Apr 25, 2023 | Entertainment, Food & Beverage, Gaming, General News, Racing, Sports
On Saturday, May 6th, Kentucky Derby enthusiasts can enjoy live music, food trucks, mint juleps, a Hat Revue contest and plenty more!
WILKES-BARRE, PA (April 25, 2023)– The Kentucky Derby Celebration is back at Mohegan Pennsylvania! This much anticipated annual party gets started at 2:00pm on Saturday, May 6th when outdoor beverage windows and food trucks open. Registration for the Hat Revue starts at 4:00pm, and guests will compete for up to $500 in Mohegan Pennsylvania gift cards. The Kentucky Derby celebration at Mohegan Pennsylvania is free for all fans age 21+ to enjoy.
Outdoor beverage windows at the Kentucky Derby Celebration will offer mint juleps, Coors Light, Blue Moon, and a variety of seltzers, spirits and non-alcoholic beverages. Two of Pennsylvania’s best food trucks, Ray’s Porketta and Jitty Joe’s Homemade Ice Cream, will be stationed outside for the celebration. There will be live music by The JOB and Light up the Moon starting at 2:00pm. Guests can also participate in the NEPA Cornhole Tournaments throughout the afternoon on the track infield.
It’s contest time! Guests can bring their greatest Churchill Downs inspired hats for a chance to win great prizes. Registration for the Hat Revue will be from 4:00pm – 6:00pm, and there are three different prizes that guests can win. The top prize includes a $500 Mohegan Pennsylvania gift card that will be awarded to the Best Dressed Couple. The other two categories are Most Classic and Most Creative, each awarding a $250 Mohegan Pennsylvania gift card. Mohegan Pennsylvania gift cards can be redeemed towards an overnight stay, tantalizing dining choices and incredible shopping selections across the property.
At approximately 6:57pm, the Kentucky Derby will begin, televised on the outdoor jumbo screen and indoor racing TV’s. Mohegan Pennsylvania will also be accepting advance wagers for the Kentucky Derby on Friday, May 5th. There will be no live harness racing meets scheduled for May 6th but simulcast wagering will be available for all tracks with live meets including Churchill Downs throughout the day. All guests must be 18 years or older to place wagers at the indoor simulcast location.
For more details on this event, visit: Kentucky Derby Celebration at Mohegan Pennsylvania
ABOUT MOHEGAN PENNSYLVANIA
Mohegan Pennsylvania, owned by Mohegan, was the first destination to bring gaming to Pennsylvania in 2006 and since then has become one of the premier entertainment, gaming, shopping, and dining destinations in the state. Situated on 400 acres in Plains, Pennsylvania, Mohegan Pennsylvania features a 237-room hotel with on-site spa and adjacent 20,000 square-foot Convention Center. It is currently home to 67,000 square feet of gaming space including nearly 60 live table games, more than 1,700 slot machines and electronic table games, a variety of dining and shopping options, nightlife, entertainment and live harness racing. Mohegan Pennsylvania is within easy access of New York, Philadelphia, New Jersey, and Delaware. More information is available by calling 1.888.WIN.IN.PA (1.888.946.4672) or visiting MoheganPA.com Connect with us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram, download our app and view us on YouTube.
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May 3, 2022 | Entertainment, Food & Beverage, Gaming, General News, Sports
On Saturday, May 7th, Kentucky Derby enthusiasts and live racing fans can enjoy food trucks, Mint Juleps, Beer specials, a Hat Revue contest and plenty more!
Returning for the first time since 2019 will be the Kentucky
Derby Celebration at the Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono (MSP). While the Downs will be open for racing wagers (18 or older) beginning at 10:00am, this much anticipated party really gets started at Noon when outdoor beverage windows and food trucks open. Also beginning at Noon is registration for a Hat Revue where participants will compete to take home great prizes under the categories “Most Classic”, “Most Creative”, and “Best Dressed Couple.” WNEP TV’s Ryan Leckey will be on-hand as the special guest judge for this contest! Live racing at the racetrack begins at 1:30pm. This Kentucky Derby Celebration at MSP does not have an admission fee.
Outdoor beverage windows at Mohegan Sun Pocono’s Kentucky Derby Celebration will offer Mint Juleps, Coors Light, Blue Moon, White Claw, spirits, various mixed drinks and non-alcoholic beverages. And three of PA’s best food trucks, Eat Up Now, Hot Potatoes and 2 Wayz One Passion, will be stationed outside for the celebration.
Guests can also bring their greatest Churchill Downs inspired hats for a chance to win great prizes. Registration for the Hat Revue will be from Noon – 4:30pm, and there are three different prizes that guests can win. With WNEP-TV’s Ryan Leckey serving as the special guest judge, a top prize the includes a $500.00 Mohegan Sun Pocono gift card along with a $200.00 racing voucher will be awarded to the Best Dressed Couple. The other two categories are Most Classic and Most Creative, each awarding a $250.00 gift card and a $100.00 racing voucher.
Ryan Leckey is an Emmy-award-winning content creator and one of the most well-known TV personalities in Pennsylvania. Leckey hosts “Leckey Live,” every weekday on WNEP-TV, where he has been since 2005. In addition to keeping audiences engaged and updated on social media as well, Leckey also heads up “Ryan’s Run,” a charity campaign benefitting children and adults with disabilities at Allied Services Integrated Health System.
At 6:57pm, the Kentucky Derby will begin, televised on the outdoor jumbo screen and indoor racing TV’s. Mohegan Sun Pocono will also be accepting advance wagers for the Kentucky Derby on Friday, May 6th.
The first ever Kentucky Derby took place in 1875, making it the longest running sporting event in the United States. Also known as “The Run for the Roses”, the popular race features 3-year-old racehorses and has had some incredible moments in its storied history. One of those moments came in 2018, when the Kentucky Derby hosted the first leg of the most recent Triple Crown winner, Justify. The Triple Crown is one of the hardest feats in all of sports, requiring the same horse to win the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes in the same season. It has only been accomplished 13 times.
For more details on this event, visit: Kentucky Derby Celebration at the Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono
ABOUT MOHEGAN SUN POCONO
Mohegan Sun Pocono, owned by Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment, was the first destination to bring gaming to Pennsylvania in 2006 and since then has become one of the premier entertainment, gaming, shopping, and dining destinations in the state. Situated on 400 acres in Plains, Pennsylvania, Mohegan Sun Pocono features a 238-room hotel with on-site spa and adjacent 20,000 square-foot Convention Center. It is currently home to 82,000 square feet of gaming space including nearly 60 live table games, over 1900 slot machines and electronic table games, a variety of dining and shopping options, nightlife, entertainment and live harness racing. Mohegan Sun Pocono is within easy access of New York, Philadelphia, New Jersey, and Delaware. More information is available by calling 1.888.WIN.IN.PA (1.888.946.4672) or visiting our website. Connect with us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram, download our app and view us on YouTube.
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May 8, 2019 | Racing
May 4-10, 2019
With the Kentucky Derby taking place this past Saturday and our traditional double-header of racing on that day, The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono hosted five cards of live harness racing instead of the usual four for the week. As if choosing for the Weekly Awards wasn’t difficult enough, there are many more possibilities this time around because of the extra races. Let’s take a look at who garners the honors for this busy week of harness racing action.
PACER OF THE WEEK: HIGHALATOR
On Saturday night, Pocono hosted its first big stakes race of the season with the Van Rose Invitational Pace for a purse of $50,000. It was also the first race at Pocono in the Great Northeast Open series, which inaugurated last year to much acclaim and will culminate with big-money finals at the end of the summer. Saturday night’s race looked on paper like it would belong to Western Fame, who was coming off a convincing victory in the $500,000 final of the Levy series at Yonkers.
But the field was full of top aged pacers, including Highalator, a standout five-year-old stallion from the Jenny Bier barn who always seems to rise to the occasion when he appears at Pocono. He left from the #2 post in a field of nine as the 2-1 second choice, while Western Fame left from the #7 spot at 3-5. Western Fame grabbed the engine while Highalator, with Richard Still in the bike, found the pocket seat early.
The key to the race may have been how Western Fame was hounded by long shot The Wall and his first-over bid. In the stretch, the favorite couldn’t summon enough to hold off the pursuit. Highalator, on the other hand, began to erupt as soon as the passing lane opened up. He flew home just a neck in front of Bettor Memories, who came out three-wide at the end of the mile with a lot of pace. Highalator paced the mile in 1:49:4 for yet another signature win on the Pocono oval.
Other top pacers for the week included: Always At My Place (Anthony Napolitano, Ron Burke), who scored a condition victory on Saturday night in 1:49:1, which is the fastest pacing time of the year to date at Pocono; Dancin Hill (Tyler Buter, Gareth Dowse), who won his third straight race, the last two at Pocono, when he beat a claiming handicap group on Saturday night in a career-best 1:50:4; and Nine Ways (George Napolitano Jr., Antonia Storer), who moved up the condition ladder for his second straight victory on Saturday night, getting it done in a career-best 1:50:1.
TROTTER OF THE WEEK: TWO AM
With the exception of a break of stride on April 14, this five-year-old gelding from the Todd Buter barn has been a consistent threat at Pocono in the 2019 meet. He has hit the board in three of four races here, peaking with a condition victory in a $21,500 featured condition trot on April 21 in 1:53:2. He returned to action in the $17,500 condition feature on Sunday night following a 6th place finish at the Meadowlands in his previous start.
Leaving from post position #2 in a field of eight, Two AM, who went off as the 1-2 favorite, sat back and let others battle for the early lead on the sloppy track. After some jockeying for position, Truemass Volo grabbed the engine, while Two AM idled in fifth in the early portion of the race. But driver Tyler Buter didn’t allow him to sit there for very long, sending him in motion first-over as the field headed into the clubhouse turn.
Buter didn’t wait around for cover, urging Two AM to engage Truemass Volo with his first-over move. He corralled the leader around the final turn and then left him, and the rest of the field, behind in the stretch. Despite being parked around two turns, the gelding still was out-trotting everybody in the lane, coming to the line a 3 ¼-length winner over Truemass Volo in 1:54:3, a time which was especially impressive considering the sloppy conditions.
Honorable mention on the trotting side goes to: Tiger’s Too Good (Anthony Napolitano, Pete Pellegrino), whose condition victory on Sunday night in the slop in 1:57 gave him two consecutive victories; Rich And Miserable (Tyler Buter, Todd Buter), who followed up a win at Yonkers with a condition win at Pocono on Sunday night in the slop in 1:56:2; and Karets (George Napolitano Jr., James Cosenza), who powered to a condition win on Monday in 1:53:4, the fastest trotting time posted this week at Pocono.
LONG SHOT OF THE WEEK: SHADY CITY
A flying rally in the passing lane gave this condition pacer driven by Larry Stalbaum a victory on Saturday night at 24-1, good for a $51.40 payout on a $2 win ticket.
DRIVER OF THE WEEK: ANTHONY NAPOLITANO
A-Nap certainly enjoyed the double-header schedule on Saturday, as he picked up four driving victories in both the afternoon and evening cards.
TRAINER OF THE WEEK: TODD BUTER
The Buter barn seems to have an endless supply of excellent trotters of all ages, as evidenced by Todd’s wins with Two AM and Rich And Miserable on Sunday night.
That will do it for this week, but we’ll see you at the track. Feel free to e-mail me at [email protected].
Feb 5, 2019 | Racing
The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono is pleased to announce their 2019 racing season schedule. The track in Northeast PA is looking forward to another tremendous season of racing.
Opening night has been set for Saturday, March 16, and there will be a limited schedule in the month of March, with racing on Tuesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Starting in April, the track will move to the full schedule of four days a week. Post Time for Saturdays and Sundays throughout the season, with some exceptions, will be 7:00pm, and Mondays and Tuesdays will have a 4:00pm post. During the months of March and April, fans will receive a free live racing program on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Opening night will also be 50/50 night. Racing fans receive $100 in live racing vouchers for $50. The very popular promotion will start with a line for wristbands at 4:00pm, and all fans receiving the wristbands at 5:00pm will receive this offer, while supplies last.
Stakes action kicks off on opening night with the Secretary’s Series for 4 and older, and the finals for the series starts Sunday, April 19th. In addition, the Bobby Weiss Series returns Monday, April 1st, and continues throughout the spring. Finals for the Bobby Weiss begin on Monday, April 29th. Other stakes action in the spring and summer includes the PA All-Stars beginning on Saturday, May 11th; the PA Stallion Series starting May 19th; and the PA Sire Stakes kicking off on May 19th as well.
The prestigious $2 million Sun Stakes Saturday is June 29th, featuring the $500,000 Earl Beal Jr. Memorial Trot; $500,000 Ben Franklin Free For All Pace; 500,000 Max Hempt Memorial Pace; and the $300,000 James Lynch Memorial Pace. Eliminations will take place on Saturday, June 22nd.
A double-header of live racing is once again planned for Kentucky Derby day, Saturday, May 4th, with a first post of 11:00am and the second card approximately 7:30pm. Racing follows the Preakness Stakes on May 18th and Belmont Stakes on June 8th, and will also be an approximate Post Time of 7:30pm.
Qualifying dates have been set for Tuesday, March 5th and Thursday, March 7th, and then every Wednesday thereafter for the remainder of the season.
The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono is extremely excited to welcome all horsemen and fans back for another season!
May 2, 2018 | Racing
April 28-May 1, 2018
Next week in this space, we will be profiling all the happenings from our Kentucky Derby evening card, which is filled up with all four finals of the Bobby Weiss late closer series and two divisions of the Van Rose Memorial pace featuring some of the finest aged pacers in the world and kicking off the Great Northeast Open series, which will continue throughout the spring and summer at Harrah’s at Philadelphia as well as at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono. Here now are the finest performances of the past week at Pocono, highlighted in our Weekly Awards.
PACER OF THE WEEK: STRAWB’S CHIPPIE
Every once in a while, a horse will ship into Pocono with a gaudy record at other tracks and be unable to match that level of success once it reaches the top levels of competition here. Strawb’s Chippie initially looked like she might fall into category. The seven-year-old mare had amassed wins in four of her first five starts on the New York harness circuit to begin 2018. But her first two starts at Pocono in this meet were less distinguished, as she came away with a second and a sixth in two races against the $15,000 to $20,000 claiming handicap pacing mares.
The tide started to turn for Strawb’s Chippie when she joined the Rene Allard barn on April 16. She located her front-pacing stride that had garnered her so much success in New York and ripped off back-to-back wins while leading at every pole with winning times of 1:56.1 in the slop and 1:52.3, the latter a career-best. She joined the Hunter Oakes barn following a claim and took on the same grouping on Monday night from an outside #8 post as a 4-5 betting favorite.
Even though the barn changed, the strategy didn’t for the mare. Driver George Napoitano Jr. cut her loose early to reach the early lead and she played keep-away from there. Despite a solid challenge from Warrawee Qually in the lane, Strawb’s Chippie once again proved her toughness with the lead and came home a half-length winner, this time in 1:52.4. With her third straight victory, those early Pocono struggles now seem like a distant memory.
Other top pacers this week include: Drunken Terror (Anthony Napolitano, Marta Piotrow), who scored his second consecutive claiming handicap win on Saturday night, this one in 1:51.2; We Think Alike (George Napolitano Jr., Brandon Todd), who moved up in class to win a condition pace on Saturday night in 1:52.4, his second straight victory; and Make A Statement A (Anthony Napolitano, Jody Riedel), whose condition win on Tuesday night came in 1:50.4, a new career-mark and tied for fastest pacing time of the week at Pocono.
TROTTER OF THE WEEK: GOLDEN SON
In Sunday’s $17,500 featured condition trot, a showdown was looming between Golden Son and Upfront Billy. The former, a five-year-old gelding from the Jenny Melander barn, was coming off a sharp victory at Harrah’s and returning to a class at Pocono where he had a near-miss second on March 24. The latter, a nine-year-old gelding trained by Mark Ford, is the defending Trotter of the Year at Pocono and has already scored two wins in this meet, including a victory in his previous race in 1:52.2, fastest trotting time at Pocono in 2018 so far.
Golden Son, the 2-1 second choice, left from the inside post in a field of nine as a 2-1 second choice. Upfront Billy, the 6-5 favorite, left from the #3 post. It was Upfront Billy who grabbed the early lead, a change in tactics from his earlier victory, when he sat the pocket behind a hot pace. With Upfront Billy doing the work, driver Jim Morrill Jr. was all right with letting Golden Son sit the pocket, knowing he’d likely have a shot at the leader late if he could stay close.
Of course, that meant he would have to outtrot Upfront Billy, who is known for being extremely game late in the race. But when Morrill tipped Golden Son out of the pocket to take dead aim, the gelding responded with powerful late kick, just enough to corral Upfront Billy at the line by a nose in 1:54.1. That gives him two wins in a row, and anytime you can beat the Trotter of the Year at the top of his game, it’s quite an accomplishment.
Honorable mention on the trotting side goes to: Such An Angel (George Napolitano Jr., Hunter Oakes), who overwhelmed a condition group on Monday night to win in 1:53.1, the fastest trotting time of the week at Pocono; Elysium Lindy (Anthony Napolitano, Ron Burke), who shipped in from The Meadowlands to pick up a condition win on Saturday night in 1:55.1; and Chelsees A Winner (George Napolitano Jr., Christie Collins), a mare who moved up in class on Tuesday night to win her second straight condition since arriving from Ohio, this one coming in a career-best 1:55:4.
LONG SHOT OF THE WEEK: MR HAM SANDWICH
Despite having won his last start, this pacer driven by Eric Carlson went off at 43-1 in a condition on Saturday night, a race he promptly won to pay off $88 on a $2 win ticket.
DRIVER OF THE WEEK: PAT BERRY
Berry always seems to give bettors great value for his wins, as he proved Saturday night by posting a double with horses who went off at 7-1 (A Real Miracle) and 9-2 (Jimmy C R).
TROTTER OF THE WEEK: BRANDON TODD
Todd is making the most of his opportunities at Pocono, as was evidenced on Saturday night when he won with two of the three starters he sent out to race.
That will do it for this week, but we’ll see you at the track. Feel free to e-mail me at [email protected].
