Top-notch racing will again be featured this weekend at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono. A Great Northeast Open Series (GNOS) leg for pacers will be on tap Saturday, while four divisions of the Pennsylvania All-Stars event for three-year-old trotting fillies will be contested Sunday.
The Saturday card will begin at approximately 7:30 p.m. after the Belmont festivities are over. The Sunday program will get underway at 7 p.m.
The early favourite in the GNOS dash is Highalator, a son of Somebeachsomewhere that will start from Post 6 for trainer Jenny Bier, who co-owns along with Joann Dombeck and Midsize Construction Inc. A winner of five of six starts since teaming with driver Rick Still, Highalator was victorious at Pocono in the first leg of the GNOS on Kentucky Derby Day.
In the first division (Race 5) of All-Stars competition on Sunday, the early favouritism has been assigned to Cloud Nine Fashion, who will start from Post 1 for red-hot trainer Jim Campbell and driver Tim Tetrick. Third in her Breeders Crown race last year, Cloud Nine Fashion broke in her only purse start thus far in 2019, but she’ll attract attention off a 1:56.1 qualifier at the Meadowlands Racetrack, during which she flew home in a pulverizing :26.1.
The second All-Stars division (Race 7) features The Ice Dutchess as the early choice, despite having drawn the outside Post 7. The Nancy Johansson trainee won her first start at the Meadowlands in 1:52, then finished third, beaten two lengths in a PA Sire Stakes event at Pocono – she was moving very strongly at the end of that mile, and she may again have to be a big closer to win from her Sunday spot.
The third division (Race 10) of the trotting filly event will feature the only three-time Pennsylvania Sire Stakes preliminary winner, Millies Possesion, who will begin from Post 2 for trainer Jim Campbell and driver Dexter Dunn. Unraced at two, ‘Millie’ has yet to taste defeat after four career outings, but she may get stiff opposition Sunday from Beautiful Sin (PP5, Tim Tetrick), a $480,000 yearling who finished only one and a quarter lengths behind Millies Possesion in her only start of the season.
Driver Yannick Gingras will have another All-Stars favourite in the fourth division (Race 12). Asiago, like The Ice Dutchess, will have to negotiate the outermost Post 7. Asiago has two sire stakes victories for trainer Per Engblom, and overall is three-for-five in the young season, with her two defeats having come by a combined three-quarters of a length.
(With files from PHHA / Pocono)