Beach Glass too tough in $300,000 Hempt Memorial

WILKES-BARRE, PA – A summary of the main events and consolations of the Max C. Hempt Memorial Pace for males and the Delmonica Hanover Trot for females during the signature three-year-old harness racing events on the $2.4M Sun Stakes Saturday at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.

MAX C. HEMPT MEMORIAL PACE

$300,000 Hempt Pace: The importance of track geometry was never shown more clearly than in the $300,000 Max C. Hempt Memorial Pace for three-year-old males, as Beach Glass (Somebeachsomewhere) and driver Yannick Gingras took full advantage of the rail to defeat “hot horse” and favorite Bythemissal in 1:50.

Beach Glass and Bythemissal, who started from post three, had their hooves all the way down on the accelerator early, with Beach Glass able to keep Bythemissal outside en route to a searing :25.2 quarter before the latter tucked second.

The hoof shifted from gas to brake in the second quarter, with Beach Glass able to back the half off to :55.1. Bythemissal (Chris Page) came back for more first-over down the back, with the three-quarters reached in 1:22 (partially attributable to the backstretch tailwind / homestretch headwind).

It wasn’t just these two colts slugging it out late: Layton Hanover, at 80-1, menaced in the Pocono Pike, and Fourever Boy was narrowing in quickly. But it was Beach Glass, a colt trained by Brent MacGrath’s, who earned the half-length decision. “He needed the week off,” MacGrath noted after the race, “and he trained really well this week.” He ended his interview with the understatement of the day: “Post position means a lot.”

BEACH GLASS REPLAY

Max C. Hempt Consolations:

The $200,000 Hempt Consolation II saw last year’s late-season sensation Early Action streak out to a :25.4 opener and continue on the lead, with Greatest Ending (Somebeachsomewhere) sitting in the pocket and Nautical Hanover battling first-over. As they turned for home, driver Mark MacDonald took Greatest Ending to the inside, and the colt dug in and outfooted Early Action by a half-length while equaling his mark in 1:50.3. Dr. Ian Moore conditions the winner, who more than doubled his lifetime bankroll to $178,342 for owner Reginald Petitpas.

GREATEST ENDING REPLAY

 The $100,000 Hempt Consolation II saw the Burke Brigade finish 1-2 after being at opposite ends of the pack at headstretch: the Sweet Lou gelding JM’S Final Treasure took over the lead near the second turn, then hung on over a tightly packed group in 1:52 for driver Yannick Gingras and the ownership of Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, J&T Silva- Purnel & Libby, and Phil Collura. Birthday, last as they turned for home, came flying home to finish only a head back.

JM’S FINAL TREASURE REPLAY

DELMONICA HANOVER TROT

$250,000 Delmonica Hanover: Joviality S (Chapter Seven) continued his lifelong devastating form in the $250,000 Delmonica Hanover Trot for sophomore fillies, going up uncovered on Jiggy Jog S then going past her approaching the head of the stretch then drawing off to win by 4½ lengths in 1:51.3, a stakes record and equaling the track record co-held by Check Me Out (2012) and Designed To Be (2014).

Brian Sears, who in post-race comments remarked how easy the filly is to drive, sat third while Pink Coco Chanel, second to Fashion Schooner in the Hambo Oaks, left strongly to take over the racetrack before the :26.3 quarter and extended Jiggy Jog S before letting her go to the top at three-eighths, hitting the half in :55.1.

Sears came uncovered with the winner of $1,616,818 down the backstretch, trotted up to the leader by the 1:23 three-quarters and powered right past her on the turn (coming out of which Jiggy Jog S broke), and finished out strongly on her own ability.

JOVIALITY S REPLAY

Owned by Courant Inc., Joviality S combined with Temporal Hanover to give trainer Marcus Melander a sweep of the day’ top sophomore trots.  She extended her extraordinary record to 9-7-1-1 and 21-16-3-1 lifetime, with many late seasoned rich races to come, and then a decision about her future.

Delmonica Hanover Consolation:

Misswalner Fashion (Walner) won the Continentalvictory in her last time after closing front last to first in the last stanza; in the $125,000 Delmonica Hanover Consolation Tim Tetrick sent the filly to the lead in front of the stands and kept her going to the wire for a 1:53.4 success by a length.

MISSWALNER FASHION REPLAY

Misswalner Fashion is trained by Jim Campbell, the star of Hambletonian Day two weeks ago, for owner Jules Siegel; second after racing first-over was another Fashion Farms/Campbell product, Design Fashion.

To read about the rest of the action from Sun Stakes Saturday, click here.

For complete race results, click here.

From the PHHA/The Downs