Trainers of some quality three-year-old colt trotters will have an idea about the future route of their charges – the Grand Circuit, state-bred competition, or ‘back to the drawing board’ – after they contest three $30,000 divisions of a Pennsylvania All-Stars stop at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono Saturday evening (July 6).
In the first division (Race 3), the Muscle Hill gelding Goes Down Smooth has been established as the early favourite from Post 2 for trainer Ron Burke and driver Matt Kakaley. The winner of the Walner series final at the Meadowlands Racetrack and a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes at the Meadows, Goes Down Smooth qualified for the Beal final at Pocono last Saturday, but was far behind early and then suffered interference. He and his connections will be hoping for better racing luck here in the field of six.
The Åke Svanstedt stable, which masterminded the upset of the heralded Greenshoe in the Beal final with Marseille, will send out Night Hall as the second choice from Post 4. Eric Carlson will guide the Muscle Hill colt that shows a second and a third in Pennsylvania stakes competition.
In the second division (Race 5), the Explosive Matter gelding Explosivebreakaway, a full brother to the top mare Phaetosive, will start from the rail for trainer Fred Grant and driver Tom Jackson. The lightly-raced colt that is based locally has recorded six wins from ten lifetime starts, including a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes win over the track and a solid victory in an overnight race at Pocono last week.
The Cantab Hall colt Lindys Crazy Hall has recorded two wins from three starts in 2019, including a Stallion Series victory. He may be coming on strongly seeing that he will start from Post 3 for trainer Domenico Cecere and driver Drew Monti.
In the third division (Race 10), the Muscle Hill gelding Final Claim will look to rebound from the rail for the Burke/Kakaley team. Final Claim was undefeated in three seasonal starts prior to the Walner final, where he made a break, and following a layoff after that race, he did well after a hard trip in his comeback attempt.
Rock My Muscles and Chiplosive both have Stallion Series victories to their credit, but in this division they have had the misfortune to draw the outside posts (six and seven, respectively).
The first of 14 races on Pocono’s Saturday night card will head to post at 7 p.m.
(PHHA / Pocono)