One After Nine stays perfect in Winter Is Coming series

WILKES-BARRE PA – Why were Tuesday’s feature races at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania named the Winter Is Coming Trotting Series? Well, the day’s races at the mountain oval began at 30 degrees and had stiff winds, the mercury got all the way up to the freezing mark during the length of the afternoon, and there were snow flurries at times. The track variant was rated “+2” the entire day.

Nonetheless, there was excellent trotting action spotlighted on the harness racing program, with the second and final preliminary round of the Winter Is Coming Series split into two $12,500 divisions. Establishing himself as a strong contender for next Tuesday’s $20,000 series Championship was the Andover Hall gelding One After Nine, who was the only horse to win both of his prelims, here in 1:56.4 on the front end by 2½ lengths over another winner from last week, Tuis Angel. Jim Pantaleano guided the successful trotter (he’s now won, in addition to two straight, three of his last five) for trainer Bucky Angle and owners Howard and Joshua Kauffman.

ONE AFTER NINE REPLAY

The other “WIC” Series winner Tuesday was Sainthood, who appeared to need a miracle racing on the far turn after being rimmed the whole way, uncovered from past the three-eighths, but the altered son of International Moni was very brave and continued on to a 1:57 victory, 1½ lengths ahead of Doc Nixon, who was last at the three-quarters and passed many horses late while out wide. Sainthood, second in the first leg, will also have his backers in the Championship after this tenacious victory for driver Simon Allard, trainer Joe Pavia Jr., and Bay Pond Racing Stable.

The top purse of the day, $15,500, offered for horses looking to climb the classladder, went to the  pacesetting Cantab Hall gelding Soncando in 1:58.1 for trainer David Hoover and owner Jaypaul Hanover after entering the race with a 22-0-7-6 seasonal scorecard. Soncando was driven by George Napolitano Jr., who won five times on the day, thrice for trainer Robert Belcher. That’s fifteen wins in six November cards at Pocono, by George!

Racing at Pocono resumes Saturday with a 1 p.m. first post and a carryover into the last race High 5 wager. Cards on Monday, Tuesday, and the following Saturday will ring down the curtain on the 2025 season at Pocono. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

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

From the PHHA / Pocono Downs