The Winter Is Coming Series for trotters had its first preliminary leg on Tuesday, Nov. 4 at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, and if the times of the winners of the three $17,606 divisions indicate the future, there should be some excellent competitive trotting on tap right up through the $20,000 USD championship on Nov. 18.
The fastest mile of the opening leg of the series went to the Andover Hall-Tui mare Tuis Angel, who like many Tuesday winners, went out to early command and never surrendered the lead in the 1:55.3 victory. Braxten Boyd guided Tuis Angel to victory for trainer David Wiest, who co-owns the four-year-old with Pamela Kimmel and James Rappold. Choco Charlie (George Napolitano Jr.) was 2-1/2 lengths back in second, with J S Hopscotch (Anthony Napolitano) third.
Boyd posted another Winter Is Coming victory with the six-year-old Muscle Mass-Krafty gelding Jacked, who was parked past the quarter while moving to the front and then maintained that position to the finish, winning by a length over determined first-over challenger and favourite Sainthood (George Napolitano Jr.). Tony Soprano (David Hoover) was third. Tee Wine conditions the winner, who took a new mark with the 1:55.4 victory, for Wine Stable and Michael Holland.
Also a 1:55.4 winner, and also controlling the pace en route to victory lane, was the Andover Hall-Oasis Dream seven-year-old gelding One After Nine, who won by 5-1/4 lengths. Get Some Cash (Anthony Napolitano) was second, followed by Doc Nixon (Ridge Warren). Jim Pantaleano drove the winner for trainer Bucky Angle and owners Howard and Joshua Kaufman.
The richest race of the day, a $21,831 conditioned trot for developing horses, also went in 1:55.4, and emerging victorious was the Green Manalishi S-Aurova Hanover sophomore gelding Wendell Blue Chip. Jared Bako trains the winner for Blue Chip Bloodstock Inc. and Daniel Zucker. Driver Colin Kelly was successful with off-the-pace tactics, beating out favoured Rothko (Simon Allard) by three quarters of a length. Soncando (George Napolitano Jr.) completed the ticket.
Kelly, who began campaigning semi-regularly at Pocono mid-season, was the only winning driver Tuesday who isn’t among the track’s eight winningest reinsmen, and the only one who had a single win. Boyd and Anthony Napolitano had three wins, and meet leader Tyler Buter, George Napolitano Jr., and Pantaleano each won twice on the 13-race card.
Racing at Pocono resumes on Saturday at 1 p.m., the seventh-to-last card of the 2025 season, with strong groupings of many divisions of top overnight horses. There will also be a carryover into the last-race High 5 wager.
(PHHA/Pocono; photo of Tuis Angel winning on Nov. 4)