WILKES-BARRE, PA – Last Sunday The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono got to showcase the early season's precocious freshman pacing colts in Pennsylvania All-Stars action, with many impressive winners looking like stars of the near future.
On Monday, the two-year-old colt trotters will have the same opportunity, going in six $30,000 divisions of their All-Stars event. Most of the top stables all have multiple candidates for stakes glory: trainer Marcus Melander has four entrants, while barns with three starters include those of Chris Beaver, Ron Burke, and Erv Miller.
The two season's leaders on 5/8-mile tracks at 1:57 are in consecutive races. One is Heavensdor Hanover, who in race three will start from four for trainer Wayne Givens and driver Victor Kirby; he recorded his 1:57 in a Pocono baby event on the engine, with a 57 last half. "Hevanesdor" will find a tough opponent to his immediate left in Fashion Possessed (trainer Jim Campbell and driver David Miller), undefeated in two early races.
The other 1:57f performer has the inappropriate name of Klutzy (post three, trainer Julie Miller, driver Andy Miller), who achieved his mark in a pari-mutuel contest at Philly. From the rail in this heat is Green Manalishi S (post one, trainer Marcus Melander, driver Brian Sears), who already has victories in 1:57 then 1:56.3 in Meadowlands freshman a.m. outings.
The fastest two-year-old trotting colt overall is Don't Let'em, going from post three in the tenth race for trainer Jimmy Takter and driver Yannick Gingras, He posted a 1:55 clocking in his very first charted line, an M(1) baby contest, and since has come back to tally in a purse race in 1:55.1 – 27. He'll face three other opponents who already have been twice first.
The six divisions, which feature eleven freshmen who already show a winning line better than 2:00, will be races one through five and race ten on the Monday card, which starts at 7 p.m.
From the PHHA/Pocono Downs