An afternoon of stellar harness racing is on tap at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania on August 16 with their thrilling Sun Stakes Saturday card. With a special post time of 2:30pm and over $2.3 million in purses, this looks to be a truly memorable afternoon of racing at the track in Northeast PA.
The highlights of the card include the $250,000 James M. Lynch Memorial (race 10); the $250,000 Delmonica Hanover (race 11); the $300,000 Max Hempt Memorial (race 12); and the $300,000 Earl Beal Jr. Memorial Trot (race 13). Two $100,000 invitationals, the Sebastian K and the Always B Miki, races 5 and 14 respectively, are tossed in to whet any fan’s appetite for superior harness racing.
There are two consolations for each of headliner races, with an impressive roster of horses shipping in to compete. Making the trip from the west-Western PA, that is-to dance in the big dance is trainer Tim Twaddle, and he’s already feeling the buzz surrounding the massive Sun Stakes Saturday.
Tim is getting ready with his trotter Arrowhead Hanover (International Moni-Aarena Hanover-Donato Hanover). Based at the Meadows in Washington, PA, and with a highly lucrative career both there and in Canada, Tim is excited and anxious for his horse in the Earl Beal Jr. Consolation I (Race 9).
“Any time you get to take part in these big events it’s a thrill!” Tim said.
Drawing the 8 hole, however, was a crushing blow. “It was kind of a punch in the gut when I heard, but someone’s gotta have it. I just wish it wasn’t us in a race like this. You just get the horse ready the best you can, and it’s up to our pilot (James MacDonald) to work out some kind of trip and get us paid!” he laughed.
Tim has confidence in his horse to put in a strong effort, and cites his strengths. “Typically he can get himself spotted early and put himself in the race, but from where we drew on Saturday, that’s going to be tough. But he’s not a real big animal, he’s a ‘meat and potatoes’ kind of a guy. He’s real gritty, puts his head down and does his work. So I’m just hoping he can tough his way around and figure out a way.”
“He’s got a wonderful attitude,” he continued. “He’s not the kind of horse that needs a trip, or he needs this, or he needs that. He will do whatever asked of him. It’s a big purse on Saturday, so any kind of check will be great!”
Arrowhead Hanover has raced over the Pocono surface a few times, so it will be familiar ground to cover. “He was 3rd in a photo in the PA Sire Stakes on June 8 there, and he raced there last year, too, so he’s good over Pocono.”
Tim is sincere in stressing how much it means to be racing on Pocono’s massive stakes-laden day, and in a race card filled with star power, both equine and human. “It’s a big deal for me, because you watch all the big events, and it’s always the big stable names-Burke; Alagna; Takter; Svanstedt; and I consider myself a little guy, so when me and Anthony (MacDonald) can get involved in these things, it’s a big feather in his cap. And it’s a whole team effort. It’s a big deal to get us to that.”
Making the trip as the official Twaddle section are members of the family to support Arrowhead, James, and Tim. “My wife, Sophia, will be with me to help, and my daughter Meadow will be there working, so I’ll put her to work on Sunday. We have horses racing in the Stallion Series on Sunday. So it’s a busy weekend for us and we are excited!”
Arrowhead Hanover
2025 14 4 3 2 $60,903
2024 10 4 1 3 $101,645
Life 24 8 4 5 $162,548
Timothy Patrick Twaddle
2025 384 69 66 65 $842,746
Life 9323 1175 1134 1149 $12,084,928
