From HarnessLink (19 October 2026)
Stakes youngsters were gathered at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Sun on Saturday afternoon, as $211,700 was up for grab in two John Simpson Sr. Stakes, two harness racing divisions of the Razzle Hanover for freshman pacing females and two sections of the Ayres for sophomore trotting males. In both groups, the only favorite to win in the divisions turned in the group’s fastest mile.
The Stay Hungry – Pleasant Roll filly Honey Roll has certainly been a roll recently, as she followed up on a victory in her Pennsylvania Fair Sire Stakes Championship with a Simpson victory on a windy day that seemed like the coldest at the mountain track in months. Honey Roll had the largest winning margin in her Fair Championships (eleven lengths), and she was most clear in the Simpson as well, with a 2¾ length victory in 1:54.1 for driver Matt Kakaley, trainer Steve Cook, and Bay Pond Racing Stable. Honey Roll now has nine wins in her freshman campaign, the last six consecutively.
Gift Of Faith broke her maiden in her last start, and the Captaintreacherous – Cannae Cammie miss got her second straight success with a length victory in 1:55. Jack Pelling also went to the lead and won nicely for trainer-father Brett Pelling and the ownership of David Mc Duffee, Paul Bordogna, and Melvin Hartman.
Among the Ayers diamondgaiters, only the Chapter Seven colt Seven Grand lived up to the crowd’s confidence, tucking in third early for driver Brian Sears, re-entering the fray nearing the three quarters, and able to keep a length margin at the finish. Having campaigned in predominantly-half-mile-track New York, Seven Grand lowered his mark to 1:54 for trainer Åke Svanstedt, who is also a co-owner with Little E LLC, Soderberg Bloodstock, and Van Camp Trotting Corporation.
The Svanstedt shedrow sent out a second winner in the Captain Corey gelding Mr Penner, who controlled a reasonable pace and had a length margin at the end of his 1:54.4 mile. Simon Allard was in the sulky for owners Åke Svanstedt Inc., Knutsson Trotting Inc. and Little E LLC.
