Three-year-old fillies were in the Weiss Series spotlight on Tuesday, April 7 at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, as four fields of trotters and three of pacers each went for $24,306 purses in their first-round preliminaries.
Despite 16-1 toteboard status, the Downbytheseaside-Sweet Ace miss Vanna By The River ($34.40) made a shambles of her pacing division, going wire-to-wire through stiff winds and single-digit temperatures in 1:53.2 to break her maiden in her 13th career start. Braxten Boyd opened up his charge's advantage on the rest of the field throughout the last quarter as Vanna By The River scored the five-length victory for trainer Cory Stratton and owner Our Three Sons Stable LLC. Jaimes Way (Tyler Buter) was second-best over Papis Dream (Tim Tetrick).
American Cheese ($2.20), fresh off winning her 2026 debut at Yonkers Raceway six days ago, came right back to take her Weiss division by 1-1/2 lengths in 1:54.4. The daughter of American Ideal-Queso Relleno was guided by Jason Bartlett for trainer Jared Bako and the partnership of Blue Chip Bloodstock Inc. and Philip Steinberg. Sweetloveofmine (Andrew McCarthy) finished second, followed by Happy Tabby (Matt Kakaley).
In the other section on the pace, the Bettors Wish-Treacherous Reign filly Miss Jum Jabber ($3.40) sat just off a dawdling pace set by Sundownsomewhere (Jason Bartlett), then gained into a :27 sprint to the wire to beat the pacesetter by a head in 1:55.2 and win her second consecutive start. Bradley Chisholm handled the lines for trainer Brett Pelling and his Pelling Racing LLC. She B Minnie (Tim Tetrick) was third.
Driver Tim Tetrick and sire Captain Corey accounted for two of the four trotting splits of the Weiss, including the quickest and most decisive winner, Cynic ($11.20), who came over from The Meadows and won for the fourth time in five lifetime starts while lowering her mark to 1:55.2. The filly out of Kolachke was 5-3/4 lengths to the good over Aviatrix Blue Chip (Tyler Buter) for trainer Britney Dillon and owner Joseph Musser Trust. Nightcap Mearas S (Andrew McCarthy) was third.
The other successful pairing between the driver and sire came with Lady Tessie Marie ($6.80), who won her seasonal bow in 1:58.4 for trainer Scott Di Domenico and the ownership combine of Angela Cornell and Tessie Esry. The daughter of Womanofdistinction held on by a head over Be Mine Hanover (Mark Herschberger), with Royally Bred (Buter) third.
Jason Bartlett added a Weiss trot win to his pacing triumph in guiding the Gimpanzee-Shes Gone Again filly Concise ($3.60) to a 1:57.4 mark in her first race since last July. The only diamondgaited favourite to win is trained by Nik Drennan and owned by Drennan Stable LLC, Joseph Davino and Brad Shackman. She was clear by 4-3/4 lengths over Snow Queen Hanover (Todd Schadel), with Ms Bojangles (Braxten Boyd) third.
The Tactical Landing-Soukup Blue Chip miss Allioop Blue Chip ($10.40) reduced her mark to 1:56.1 by taking the first Weiss trot for driver Andrew McCarthy, trainer Noel Daley, and owners R. Lynn and Philomena Curry. She nabbed Kickan (Tyler Buter) by a head with Chestnut Kelly (Tim Tetrick) third.
Drivers Tetrick and Bartlett posted doubles on the day as noted. They were joined by Boyd, who also won an overnight, and Simon Allard, who bookended the card. Fourteen different barns sent out winners on the afternoon.
Pacing males come back for their second Weiss preliminary when racing returns to the Downs on Saturday at 1 p.m. All four first-round winners will be looking to make it two straight.
(With files from PHHA/Pocono; photo of Vanna By The River winning on April 7)