Pocono week in review, May 29-June 5

We are approaching the busiest stretch of the season at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, with plenty of stakes races on the schedule and some blisteringly great harness racing action in the offing. Since we're about two months into the season now, the sample size is large enough for fans to notice some developing trends, trends which might be able to help handicappers out if they can spot them and predict the outcomes of races based on their reliability.

So why not take a week off from the Weekly Awards and take a look at some of those trends? From my vantage point in the announcer's booth and my experience as the morning line oddsmaker, maybe these things I've noticed can give off some valuable information that you might be able to use the next time you step up to the windows to make your wagers on a Pocono race.

DRIVING CAMEO APPEARANCES

We have an outstanding contingent of regular drivers at Pocono, but every once in a while, a driver who races primarily in another part of the country will stop by for a night. Recently, a few of those drivers have been particularly successful in their appearances.

Scott Zeron had a big Sunday night a few weeks back. Jason Bartlett, whom I used to call Mr. Wednesday Night because he would always show up at MSPD on Wednesdays and do great things in the bike, came by last Wednesday and immediately made his presence felt with multiple wins. And David Miller often stopped by throughout the first part of the season to get in on the action, especially on nights when there were stakes races on tap.

This is not a hard and fast rule; we've had a few occasions where drivers have arrived and gone away empty-handed at the end of the night. But it's usually a good assumption that a driver who makes a long trip to Pocono for a single evening wouldn't do so unless he thinks it will be a lucrative trip. So keep that in mind when you see those drivers on the program.

UPSETTERS

Several drivers have gained reputations throughout the years as guys who can deliver long shots. In recent years, we've noticed that Andrew McCarthy has been outstanding in those situations, as he's been able to mitigate the weaknesses in the horses he's driving and find trips for them that play to their strengths. As a result, he's brought in a surprising amount of bombers.

These days McCarthy has a big enough reputation that he doesn't have as many long shot opportunities as in years past, in part because the fans bet his horses more and in part because he just gets better horses to drive. So maybe it's time to watch out for Marcus Miller as the next Mr. Longshot at the track. Miller got his feet wet last year in his first full year at Pocono, and this year, driving with more confidence, he has pulled in several impressive long shots. For those of you looking for big earnings on a small wager, you might want to locate Mr. Miller on your program.

WATCH THAT WEATHER REPORT

People often concentrate on the past performances of horses while neglecting one of the most obvious factors on any race night: The weather. This season at Pocono, we haven't had too many sloppy tracks, but we have had an abundance of windy nights. And, depending on where it's hitting the horses on the track, it can play havoc with the expected outcome.

The bias a windy night creates often depends on the direction and intensity of the gusts. But one safe bet is that a horse with a pocket trip is in the best position of all on a windy night. Such a horse can sit behind the leader, who will take the brunt of the wind throughout the mile. A pocket horse also doesn't have to worry about coming up on the outside into a slowing breeze.

On these windy nights, look for horses with not only enough early speed in their past performances that they can get near the front, but also enough versatility in their lines that they don't need to be on the engine every time they race. Or simply look for a horse with a lot of the number "2" in his race lines, which indicate a position in second place at different points in the mile. Horses with these characteristics might have the best chance of getting that all-important pocket trip when the wind starts to blow heavy.

These are just a few of the things I've noticed so far in the 2015 season. As we head into this fun time in our schedule, it's my sincere hope that they'll help you out in your quest to pick some winners.

That will do it for this week, but we'll see you at the track. Feel free to e-mail me at jbeviglia@mohegansunpocono.com.

Jim Beviglia