Two-year-olds made their first appearance at an eastern Pennsylvania racetrack this year during the Wednesday, May 29 morning qualifying session at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania.
The team of driver Scott Zeron and trainer Jared Bako won five of the baby events, including a near sweep on the pacing side, while the Todd Schadel barn produced the fastest trotter on each sex.
Zeron/Bako swept the pacing filly contests, the faster with the Huntsville-Code One Hanover miss Cowgirl Hanover, who went wire-to-wire in 1:58.1 (:56.4 back half, :28 final quarter) for owner NY Seb Inc.
They also came together for a 2:00.3 (:58.1, :28.4) win by Th Cha Cha Cha, a Dancin Lou-Pasta Blue Chip miss owned by David Kryway.
The fastest clocking of the freshman session, 1:57.3, was produced by two males from Team Zeron/Bako. Sire Dancin Lou and owner David Kryway again combined behind the gelding Stonebridge Wizard (dam Odds On Magic), who used engine tactics and came home in :57.2 with a :28 final quarter for the victory.
Matching his clocking was the Courtly Choice-Fashion Guru gelding Fast Choice, who came from behind and put in back fractions of :56 and :27.1 to triumph for owners Ashley Bako and Randy Zane.
Also successful was the American Ideal-Mako Wish colt Braydens Bandit, moving early and going on to success in 2:00.3 with a :28.3 final quarter for driver Marcus Miller, trainer Tom Jackson and owner Peter Scamurra.
Todd Schadel now has a sub-2:00 two-year-old trotter to his seasonal credit after the Bar Hopping-Promisemethis gelding wired his field in 1:59.3 (:58 back half, :28.3 final quarter) with driver/trainer Schadel, also co-owner with his wife Christine and Rick and Regina Beinhauer.