocono Downs had to be shortened to 95 days and concluded last September 13 in order to prepare for a new multi-million dollar paddock that will be ready for the 2009 season.

This year’s 135-day meet will run through November 21 with live action taking place Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday evenings with a first race post time of 6:30 p.m. and Saturday afternoons with 1:00 p.m. first race post time.

Peterson, who has been racing at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs since 1985, is coming off one of his best seasons ever as a trainer. He finished the 95-day meet as the track’s seventh leading trainer with 27 wins, 19 seconds and 14 thirds from 114 starts. His UTR was .370 to land him in the top five with 95 starts.

His total purses were $218,728 and his biggest win came last October at Freehold with three-year-old pacer Sailing Cruise which won a $140,000 division of the Dancer.

He’ll have one of the larger stables at Pocono Downs with some 20 horses to train. His stable will include a lot of claimers and young horses. Peterson said he’d be combining with catch driver Larry Stalbaum in attempting to get to the winner’s circle. Stalbaum did most of his driving in 2008.

“I’m very happy to be ‘home’ and can’t wait for opening date,” offered the 42-year-old Peterson, who is among the trainers now on the grounds. “I’m looking forward to another solid year.”

(Pocono)