Pocono: American Courage headlines weekly qualifiers

Driver Matt Kakaley and trainer Travis Alexander, the early-season leaders at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, kept up their winning ways during the Wednesday qualifiers at the mountain oval, with Kakaley driving three winners for Alexander and three winners for other trainers to give him six triumphs during his early-day work.

2021 Messenger Pace winner American Courage, a son of American Ideal sent out by Kakaley and Alexander for Fiddler's Creek Stables LLC, was the fastest of the early session winners, putting down fractions of 27 4/5, 57 1/5 and 1:25 4/5 before storming home in 27 2/5 to complete a 1:53 1/5 mile.

The second preliminary rounds of the Game Of Claim Series will be held throughout this coming week's Saturday -- Sunday -- Monday schedule. Of the 46 races during the next three cards at Pocono, 22 of them will be full of the claiming pacers. Only one favorite out of 18 was successful during the opening round action, and if patrons are going to sharpen their handicapping this week during the trio of 1:00 programs, they'll have the added factor of evaluating the 38 claims (for $733,750) that the first Game Of Claims week produced.

Program pages for all Pocono races, in addition to replays of qualifying action, are or will be available at https://www.phha.org/downsmsppps.html.

-edited release (PHHA/Pocono)