The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono was forced to cancel its first Monday afternoon (Feb. 22) card of the year after a snowstorm suddenly grew bigger, and the program was abandoned for the sake of the safety of horsemen and horses.
Monday morning did see the draw for the card for this Saturday (Feb. 27), which features the third and final preliminary rounds of the Game Of Claims Pacing Series for $25,000- and $15,000-base price horses. The top point winners in the three preliminaries–and whomever owns and trains the horses after a whirlwind of claiming activity that has already seen 97 horses change hands the last two weekends–will go for $50,000 and $30,000 series finals, respectively, on March 6. In the progressively-priced pacing prelims, this week the higher class will have a $30,000 base tag, and the lower a $20,000 tag, Ourses remain at $25,000 and $15,000 respectively.
Of the 11 horses so far who have won at the $25,000 level and are entered Saturday (including the level’s only double winner, Glengarry Knight N), only three will be starting for the barn for which they won. Among the $15,000 set, only two horses will be coming back for the stable for which they triumphed (the double winner at this level, Fernado, like Glengarry Knight N, starts for new connections).
(PHHA/Pocono)