One of the greatest cards on the yearly harness racing schedule has made even better.
The Pennsylvania Harness Horsemen’s Association, in conjunction with Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, has announced increased purses in the consolation races of three $500,000 stakes events; a new consolation for the $300,000 James Lynch Pace for sophomore fillies; and a brand-new event, the $100,000 Mohegan Sun Invitational Trot for world-class older horses.
“The Pennsylvania ‘racing revolution’ has helped our state become of the brightest spots on the national and international harness racing scene,” noted PHHA President Sam Beegle, “and ‘Sun Stakes Saturday,’ to be held in 2014 on June 28, is one of the greatest days of the season for all harness racing fans – as ‘bright’ as the ‘sun.’ We are now pleased to announce that we have made a great day of racing even greater with these added events and purses.”
The three $500,000 events are the Ben Franklin Pace for free-for-allers, the Earl Beal Trot for three-year-old males, and the Max Hempt Pace for three-year-old males. These three events saw $50,000 consolations staged last year, and the consolations yielded the co-fastest mile of all-time on a five-eighths-mile track (Bolt The Duer’s 1:47.4) and an equalling of the world record for sophomore geldings (Beach Memories, 1:48.2) – and note, these were consolations for horses who had not qualified for the finals. This year, all three events have had their consolation purses boosted to $75,000. The Franklin consolation for 2014 had been announced previously; the sophomore colt events now join it.
The Lynch Pace for fillies will have a $50,000 consolation race, if, as in all the other races, enough horses that do not make the finals show enough interest to race right back.
“We have also added an event for what many people consider to be the best crop of free-for-all trotters in recent years, the $100,000 Mohegan Sun Trot,” added Beegle. “This will be conducted as an Invitational event, so trainers of top older trotters interested in competing at Pocono on June 28 should contact Rick Kane in the Pocono race office immediately at 570-831-2126.”
With the four finals, the Invitational, and the consolations added together, Sun Stakes Saturday’s card will be worth $2,175,000 – just for those races alone. Also, don’t sell the Sun undercard short, as Abelard Hanover equalled the world record for older geldings (1:48) last year in the Preferred Pace during a driving rainstorm.
Supplemented starters are allowed to compete in the four sets of elimination races, which will be held one week prior (June 21).
Sun Stakes Saturday will take place at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs on Saturday, June 28.
(With files from the PHHA)
That is good news, now all I
That is good news, now all I have to do is win the lottery so I can buy a top trotter and pacer and train them myself.