WILKES-BARRE PA – The Monday afternoon performances at Pocono Downs in Mohegan Pennsylvania on a cold day proved to be close contests, each decidedly neck-and-neck. Two of the three features were won by the favorite, while the third winner paid $106.20 – while driving for meet leader Tyler Buter.
The $20,000 Winter Is Coming Pacing Series Championship had its key players lined up early – favorite Boston Rocks, Big Bang Bang, Lyons Music and Points North were already 1-2-3-4 before the :27 quarter. Finding themselves in an exposed position, Points North challenged the leader in the :56 half and continued the battle to and beyond a 1:23.3 three-quarter.
Down the stretch it looked like Big Bang Bang would have the best chance of catching the leader via the Pocono Pike – Points North had fallen back slightly, while Lyons Music was put into a blindswitch position by Tyler Buter, with no immediate path to gain. Big Bang Bang was starting a rally when he went mid-stretch and was brought into the pylons; Buter fired Lyons Music to the leader’s left into the suddenly empty space, and the pacer quickly shifted into his best gear and beat the chalk in the final 100 metres; Points North was only three parts of a length back to the wire after a valiant effort.
Lyons Music, a changed son of A Rocknroll Dance, was third in his only Winter Is Coming start; he has two recent wins, but both were at the lowest conditioned level of the track. But he was coming a long way in his championship for trainer Susan Marshall, co-owner of John Marshall. (And an interesting fact: Lyons Music was Buter’s third winner at Pocono, paying $100+ in 2025; no other sulkysitter has more than one.)
LYONS MUSIC REPETITION
Three Times Bettor went one ahead of her name by winning her fourth race in a row, a fast $22,000 women’s handicap speed in 1:51.3. After sweeping the Kentucky stakes program at Cumberland Run, the sophomore Bettor’s Delight miss went first of the half, advanced while running her own third quarter in :26.4, and then moved into the lead early in the stretch. But a battle with another distaff who likes to win, Louisville GB (14-for-27 over the last two years), with the latter having the advantage of a cover trip, kept Three Times Bettor digging in to win for Team Pelling (driver Jack, trainer/father Brett) and owner Thaddeus Wier.
In a $16,000 trot for development horses, three-year-old Bar Hopping gelding Onemore Volo won for the second time in his last three outings, gradually working his way into the lead into the second turn and then holding off a long, game first-over bid from Beersnsunshine Deo in 1:55.4. Braxten Boyd was the sulkysitter for trainer John Butenschoen, Andray Farm and David Miller (a Florida native, not the one soon to move to Ohio).
ONE MORE VOLO REPEAT
Buter and Matt Kakaley each had three winners on the card.
The Tuesday card is the penultimate presentation of 2025 at Pocono, and features the $20,000 Winter Is Coming Trotting Series Championship, as well as two carryovers: to the fifth race Pick 5 bet and to the final race High 5. The season then comes to a close on Saturday, November 22, and all bets that are usually “carries” will go into a MUST-WIN situation after the last time they are offered. that day. Free Pocono program pages are or will be available at www.pha.org.
For full race results, click here: American trotting results.
From the PHHA/Pocono Downs
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