CHALK BLANKED AS FIRST-TIMERS TAKE POCONO STAKES

PHHA / Pocono

Curtis Salonick Photo

WILKES-BARRE PA – The Pennsylvania stakes season for two-year-olds at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania was born on the Third Of July this year, as freshman males who were first-time starters and were not their race’s favorites swept the four $30,000 divisions of a Pennsylvania All-Stars contest.

The fastest winner was also the longest shot of the four, with the Father Patrick – Muscle Babe colt Crown Monarch making a long grinding move uncovered and going on to post an 11-1 victory in 1:57.4. Yannick Gingras was in the sulky for trainer Per Engblom and owners Engblom Stables LLC, Amos Lengacher, and Tomas Andersson.

First-crop sire Greenshoe put together a siring double with the next two quickest winners. Sir Fred Jones (dam Stella Jane), like Crown Monarch, had to make a long uncovered move from back in the pack, but Brian Sears got the colt up in time for a 1:58 win for trainer Marcus Melander and Midnight Sun Partners. The Greenshoe - Majestic Lexi gelding Going Green made an early move to command for driver David Miller and triumphed in 1:58.1 for trainer Jenny Melander (no known relation of Marcus’s) and Melander Racing Inc., Clark Stables LLC, and Noonan Hanover Harness Racing LLC.

Father Patrick got a second siring credit when the colt Reformation (dam Crazy In Lindy) surmounted a hard trip, being shuffled then rallying from sixth almost halfway down the lane for a 1:59.2 triumph for owners Kathy Schoeffel, David Goehle, Stephen Lander, and Maxx Fortune Stable. Driver Brady Brown and trainer Steve Schoeffel, based in western Pennsylvania, had a very good All-Stars day, with this win and a second, starters in all four divisions, and $24,900 in earnings to keep them warm during the ship back west.