Some three-year-old trotting colts who have the Earl Beal Memorial (eliminations Saturday, June 23), the Hambletonian and other major races on their minds will be gathering at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono on Sunday (June 17) for three $30,000 divisions of the Pennsylvania All-Stars.
The first All-Stars section is race eight, and it finds Whats The Word as the early choice as he leaves from post seven for driver Corey Callahan. The Donato Hanover colt had won three straight races, including two Pennsylvania Sire Stakes, after addingtrotting hopples, and last time he was in against tough older trotters on a sloppy track and did well to be third. His main opposition is expected to come from Samo Different Day, making his second start of the year from post four for Jimmy Takter after banking $337,000 as a two-year-old.
The 11th-race section finds You Know You Do installed as the early favourite for driver Yannick Gingras despite drawing post eight. A $374,000 winner at two, You Know You Do won a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes at Pocono on May 26, but has only had a qualifying mile since then. He can expect strong challenges from two members of the Millers’ Team Orange Crush, Haveitalltogether and Maxs Beast.
Race 12 will be the final of the night’s All-Stars events, with Donatover accorded early favouritism for Trond Smedshammer off a 1:53.1 mark and a recent Pennsylvania Sire Stakes triumph. If you’re looking for a long shot in this event, how about a 15-1 shot whose driver has never lost a race and who is a full brother to Father Patrick and Pastor Stephen? That would be Brothers N Arms and Josert Fonseca, who is undefeated in three career drives.
Another $30,000 trot on the strong Sunday Pocono card, race 10, will be a Great Northeast Open Series event, with a full field of nine. Triple Crown winner Marion Marauder (post six, Scott Zeron), 2016 Trotter of the Year, has a first and a second in two seasonal starts, both in the Great Northeast. Just outside him will be Homicide Hunter (George Napolitano Jr.), who comes back to his “home base” after equalling the world record for older trotting geldings with a 1:50.3 triumph in the Charlie Hill Trot at Scioto last week.
(PHHA/Pocono)