This year's Max C. Hempt winner Johnny Z, trained by George Teague Jr. heads up a field of topnotch three-year-old pacing colts and geldings that will be racing at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs Friday night in the W.N. Reynolds Memorial Stake
. This will be day three of Grand Circuit Week at the Northeastern Pennsylvania racetrack.
There will be three divisions of the Reynolds for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings and Johnny Z, an entry coupled with Built To Drive, will be leaving from post No. 6 in the fifth race that carries a purse of $26,309.
Johnny Z is two-for-two at Pocono coming into the race with one of the wins in the $301,000 Hempt final back in May with Brian Sears in the sulky.
Last race for Johnny Z, named after John Zimich, publicity director at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, was in an elimination race for the $1.5 million North American Cup at Mohawk Racetrack with a fourth place finish June 27.
There also will be four divisions of the Reynolds for two-year-old trotting fillies with purses of $26,000-plus.
Grand Circuit Week, featuring all Reynolds races began Tuesday night and will conclude Saturday afternoon with three divisions of the three-year-old filly trot and nine divisions of two-year-old colt and gelding pacers.
Going into Friday night’s action, the Grand Circuit trainer leaders for just races at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs are Jimmy Takter with three wins and Jonas Czernyson, Teague Jr. and Linda Toscano with two victories while Brett Miller, Jim Morrill Jr. and Tim Tetrick each had three driving wins Tuesday and Wednesday nights with Takter having two.
(Pocono Downs)