May 1, 2017 | Racing
A double header of live harness racing; a hat revue with 6 categories including the “Triple Crown” winning hat; and a Champagne Brunch are all part of the biggest Kentucky Derby party north of Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May at the Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono!
Doors open Saturday, May 6th at 10:00AM and the tellers open at the same time, with Churchill Downs Post of 10:30AM. Post for the first of the double-header of live harness racing card is 11:00a.m., and a patio bar will be open just for those early birds! Pacer’s Clubhouse will host a Champagne Brunch like no other starting at 11:00 a.m., featuring delectable Southern delicacies and Brunch favorites, by reservation only. Call 1-888-WIN-IN-PA. The dinner seating is currently sold out.
Ladies can proudly wear their elaborately decorated Kentucky Derby hats for the Run for the Roses Hat Revue, sponsored by Spa Sapphire, the salon and spa in the casino. All hats must be registered between 2:00 and 5:15 p.m. in the lobby, and the Revue takes place at 5:30 p.m. in front of the Winner’s Circle with cash prizes and Spa Sapphire gift cards. Six categories will be judged, including “Most Colorful” and “Most Horsie”. The “Most Fashionable Couple” will receive dinner for two at Pacer’s Clubhouse. Judges include drivers Simon Allard and Anthony Napolitano, who will definitely be a hit with the crowd of ladies on hand for the festivities!
A photo booth in the lobby will be open at 3:00pm to capture the best moments of the day, with a $1 minimum donation to the Standardbred Retirement Foundation. For those last-minute accessories, or even a hat or Fascinator, ladies are invited to stop by the Sapphire Boutique in the lobby, featuring a fabulous array of colorful hats and more!
The Trackside Concession bars and the Party Tent open at 2:00PM, and of course, Mint Juleps will be available all day in the official Kentucky Derby 143 souvenir glasses!
Following Kentucky Derby 143 on the jumbo screen, fans can stay and enjoy another exciting live card under the stars.
As always, parking and admission is free, and free valet parking is available on the casino level.
The Downs will open for advance wagering on Friday, May 5th at 10:00AM.
Jan 20, 2017 | Racing
The 2017 schedule for the Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono includes four consecutive nights of racing, and a double-header on Kentucky Derby day, according to Vice President of Racing, Dale Rapson. A total of 134 race nights and 135 cards are planned for the new season.
Racing opens at the renowned 5/8 mile oval in Wilkes Barre, PA on Saturday, March 18th, with limited days of racing in March, including Tuesday, March 21st; Saturday, March 25th, and Tuesday, March 28th.
In April, racing moves to Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Saturday, with Sunday, April 2nd the 1st leg of the Bobby Weiss Late Closing Series for 3 and 4 year olds, named for the beloved former Director of Track Maintenance. Bobby retired in 2011, and was responsible for the record-breaking track surface that is maintained today. The series continues throughout April with the finals on May 2nd and 9th. There will be no live racing on Monday, April 3rd or Sunday, April 16th.
The prestigious $2 million Sun Stakes Saturday is set for Saturday, July 1st, and will feature the Earl Beal, Jr. Memorial 3-year-old Trot; the James Lynch 3-year-old Filly Pace; the Max Hempt 3-year-old Colt & Gelding Pace; and the Ben Franklin Free For All Pace. Eliminations will take place on Saturday, June 24th.
Kentucky Derby day, May 6th, features a double-header with two Pocono live race cards. Post Time for the first card will be at 11 a.m., and the second will be immediately following the 143rd running of the Derby. The $50,000 Van Rose Memorial Pace for 4 YO & up will take place on the night card, honoring the late well-known local sportswriter, who was a fixture covering Pocono throughout the years. In between, there will be the Run for the Roses Hat Review and a huge party on the track apron. Live racing will immediately follow the second and third legs of the Triple Crown, the Preakness and Belmont Stakes.
Monday, September 4th will be the PA Sire Stakes Championship Finals for the 2YO future superstars with estimated purses of $260,000. Also on the stakes schedule are the PA All-Stars for 2 & 3YO in July: and the 3YO PA Stallion Series and PA Sire Stakes starting in May.
Post Time for Sunday nights is 7:30p.m., with all other nights 6:30p.m. In September, October, and November, Monday night Post Time will switch to a 4:30p.m. Post. The 52nd season of live racing concludes on Saturday, November 25th.
***Stall applications are now being taken for the 2017 season by calling Luann Reynolds at 570-831-2125. Special reduced rates are being offered for the new season.
Apr 25, 2016 | Racing
A double header of live harness racing, including 2 prestigious races for 3-year-olds; a hat revue; and a Champagne Brunch are all part of the biggest Kentucky Derby party north of Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May!
Doors open Saturday at 9:30am, with the first of the live harness racing card Post Time at 11:00a.m., and a patio bar open just for those early birds! Pacer’s Clubhouse will host a Champagne Brunch like no other starting at 11:00 a.m., featuring delectable items such as Seared Tenderloin Medallions with Crab Cake Asparagus dressed with Bearnaise; Deep fried turkey with Red Eye Gravy & Spaghetti Squash; Vanilla Bourbon sweet mashed potatoes; and desserts such as chocolate pecan pie and minted cream pie! Reservations are still being accepted at 570-831-2100. The dinner seating is currently sold out.
Ladies can proudly wear their elaborately decorated Kentucky Derby hats for the Run for the Roses Hat Revue, sponsored by Spa Sapphire, the salon and spa in the casino. All hats must be registered between 3:00 and 5:30 p.m. in the lobby, and the Revue takes place at 5:30 p.m. in front of the Winner’s Circle with cash prizes in different categories and one overall winner called the “Triple Crown Winner”! Spa Sapphire gift cards will also be awarded to runners-up, with a special Couples Spa Package for the Most Fashionable Couple!
A photo booth in the lobby will be open at 3:00pm to capture the best moments of the day, with a $1 minimum donation to the Standardbred Retirement Foundation. Spa Sapphire and Aveda will also be set up to help the ladies look their best with the “Perfect Lip” touch-up, adjacent to the photo booth, and items such as hats, jewelry, and other accessories will be for sale as well.
Make sure you come with an appetite, because there will be food trucks on the apron starting at 2:00p.m., and of course, Mint Juleps will be available all day in the official Kentucky Derby 142 souvenir glasses! A jumbo tent will be set up for the fans to kick back and enjoy the day.
Following Kentucky Derby 142 on the jumbo screen, fans can stay and enjoy another exciting live card, including the Pennsylvania Classic 3-year-old colts & geldings; and the Miss Pennsylvania for 3-year-old fillies.
Advance wagering will be available Friday, May 6th starting at 10:00am, as well as a full simulcast of the prestigious Kentucky Oaks day from Churchill Downs.
Apr 7, 2016 | Racing
Women and horse racing DO go together! Who says you can’t be fashionable while cheering on your favorite horse? The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, along with Spa Sapphire, is presenting their first “Fashion At The Track” night in Pacer’s Clubhouse on Saturday, April 9th. Starting at 7:00p.m., those dining at the restaurant overlooking the historic 5/8 mile track will be treated to table-side fashion shows featuring the latest and hottest in sportswear; jewelry; and even hats and Fascinators, as the Kentucky Derby is just weeks away.
Models from Spa Sapphire will casually walk around Pacer’s, and guests can enjoy the fashions while they dine on Clubhouse specialties such as Chicken Parmagiana; Fish and Chips; Loaded French fries; French Onion Soup; as well as specialty sandwiches; all while watching and wagering on exciting harness racing.
Items will be available for purchase that evening from Spa Sapphire’s display tables.
“Fashion At The Track” continues each Saturday evening in April.
Reservations are required for dining in Pacer’s Clubhouse, and can be secured by calling 1-888-WIN-IN-PA.
Mar 16, 2016 | Racing
2016 Season Preview
Hello again, everyone! It’s wonderful to be back, writing to the Pocono faithful on the eve of another amazing racing season. Once again I’ll be with you in this column every week, giving you the goods on all the finest performances, shocking long shots, and outstanding action taking place at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono in this 2016 campaign.
After about four months away, everyone associated with the track is ready to roll on the new meet. And it feels like it’s a case of carrying over momentum, not just from our special 50th anniversary season of 2015, but also from the past decade or so of racing, during which time Pocono has ascended from just another harness track in a field of many to one of the finest racing establishments in all of North America.
It’s a bit hard for me to believe that this will be my ninth season calling the races at the track. I’ve been writing these columns for more than a decade now as well, so I hope people are used to my big yapper and long-winded bloviating by now. And in 2016 I’ll be adding host of the racing show to my duties from the beginning of the season, which should be a blast. With all of the excellent racing to discuss, and with my good buddies in the TV department propping me up, I might just be able to bluff my way through it.
So what does the 2016 racing season have in store for you? Well, for starters, there are some changes in the schedule. We start things off on Saturday March 19 at our normal starting time of 6:30 ET for Race 1. After a few weeks of easing into things, we settle into our normal four-night-a-week slate in April. The difference is that the four nights in question will be Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, and that’s pretty much the schedule we keep right through to closing night, with a few exceptions.
There are some slight post time differences to note as well. Sunday nights will feature a 7:30 ET post time for Race 1. And come the months of September, October and November, our Monday cards will begin at 4:30 ET for a little afternoon racing. Obviously it’s a lot of information to swallow all at once, but rest assured that we’ll be keeping you up to date all season long as need be.
Our schedule will feature our usual combination of outstanding overnight racing and plentiful stakes action. Concerning the stakes, we’ve added once again to the bounty up for grabs for the harness racing’s finest horses. In addition to Sun Stakes Saturday in July, featuring the Hempt, Lynch, Beal, and Ben Franklin, and Super Stakes Saturday in August, when you’ll see the Battle of Brandywine, the Colonial, and the Valley Forge, we’ve added a couple biggies on the first Saturday in May. As part of a day-night dual card on May 7 that sandwiches the simulcast of the Kentucky Derby, Pocono will be hosting a pair of new stakes races: The $500,000 Pennsylvania Classic for 3-year-old pacers and the $300,000 Miss Pennsylvania for 3-year-old filly pacers.
Don’t forget that we’ll also see a steady diet of Pennsylvania Sire Stakes, Pennsylvania All Stars, and Stallion Series races throughout the season. In other words, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a track anywhere putting that kind of money on the line.
It’s predictable then that all that dough brings out a ton of human talent, in terms of owners, trainers, and drivers, to the Pocono oval to get their share of the loot. Our driving colony is as deep as it comes, but there’s no doubt George Napolitano Jr. will have a target on his back after his record-setting 2015 season. Guys like his brother Anthony Napolitano, Simon Allard, Andrew McCarthy, and many others will be trying to take the top spot away. On the training side, Rene Allard and Chris Oakes will return to defend, respectively, their training wins and training percentage titles against an outstanding group of handlers, some who have barns at Pocono, others who will be shipping in their best equine talent.
There will be lots of promotions and events in store throughout the season as well, and we’ll be keeping you up to date on all of it. But now it’s time for the horses to go to the gate and for our 2016 season to be underway. To all our regular fans, I wish you a profitable wagering season. And to all you newcomers, I guarantee you’ll have a fantastic time at the races. The 2016 season at The Downs at Mohegan Sun is about to begin. See you all at the track.
As always, feel free to e-mail me at [email protected].
