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WILKES-BARRE PA – Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania held its first qualifying session of the 2026 season on Monday. Despite 15-degree temperatures, several horses and horsemen evinced sharp form that should serve them well in the early part of the Pocono campaign, which starts this Saturday (February 14) at 1 p.m.
Fastest mile of the chilly qualifiers was the 1:54 clocking turned in by the Sunfire Blue Chip gelding Sun Of A Show, who went wire-to-wire and snapped home in :27.2 to withstand pocketsitter Captain Moore A by a half-length for trainer Tee Wine and Wine Stable. Sun Of A Show was driven by Rising Star Award winner Braxten Boyd, who was the only winning sulkysmith on the card not wearing some variation of red and white driving colors.
Trainer Scott Blackler, who conditions Captain Moore A, had two other high-powered pacers win for him and owner Chad Kowal. One was Catalpa Rescue A, an American Ideal gelding who had a hard-two-move trip yet still prevailed for driver Jason Bartlett, last year’s local UDR champion, in 1:55.2 after closing in :27.1; the other was the Captaintreacherous gelding Heza Charttopper A, who went wire-to-wire in 1:56, with back numbers of :56.3 – :28, for driver Colin Kelly.
Also garnering a training double was Darren Taneyhill, whose winning pair were both guided by Matt Kalaley: Jojo’s Place (1:56.3) and Santafe’s Coach (1:57.4). The latter won a Hempt elimination here in 2017 and is still going strong as a 12-year-old.
The other driving doubler was Ridge Warren, who won with two trotters: Kinnder Thinktwice, who was a very good 1:56.1 – :28.3 winner despite the chill, and Midnight Dreams (2:00.2).
Another set of ten qualifiers will be conducted Tuesday with an 11 a.m. post, with horses entered from all parts of the class spectrum. One interesting newcomer is Liberty’s Wildcard, who went 12 for 13 in the Maine Sire Stakes sophomore male trotter ranks last year, including a win in the $100,876 Championship at Bangor.
Tuesday will also be draw day for Saturday’s first card of the 2026 pari-mutuel season at Pocono (box closes 9 a.m.). Among the features on Saturday will be the first of three preliminary rounds in the popular Game Of Claims Series for pacers base-tagged for $25,000, as the entrants will try to earn spots in the $35,000 series Championship on Saturday, March 7. Pocono will also race on Monday the 16th and Tuesday the 17th at 1 p.m.; this three-day-a-week schedule will be in effect for virtually all of the racing year, joined by nine consecutive 5 p.m. Sunday cards starting May 31.
For complete race results, click here: US Trotting results.
From the PHHA / Pocono Downs
