Week in review for Pocono Downs

This was a particularly fun week of harness racing at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono because each of the four nights hosted either the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes or the Stallion Series.

Since we had that unique phenomenon occur, I thought I'd give the Weekly Awards a break and simply focus on the races that went down in those two unique series.

For those who are unaware, the Sire Stakes pit the best 2 and 3-year-olds in the state of Pennsylvania against each other through the spring and summer months with big stakes on the line, eventually wrapping up in finals which carry purses in the six figures.

The Stallion Series also feature the freshmen and sophomores of the racing world, and although the horses that compete here are usually a notch below the Sire Stakes competitors and the purses are a bit lower, the winnings a horse can accumulate through the preliminary legs and the finals can be quite substantial.

This week we got a look at the cream of the crop of three-year-old trotters of both the male and female gender. Here are some of the highlights:

3-YEAR-OLD COLTS AND GELDINGS SIRE STAKES TROT (Saturday night)

The sport of harness racing's most prestigious race is the Hambletonian, and the way it appears now, we at Pocono witnessed the favorite for that race on Saturday night.

Pinkman, from the barn of Jimmy Takter, won the 2-year-old Breeders Crown championship to end 2014 and started his 3-year-old campaign off with back-to-back dominant Sire Stakes wins.

He didn't disappoint at Pocono on Saturday night, handling a tough field on the front end in a rapid 1:53 with Brett Miller in the bike.

Oddly enough, the horse that could challenge Pinkman for 3-year-old honors is his stablemate Uncle Lasse, who cruised to his third straight Sire Stakes win in 1:52:2, the fastest time of the three divisions held on Saturday night.

Brett Miller once again drove for Takter.

The lone close Sire Stakes battle came when Wicker Hanover, with Andrew McCarthy in the bike for Noel Daley, won a wild stretch battle by a nose over Walter White in 1:53 for his second straight Sire Stakes win.

3-YEAR-OLD COLTS AND GELDINGS STALLION SERIES TROT (Sunday night)

Just as the Sire Stakes held form, the Stallion Series races the following night blew that form up.

Not one of the favorites in the five divisions came home a winner, as several broke stride early to end their chances.

Give credit to those horses who came up big while the favorites faltered, such as Pierre and Colbert, who each picked up their maiden victories, and Paging Doctorlindy, who was racing for just the third time in his career.

Mesmerized posted the night's fastest time in the Stallion Series with a seven-length romp in 1:53:4.

Joe Pavia Jr. did the driving for trainer Frank Antonacci, who later scored a second win with Paging Doctorlindy.

Meanwhile it was an up-and-down night for trainer/driver Ake Svanstedt.

He had two heavy favorites come up empty, but got a boost when Colbert knocked off odds-on favorite Hurrikane Jonny K in his split.

3-YEAR-OLD FILLIES STALLION SERIES TROT (Tuesday night)

Once again it was a Jimmy Takter trainee who stole the spotlight.

Lilu Hanover, a filly who's had problems staying flat in the past, shook all that off in her division.

With Takter doing the driving as well, she rolled to a four-length win and posted Tuesday night's fastest Stallion Series time of 1:54:1 in the process.

Favorites Seduce A Stranger and Manhattan Miss also delivered on their odds-on promise to win splits.

There were some mild surprises though.

Wouldn't Itbesweet, with McCarthy aboard for trainer Jenny Melander, knocked off favorite Fashion Voyager in a fierce stretch duel.

And Sistas, a 9-2 shot just joining the Chris Oakes barn, uncorked a late move from the pocket with George Napolitano driving to upend 3-5 Takter trainee Speak To Me in the night's biggest upset.

3-YEAR-OLD FILLIES SIRE STAKES TROT (Wednesday night)

It looked for all the world like we were headed to a Jimmy Takter sweep of the three Sire Stakes divisions on Wednesday night.

First Smexi, with Corey Callahan in the bike, overcame a #9 post to win her split as a 3-5 shot in 1:53:3.

Then Sarcy, benefitting from the late scratch of likely favorite Livininthefastlane, controlled matters on the front end with Yannick Gingras driving to win her division in 1:53:1.

In the night's final division, Wild Honey, another Takter horse and winner of 11 of 13 lifetime starts, was a 1-9 favorite and appeared to be on her way to victory on the front end.

But Smokinmombo, trained by Chris Beaver, pounced from the pocket late and outfinished the heavy favorite to win by a nose in 1:53:4, providing a thrilling exclamation point for this exciting collection of stakes races.

That will do it for this week, but we'll see you at the track. Feel free to e-mail me at jbeviglia@mohegansunpocono.com.

Jim Beviglia,