Pocono: Night Hawk flies in fastest PA All-Stars division

The sport's "glamour division," the 3-year-old pacing colts and geldings, came to The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono on Sunday for three $30,000 divisions of a Pennsylvania All-Stars event, and the most impressive - not necessarily because he had the fastest time, but the way he raced - was the Betting Line colt Night Hawk.

David Miller guided the sophomore up to the lead by a 27 second opening quarter, and then got "average" (for these) splits of 55 4/5 and 1:23 4/5. The only foe hanging close was pocket-sitter Captain Cowboy, and when Miller gave his colt a gentle wakeup call soon into the stretch, he responded with a 26 1/5 blitz home to complete the 1:50 mile, not looking like he was working hard at all. Captain Cowboy, to his credit, was only a length back, but Night Hawk always looked to be in control while establishing a lifetime-best.

The Brian Brown trainee won two Pennsylvania Sire Stakes at two, one without Lasix then one with, and his season was ended last July 17. Since returning for Acadia Farms Inc., Joe Sbrocco, In The Gym Partners, and Leeman Lombardo Stable, he won in 1:51 2/5 (53 3/5 back-half and 26 second last quarter)at Harrah's Hoosier Park, was second from off- the-pace in the first Sire Stakes event at The Meadows, and now produced this powerful performance, hinting at better things to come.

The other two winners also put in high-quality miles. In one, the Sweet Lou colt Market Based rebounded from a break in his 2022 debut in the PaSS at The Meadows, sitting in the pocket as PJ Lou set splits of 26 3/5, 55 2/5, and 1:23, then sprinting home in the Pocono Pike to get the decision by three-quarters of a length in 1:50 2/5, his fastest win. Andrew McCarthy got a sharp late response from the winner of the 2021 Matron and an All-Stars event last year as well; Nancy Takter trains the talented 3-year-old for the ownership of Chuck Pompey, Edwin Gold, and H&M Taylor Stable.

► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter

Mad Max Hanover, a hard-charging second, just a neck shy, in last year's Governor's Cup, is now two-for-three in 2022 while taking a new mark in 1:50 3/5 in the other All-Stars contest. Six Feet Apart took the lead from Layton Hanover past the quarter in 27 1/5 and set mid-race numbers of 55 4/5 and 1:23 3/5, with Mad Max Hanover coming up on the grind for driver Tim Tetrick. The colts mentioned put on an excellent three-way stretch battle, with Mad Max Hanover finishing a neck ahead of Six Feet Apart, who in turn was a neck ahead of Layton Hanover. The victorious altered son of Always B Miki is trained by Jake Leamon for owner Marvin Rounick.

These Pennsylvania colts and geldings return to Pocono on Memorial Day, Monday, May 30, for their second Sire Stakes rounds, and as a whole the group looks like it will put on a top show, both in Pennsylvania and perhaps further down the road.

--press release (PHHA/Pocono)--