The 2025 racing season will get underway on Saturday afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania with 15 races on a card that commences at 1:00 p.m. (EST) and features the popular Game of Claims Series. The Game of Claims offers seven $17,000 divisions for horses with a price tag of $25,000. One of last year's top trainers, Per Engblom returns to Pocono ready for action with two entered in the Game of Claims and three other talented horses from his large New Jersey-based collection. Speedy Dominic A has won two of his four starts since arriving from Ohio last December in the Engblom stable and hopes to get back on winning form in the first Game of Claims division and opening race on the Pocono card. "When he's good he's been very good," said Engblom of the 11-year-old Australian-born son of American Ideal. "Last time out he wasn't good, but I expect him to bounce back." Speedy Dominic A drew post seven on the outside of the first race field and will be dropping in class, having competed with $30,000 claimers in his prior two starts at Yonkers. He's only raced once on a five-eighths mile track for Engblom but had little chance in a race against conditioned company at Harrah's Philadelphia on the last day of 2024. Engblom sends out Madelines Blk Jack (post one) in the second race and second Game of Claims division. "Jeff (Fought) and Brian (Carsey) sent him my way from Ohio," Engblom said. "They've sent some nice horses before. He's trained well and I expect him to race well." Madelines Blk Jack has drawn outside in three of his last four starts and should be closer to the action in his debut for Engblom. Engblom welcomed the opening of Pocono as it finally allowed him some flexibility in getting horses from his large stable raced and placing them in classes where they fit. King Alphonso (post three) is an 8-year-old on the comeback trail that Engblom believes fit the class structure better at Pocono than the Meadowlands this week. King Alphonso will be looking for his second straight win, having won at the non-winners of $7,500 last four level at the Meadowlands on February 1. Saturday's third contest is a non-winners of $9,500 last four, a comfortable fit for the veteran son of Muscle Hill. The field does have some classy types, with Dejerate Hanover (post six), a 10-time winner in 2024, in search of his first victory of the year for the sport's top conditioner Ron Burke. ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter Saturday's featured race at Pocono will be the tenth race with a $25,000 purse for pacers that are winners over $25,000 lifetime. The top class brings a solid collection of eight horses, and Engblom is delighted to have All Class back to the races after being sidelined since last July. "He had an issue with a tendon, so we gave him time to recover," said Engblom of All Class' time away from competitive racing. "He qualified back strongly and I'm expecting some big things from him this year." In just nine starts last year as a 4-year-old, All Class appeared to be ready to tackle the sport's best. Second in the Charles Juravinski in May over the Flamboro Downs half-mile track, All Class was only three-quarters of a length behind Huntinthelastdolar in the 1:50 mile. Now a 5-year-old, All Class makes his season's debut four weeks after a solid second-place finish in a Meadowlands qualifier to Spring Inhis Step A, a horse he will meet again on Saturday. "Ideally I would have liked to get him a race at the Meadowlands, but the races for the higher class horses haven't been filling over there," said Engblom of his decision to enter All Class at Pocono. The five-eighths-mile track shouldn't be an issue for the son of Heston Blue Chip since he raced quite often over the Pocono strip as a sophomore in 2023, competing in the Weiss Series. All Class will face a solid group, with Spring Inhis Step A (post three) and Sport Secret (post five), a pair from the powerful Jeff Cullipher stable, entering the race in razor-sharp condition. Primary Colors wraps up the afternoon program for Engblom-based pacers in the 14th race non-winners of $17,500 last four with a purse of $16,500. "He's another one that I've had difficulty getting in at the Meadowlands," said Engblom. "He prefers the mile track." Primary Colors has won two of his first three starts of 2025 at the Meadowlands and not only moves up in class but also lands post seven in the field. He will be driven by Tyler Buter and is the only one of Engblom's horses on the afternoon without the services of Jason Bartlett. Primary Colors will start directly outside of Rocknroll Runa A, last year's surprise winner in the Sam McKee Memorial. Trainer Larry Stalbaum gave the 8-year-old minimal time off with both Yonkers and Saratoga shuttered but got his stable's star back into action on Monday (February 10) with a solid third-place finish. Adding depth to this field is the $1.7 million winner Backstreet Shadow (post four) for trainer Travis Alexander.