Pocono: Opening night set for February 8
The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, located in Northeast PA, is looking forward to their 55th year of harness racing.
Opening night will be earlier for the new season, Saturday, February 8th, and racing in February will be Saturdays and Sundays with a special winter Post Time of 5:00pm both nights. In March, Monday at 4:00pm will be added, and the track will transition to the regular Saturday and Sunday post of 7:00pm. Starting in April, the regular schedule of Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Saturday will be in effect.
Starting off the new season will be a new later closer, the Game of Claims Late Closing Series, with six different progressive events for varied claiming levels for 3-year-olds and older horses and gelding pacers, mare pacers, and trotters. The Bobby Weiss Late Closer series returns in April with four events exclusively for 3-year-olds.
The Pennsylvania-All-Stars, an early closer for Pennsylvania-sired 3-year-olds, starts in May, with the 2-year-olds in July.
The prestigious $2 million Sun Stakes Saturday is July 4th, featuring the $500,000 Earl Beal Jr. Memorial Trot; $500,000 Ben Franklin Free For All Pace; 500,000 Max Hempt Memorial Pace; and the $300,000 James Lynch Memorial Pace. Eliminations will take place on Saturday, June 27th.
Monday, February 3rd and Tuesday, February 4th are the first two Qualifying days of the season, with the regular weekly Wednesday qualifying day starting February 12th.
-edited release (Pocono)