The 2019 harness racing season at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono begins this Saturday night (May 16), as the first of 134 cards planned for the northeast Pennsylvania 5/8-mile oval contains 14 races, with a scheduled first post of 7 p.m. The two horsemen who have been dominant in the trainers and drivers rankings at Pocono over the last few seasons, driver George Napolitano Jr. and trainer Rene Allard, look likely to get off to a fast start again this season, at least by a look at the past performances for opening night. Napolitano, going for his eighth straight year of having the most sulky success at The Downs, was named on no fewer than 40 of Saturday’s 121 entrants – nearly one in three – and is slated to compete in every race. In three races he was put down on five horses and in three more he was listed on four entrants, so seeing which horse George decides to drive in those contests can go a long way in helping a player’s handicapping take a turn towards the profitable. Allard, leading trainer at Pocono in five of the last six years, has eight entrants scattered throughout the program. Any regular Pocono player knows that Team Allard – Rene and driver/brother Simon – are often very tough when sending out a new acquisition to the barn, and amazingly, in every one of Saturday night’s five claiming contests, a horse will be debuting for the Allards! And in their last 25 starts combined (the last five races of each of the quintet), they show 12 wins, 3 seconds, and 3 thirds before moving into their new home! After Saturday, Pocono will next race on Tuesday (the 19th); the following week, the trotters and pacers will go over the red surface on Saturday, Sunday, and Tuesday; and the week after that (March 30-April 2), Pocono will shift to its regular seasonal racing schedule of Saturday through Tuesday. Post times for 2019 will be 7 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, and 4 p.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays, looking to take advantage of the “simulcast bridge” gap between the end of daytime and nighttime simulcast cards. One more set of pre-season qualifying races will be held at Pocono, on Wednesday at 10 a.m.; at noon that day, they will be a gathering for the press to present a preview of the 2019 season at The Downs. -edited release (PHHA/Pocono)