Pocono to open 2023 season Saturday
At 0h02, on February 14, 2023 • By POCONO DOWNS
A pair of high-level conditioned events and a starter allowance headline Saturday’s (Feb. 18) 2023 season opener at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Sun Pennsylvania, which is slated to begin at 1 p.m.
The card’s twin features are $17,000 events for non-winners of eight races, with trotters squaring off in race seven and pacers meeting in race 11.
In the trot, Crescent Beauty returns to action after finishing her sophomore campaign with three straight victories to bring her seasonal total to 16, making her the joint leader in victories among North American 3-year-old trotters. After not racing since November, the 4-year-old Crescent Fashion mare will have to negotiate post seven in an eight-horse field for driver Anthony Napolitano, trainer Lance Hudson and owner William Hartt.
In the pace, the main contenders are the Sweet Lou gelding Phoenix Of Fluzzy (driven by Simon Allard), who has three wins in his last four starts at the Meadowlands, and the Captaintreacherous gelding Mind Hunter (George Napolitano Jr.), who is perfect in four starts since teaming up with trainer Per Engblom, including a 1:49.3 victory last time out.