WILKES-BARRE PA — The barn of harness racing trainer Per Engblom continues to be crackling hot, as on Saturday afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania horses conditioned by Engblom swept the $27,500 fast-class events.

First up (in two senses) was the Chapter Seven gelding Cecil Hanover, winning the top trot in 1:54 while boosting his lifetime earnings to $655,745. Matt Kakaley sat in third with the winner most of the way through fractions of :28.1, :57.2, and 1:26.2, then moved the Engblom trainee outside just before the last-named station, and “Cecil” went  his own last quarter in :27.2 to win for fun for FAC Racing LLC and Team Gingras, Yannick and Jaden.

CECIL HANOVER REPLAY

In the headline pace, the Super Lou gelding Lou Hill, second to stablemate Pinny Tiger A in last week’s feature, improved on that finish by one with a 1:51.1 tally. Simon Allard got “Lou” to the top in :27.2 then caught a semi-breather with him to a :56.1 half; the pair then bolted home in :55 – :27 to withstand the inside rush of favored Catalpa Rescue A by a neck for owner Tom Hill.

LOU HILL REPLAY

The second prelim of the Game Of Claims Pacing Series, with Saturday seeing $27,500 base-tagged horses competing for $16,000, again drew five divisions – and now the series has generated ten different winners. The fastest cut, 1:51.2, saw the Captaintreacherous gelding Simon Says Hanover use the Pocono Pike as his route to the winners circle for driver Colin Kelly and owner Ashley Bako.

The only Saturday GOC winner to be claimed was Supplemental Fee, who was claimed last week and will change barns again now after a 1:52.1 score. Other winners were Greatest Ending (1:52.4), Nineteenth Man A (1:53), and D A McDreamy (1:53).Eight horses were claimed from the second prelim, with the cash register ringing up sales of $220,000.

Brett Beckwith topped all drivers with three wins Saturday, with Tyler Buter and Ridge Warren each having two; Engblom was the only trainer with a multiple-win day.

Pocono is set to race next on Monday at 1 p.m., but we’ll see what Mother Nature deals us before then. (The next Pocono card will have a carryover of $3,948.64 in the first race Pick 4, whenever it is held.) Free Pocono program pages are available at www.phha.org.

For complete race results, click here: US Trotting results.

From the PHHA / Pocono Downs