Hempt winner Johnny Z heads Reynolds field at Pocono

Johnny Z, trained by George Teague Jr. and the 2009 Max C. Hempt winner at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, heads up a field of 3-year-old pacing colts and geldings that will be racing at Pocono Friday night in the W.N. Reynolds Memorial Stake. This will be day three of Grand Circuit Week at the Northeastern Pennsylvania racetrack.

There will be three divisions of the Reynolds for 3-year-old pacing colts and geldings and Johnny Z, an entry coupled with Built To Drive, will be leaving from post six in the fifth race that carries a purse of $26,309.

Johnny Z is two for two coming into the race with one of the wins coming in the $301,000 Hempt final back in May with Brian Sears in the sulky. Last race for Johnny Z, named after John Zimich, publicity director at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, was in an elimination race for the $1.5 million North American Cup at Mohawk in Canada. He posted a fourth-place finish in the June 27 race.

There will also be four divisions of the Reynolds for 2-year-old trotting fillies with purses of $26,000-plus.

Grand Circuit Week, featuring all Reynolds races, began Tuesday night and will conclude Saturday afternoon with three divisions of the 3-year-old filly trot and nine divisions of 2-year-old colt and gelding pacers.

Going into Friday night’s action, the Grand Circuit trainer leaders for just races at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs are Jimmy Takter with three wins and Jonas Czernyson, Teague and Linda Toscano with two victories while Brett Miller, Jim Morrill, Jr. and Tim Tetrick each had three driving wins Tuesday and Wednesday nights with Takter having two. (Pocono Downs)

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