Pocono: Weiss Series fillies battle in first round

Sophomore fillies were in the Weiss Series spotlight on Tuesday afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, as four fields of trotters and three of pacers each went for $17,500 purses in their first round preliminaries.

Despite stiff winds, a temperature hovering near 40 degrees, and 16-1 toteboard status, the Huntsville miss Vanna By The River made a shambles of her pacing division, pacing wire-to-wire in 1:53 3/5 to break her maiden in her 13th career start. Braxten Boyd opened his advantage on the rest of the field throughout the last quarter, as Vanna By The River scored the powerful victory for trainer Cory Stratton and Our Three Sons Stable LLC.

American Cheese, fresh off winning her 2026 debut at Yonkers six days ago, came right back to take her Weiss division in 1:54 4/5; the daughter of American Idea guided by Jason Bartlett for trainer Jared Bako and the partnership of Blue Chip Bloodstock Inc. and Philip Steinberg. In the other section on this gait the Bettor's Wish filly Miss Jum Jabber sat just off a dawdling pace set by Sundownsomewhere, then still could gain into a 27 second sprint to the wire to beat the pace-setter by a head in 1:55 2/5 and win her second consecutive start, with Bradley Chisholm handling the lines for trainer Brett Pelling and his Pelling Racing LLC.

► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter

Driver Tim Tetrick and sire Captain Corey accounted for two of the four trotting cuts of the Weiss, including the quickest and most decisive winner, Cynic, who came over from The Meadows and ran her 2026 tally to 4-3-1-0 while lowering her mark to 1:55 3/5, 5 3/4 lengths to the good for trainer Britney Dillon and Joseph Musser Trust. The other successful pairing between the driver and sire came with Lady Tessie Marie, who won her seasonal bow in 1:58 4/5 for trainer Scott Di Domenico and the ownership combination of Angela Cornell and Tessie Esry.

Jason Bartlett added a Weiss trot win to his pacing triumph in guiding the Gimpanzee filly Concise to a 1:57 4/5 mark in her first race since last July, with the only diamond-gaited favorite to win trained by Nik Drennan, whose Drennan Stable LLC. sharing ownership with Joseph Davino and Brad Shackman. The Tactical Landing miss Allioop Blue Chip reduced her tab to 1:56 1/5 by taking another Weiss trot for driver Andrew McCarthy, trainer Noel Daley, and owners R. Lynn and Philomena Curry.

Drivers Tetrick and Bartlett posted doubles on the day as noted; they were joined by Boyd, who also won an overnight, and Simon Allard, who bookended the card. Fourteen different barns sent out winners on the afternoon.

Pacing males come back for their second Weiss preliminary when racing returns to the Downs on Saturday at 1 p.m. (EDT); all four first-round winners will be looking to make it two straight.

--press release (PHHA/Pocono)--