Top three-year-old trotters are scheduled to be in action this weekend at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
On Saturday afternoon, Pocono will host four $30,000 divisions of this group’s Pennsylvania All-Stars event for fillies, along with a like number of All-Stars events for two-year-old pacing fillies. And on the Sunday twilight card, there will be two $95,367 divisions of the first prelim of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes for these sophomore colts, along with five $20,000 Stallion Series divisions.
Among the top trotting fillies that are scheduled to be in action is the Explosive Matter filly Queen Of The Hill, a winner of $174,734 at two who took a mark of 1:55 at Pocono last year. Thus far in 2020, Queen Of The Hill won her debut at Harrah's Philadelphia and then finished fourth, beaten only one and a half lengths in her sire stakes race at Philly. Tyler Buter has the call from trainer Per Engblom and will line up in Post 4 on Saturday.
Also highly-regarded are a pair of fillies from the omnipresent barn of Ron Burke. Sans Default, a Muscle Hill miss that will start from Post 4 in her All-Stars cut, finished second in a Currier & Ives division and then third in sire stakes action, and didn't look out of place while facing quality competition on each occasion. Sans Default will host Joe Bongiorno in the sulky on Saturday. The Father Patrick filly Crucial, who will start from the rail for driver George Brennan in another division, looks to be in prime form. She won her Currier & Ives division and recently finished second behind the streaking Next Level Stuff in sires stakes action.
In Saturday’s All-Stars events for the juvenile pacing fillies, the best showdown could come in Race 9, where double sire stakes winner Let Er Buck (Betting Line--Wild West Show) will square off against Continualou, also a winner in the sire stakes, and Podium Girl, a double Stallion Series winner.
The two males that will attract the most attention in Sunday’s sire stakes races for the sophomore trotters both won over $500,000 at two. In Race 9, the Muscle Hill colt E L Ideal bankrolled $551,309, including a victory in the season-ending Valley Victory Stakes at the Meadowlands Racetrack. This year, E L Ideal had an encouraging third in the Reynolds Stakes, but then disappointed in his last start a division of the Stanley Dancer at the Meadowlands, by making a break as the favourite. Trainer/driver Åke Svanstedt will be looking to get the fast colt back on course.
The Father Patrick gelding Amigo Volo, who set four world records while winning $610,546 at two, will be the other principal focus of interest on Sunday. Amigo Volo will start from Post 5 in Race 10 for driver Dexter Dunn and trainer Nifty Norman. Amigo Volo won an All-Stars race at Pocono on July 11 in 1:54, but last week he set the pace in his Dancer division, then tired to finish fourth, though beaten only three lengths.
(With files from PHHA / Pocono)