Two-year-olds make qualifying debuts at Pocono

WILKES-BARRE PA – The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono hosted two-year-olds for the first time in 2022 on Wednesday morning, with four groups of babies facing the gate in a competitive harness racing situation for the first time. Four fillies emerged victorious.

The father/son team of trainer Erv Miller and driver Marcus Miller sent out both of the pacing winners. The quicker was the American Ideal filly Ideal Cover, whose dam Always Covers has a pair of $500G winners, Pleasure Chest and Mind Boggling, high-up in her pedigree. Marcus sent the baby filly to the lead past the :30.4 quarter, passed the half in 1:01.3 then stepped home in :57.4 – :28.2 in stopping the timer in 1:59.2, 2¾ lengths ahead of YS Sensationalcity. The winner is owned by Ervin Miller Stable Inc., Bowie Racing LLC, and Louis Willinger.

The Millers exhibited another sharp one in Beantown Babe, a daughter of Boston Red Rocks out of Logan’s Girl, a winner of $277G. Beantown Babe was also a coast-to-coast winner, putting up early splits of :31.1 and 1:03 before dashing home in :57.3 – :28.3 to complete her 2:00.3 mile twelve lengths ahead for Bowie Racing LLC.

The International Moni filly Tipsy Moni, out of the $580,000-winning Seaside, made every pole a winning one, trotting in fractions of :30.4, 1:02.1, 1:31.4, and a final clocking of 2:02, holding off I’m Amused by three-quarters of a length for owner/trainer/driver D. R. Ackerman.

The other trot completed a siring double for International Moni, as Quarantina (dam Cantab Cabela) sat in the pocket behind numbers of :30.3, 1:02.3, and 1:33.2, then moved on the far turn and drew off by 3¼ lengths over To My Credit in 2:02.3. Trainer/driver Todd Schadel co-owns the winner with his wife Christine.

Replays of the qualifying races will be available at the PHHA website, www.phha.org.

From the PHHA / The Downs