Lennon Hanover delivers in photo finish thriller

WILKES-BARRE PA – Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on Tuesday afternoon had a single $15,000 second and final preliminary event in the Winter Is Coming Pacing Series, leading up to next Tuesday’s $20,000 Championship.

For the second straight week, the pattern of the race was the same: pocket horse railles to go the stretch lead, then holds off the big closer in a photo, with the pacesetter less than a length behind in third. And the same top three finishers from last week occupied the Trifecta this week.

But there were different winners in the two races.

This week, Bugaboo Hanover (the first round winner) was the pacesetter through fractions of :26.1, :55.4, and 1:22.4, with Lennon Hanover (third last time) in the golden chair and Deuce Hanover second-over. And this week Lennon Hanover proved to have the most late after the good journey in 1:51.1, with Deuce Hanover storming late again for the deuce, here a head off, with Bugaboo Lou another three-parts of a length back.

LENNON HANOVER REPLAY

Thus the major spoils went to the George Napolitano Jr.-driven Lennon Hanover, a son of Tall Dark Stranger trained by Dean Eckley for owner William Hartt. The post position draw for the Pacing Championship on Wednesday will be closely watched, since positional lightning seldom strikes the same place three times in a row.

Pocono also featured a pair of $14,500 contests for developing trotters. In the quicker split, the Captain Corey sophomore filly Arella Hanover was ahead at every call in a lifetime best 1:55.4 for trainer-driver Jim Pantaleano and owners John Eichelberger and Stacey-Lee Day; the Greenshoe three-year-old gelding Chuppah Hanover was able to set a slow pace to the half and held on in a 1:59.1 mile to win the other cut, with Braxten Boyd doing the sulkysitting for trainer Linda Schadel, who is also co-owner with Tony, Elizabeth, and James Schadel.

The windy day was largely a chalkplayers’ cemetery, with the meet’s leading driver Tyler Buter winning with the only two favorites on the thirteen-race card – and also triggering the highest win mutuel, $73.60 winner The American Eagle. Buter and Anthony Napolitano, the 1-2 drivers in total wins for the 2026 season, were also tied on the top with five “bombers”; Buter now leads that category alone. Driving doubles were recorded by Braxten Blvd, George Napolitano Jr., and Jim Pantaleano.

The Pocono racing schedule resumes Saturday at 1 p.m., highlighted by a $27,500 fast-class handicap pace, the $20,000 Championship of the Game Of Claims Pacing Series, and carryovers into the fifth race Pick 5 and the last race High 5. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.phha.org.

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

From the PHHA / Pocono Downs