Pocono: Mr Penner fastest in PA All-Stars for sophomore male trotters

Several Hambletonian hopefuls took to the track on Monday at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, contesting three $30,000 divisions of the Pennsylvania All-Stars event for 3-year-old trotting males.

The Captain Corey gelding Mr Penner had last competed for a purse 199 days previously, but trainer-driver Ake Svanstedt had him ready to go a 1:52 mile on the hot day, taking the fastest All-Stars division and missing by only two-fifths the 11-year-old divisional track record of Pinkman. Svanstedt raced in the wake of pace-setting favorite Minoan through fractions of 26 4/5, 55 4/5 and 1:23 1/5, then utilized the famed Pocono Pike to get by the leader as the second favorite, easily beating his own mark. Ake Svanstedt Inc. owns the promising trotter with Knutsson Trotting Inc. and Little E LLC.

The 1:52 mile was also the fastest trot of 2026 at Pocono - for 50 minutes. In a $20,000 overnight contest, the Muscle Hill ridgling Southwind Arturo lowered the local seasonal standard to 1:51 4/5, following the cover of Super Duper Cooper and then going by by a half-length while also lowering his lifetime-best for driver Anthony Napolitano, trainer Deborah Daguet, and owner Stephen Klunowski.

Captain Corey picked up a second All-Stars siring credit when the gelding Fineline Yankee kept his 2026 record perfect in four starts, also reducing his speed tab in the process to 1:52 2/5. The second quarter proved the action center in this race, as between the 27 4/5 quarter and the 56 second half no fewer than four different horses had the lead. Fineline Yankee was the last to the top, keeping the lead past a 1:23 2/5 three-quarters and winning by 2 3/4 lengths. Todd McCarthy had sulky duty behind the 1-20 favorite for trainer Ron Coyne Jr. and the partnership of Ron Coyne Stables Inc., Blair Corbeil, Mike McAllister, and Larry + Gregg Stable.

► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter

Highland Destiny handled a step-up from "NW1" to the All-Stars with aplomb and at odds-on, putting down fractions of 27 1/5, 56, and 1:24 1/5 before also stopping the timer in 1:52 2/5, a mark, and also winning by 2 3/4 lengths. The Highland Thoroughbred Farm-owned Greenshoe gelding is now undefeated in three career trips behind the gate, with Scott Zeron handling the driving for trainer Nancy Takter. (And Nancy ties the trotting package together, as her father Jimmy trained Pinkman, whose track record was threatened in Mr Penner's race.)

The Monday pacing highlight was a $27,500 fast-class contest for mares, which was taken by the Captaintreacherous mare Rodeo Drive Deo in her first purse race of the year. "RDD" moved to the lead after the 27 second quarter, stopping the timer at 54 3/5 and 1:22 at the next two points, and then looking in control to the line while defeating the on-rushing Silk Cloud A by a neck for driver Yannick Gingras, trainer Ron Burke, and owners Mark Robinson, Steve Stewart, and Harold Bauder. The millionaire mare stopped the timer in 1:49 4/5 - and some were surprised to learn that she had never won in sub-1:50 until Monday.

Anthony Napolitano garnered honors for the day with three driving victories, while Braxten Boyd, Yannick Gingras, Todd McCarthy, and Jim Pantaleano each tallied twice. Fifteen different trainers sent out a winner during the card.

There will be a carryover into the last race High 5 wager on Tuesday's 1 p.m. (EDT) card, and that race also happens to be the one which could give Pisces Rising a sweep of the three preliminaries of the Game Of Claims Trotting Series, which will go for $17,000 in each of five divisions Tuesday and which will find the entrants carrying a base tag of $30,000.

--press release (PHHA/Pocono)--