First babies of 2024 shine at Pocono Downs

WILKES-BARRE, PA – Two-year-olds made their first harness racing appearances at an eastern Pennsylvania racetrack this year during a Wednesday morning (May 29) qualifying session at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania.

The team of driver Scott Zeron and trainer Jared Bako won five of the baby events, including a near sweep on the pacing side, while the Todd Schadel barn produced the fastest trotter on each sex.

Zeron/Bako swept the pacing filly contests, the faster with the Huntsville – Code One Hanover miss Cowgirl Hanover, who went wire-to-wire in 1:58.1 – :56.4 – :28 for owner NY Seb Inc. They also came together for a 2:00.3 – :58.1 – :28.4 win by Th Cha Cha Cha, a Dancin Lou – Pasta Blue Chip miss owned by David Kryway.

The fastest clocking of the freshmen session, 1:57.3, was produced by two males from Team Zeron/Bako. Sire Dancin Lou and owner David Kryway again combined behind the gelding Stonebridge Wizard (dam Odds On Magic), who used engine tactics and came home in :57.2 – :28 for the victory. Matching his clocking was the Courtly Choice – Fashion Guru gelding Fast Choice, who came from behind and put in back fractions of :56 – :27.1 to triumph for owners Ashley Bako and Randy Zane.

Also successful was the American Ideal – Mako Wish colt Brayden’s Bandit, moving early and going on to success in 2:00.3 – :28.3 for driver Marcus Miller, trainer Tom Jackson, and owner Peter Scamurra.

Todd Schadel now has a sub-2:00 two-year-old trotter to his seasonal credit after the Bar Hopping – Promisemethis gelding Set The Bar wired his field in 1:59.3 – :58 – :28.3, with driver/trainer Schadel also co-owner with his wife Christine and Rick and Regina Beinhauer. Encomium, an International Moni – Enfilade colt, came home in :29.4 to be successful in his bow in 2:03.1 for driver Braxten Boyd, trainer Mahlon Martin, and LCT Stable.

The quickest of the two filly trot winners was the Cantab Hall – Setntheworldonfire miss Shalamar Hanover, coming out of the pocket to win in 2:04.4 for trainer/driver Schadel, with his wife Christine also co-owning. Team Zeron/Bako saw their Devious Man – Paya La Renta filly Paya La Diva recover from an early miscue, coming her own back fractions in 1:00.2 – :29.2 to stop the timer in 2:05.2; trainer Bako is the co-owner with Carmen Iannacone.

Replays of the baby races are available at www.phha.org.

For complete qualifier results, click here: US Trotting results.

From the PHHA / Pocono Downs