Through rain and the coldest May 23 ever in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metro area, three-year-old trotting fillies continued to make progress during their sophomore stakes season, contesting four $41,667 divisions of their Pennsylvania All-Stars event at Pocono Downs.
The quickest All-Stars winner was the Greenshoe-Poof Shes miss Berry Good News ($25.40), who was very good news to her backers at 11-1. Pocono’s leading driver, Tyler Buter, gave the filly a pocket trip behind the chalk Little Road (who did not look easy to drive for Brady Brown this day), and the winner scampered by in the lane by 1-1/4 lengths. Nuance (Mattias Melander) was third. Berry Good News took a new mark of 1:55.2 over the sloppy track for trainer Nifty Norman and owners Melvin Hartman and David Mc Duffee.
Greenshoe also sired the second-fastest filly winner in 6-1 proposition Duicinea Hanover ($14), who was sent to the lead by driver Andrew McCarthy and resisted heavy favourite Lainey W (Yannick Gingras), who grinded up but missed by a half length, for the 1:55.3 score. Chestnut Kelly (Tim Tetrick) closed to be just another neck back in third. Duicinea Hanover broke her maiden in a Pennsylvania Stallion Series race in her last start, and here the filly out of Dew To Win added an All-Stars conquest for trainer Noel Daley and the ownership of Harbor Racing Stable LLC, Joe Sbrocco & JAF Racing, James McGovern, and Vincent Urciuoli.
Yannick Gingras had come to Pocono planning on just a cameo appearance behind Lainey W, but when a catch-drive opened up behind the favourite in another division, the colours of trainer Åke Svanstedt were replaced by the “Green Hornet,” Gingras. He combined with Maya Patel Hanover ($2.60) to save the chalk some face in a 1:56.3 mile. Maya Patel Hanover, coming off a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes win, looked fairly comfortable to the wire despite late energy from Cash Out Express (Matt Kakaley), who was second in a photo with I Take The Cake (George Napolitano Jr.). That pair was three parts of a length off the winner, who is owned by Ake Svanstedt Inc. in partnership with Brittany Farms LLC. The daughter of Captain Corey-My First Lady was the lone favourite to win in the stakes action.
The other All-Stars winner was another Captain Corey filly, Shemightbetheone, who is now perfect in two starts for the year after closing sharply to win in a career-best-equalling 1:56.4. Matt Kakaley had the lines for trainer Fred Grant, who shares ownership with Burton Firtel, Paul Marino and Timber Ridge Stable. Sister Wine (Andy Miller) was a closing second over Skyline Salty Girl (Mike Wilder). Shemightbetheone, out of Dancing For Money, had the most decisive margin in the stakes racing, 1-1/2 lengths, but she still paid $74.60 to win. The three three-year-old fillies aside from Maya Patel Hanover were the three longest prices on the card.
The $27,778 conditioned fast-class pace went to Voukefalas ($2.80), who prevailed easily by two lengths in 1:51.2 for trainer Michael Russo and owner Michael Pagonas. Last week, the six-year-old Lazarus N-Inittowinafortune stallion and driver Jordan Stratton made an early bid for command but were left on the rim for the duration, yet still only missed by a head. This week, the crowd held him at odds-on status despite not having won since July 2024, and Stratton got a bit more power to clear with his veteran at the half, going on to an easy triumph over World Of Wishes (Braxten Boyd). Federer (Anthony Napolitano) finished third.
The fastest mile of the day came in the form of a 1:51 effort from Downbythewater ($3.20), a four-year-old son of Downbytheseaside-Pirouette Hanover. He gamely resisted a late bid from Gentlemans Club (Andrew McCarthy), last year’s Governor’s Cup winner, by 1-1/2 lengths for driver George Napolitano Jr., trainer Linda Toscano and the partnership of Schillaci Stables LLC, John Manning, Sam Bova Racing LLC and Howard Berke. Heaven Needs Me (Simon Allard) completed the ticket.
Tyler Buter increased his margin at the head of the Pocono class with four driving wins, including two for trainer John Butenschoen, the only conditioner who doubled on the 14-race card. Braxten Boyd, Matt Kakaley and George Napolitano Jr. each reported home first with a pair of victories.
Filly-and-mare pacers headline Monday’s 1 p.m. card, with the top purse a $27,500 USD Winners Over Handicap Pace. On the Tuesday 1 p.m. session, the final program of the week will have the $35,000 USD Game of Claims Trotting Series Final, in which Pisces Rising, the only sweeper in three prelims, will have to overcome the challenging post eight. After that, the Pocono weekly schedule keeps its Saturday, Monday and Tuesday 1 p.m. cards but will add a 5 p.m. program on Sundays for nine consecutive weeks.
(With files from PHHA/Pocono)