Svanstedt scores fourth winner in $300,000 Beal Memorial

Up Your Deo (Walner) was a pocket rocket in the stretch, flying up the pylons to win the $300,000 Earl Beal Jr. Memorial for sophomore trotting colts in harness racing action at Pocono Downs on Saturday afternoon (August 19^th). It was the fourth winner on the day for trainer-driver Ake Svanstedt.

After an eventful opening quarter that saw a couple of lead changes and a break in stride from Oh Well (Tim Tetrick) while leading, the eventual winner landed in the pocket behind Celebrity Bambino. He followed that rival through fractions of :27.3 and :56.0 with no movement from any rivals.

As this duo continued to race 1-2 to the 1:23.4 three quarters, Kilmister (Brian Sears) was the first to pull and issue a challenge. He was followed in the second-over path by Kierkegaard K (Mark Macdonald). Down the lane, it was the Yonkers Trot winner Up Your Deo with the most trot, and he surged up the passing lane for driver/trainer and part owner Ake Svandstedt to take a 1:52.3 score by 1 1/2 lengths. A game Kilmister finished 2nd, with Kierkegaard K outfinishing Celebrity Bambino for third.

Mike Gulotta of Deo Volente farms who bred and co-owns the winner with Svandstedt, Suleyman Yuksel Stables of Florida and Van Camp Trotting Corp of Port Perry, Ontario, was clearly thrilled in the winner’s circle.

UP YOUR DEO REPLAY

“It’s just a tremendous high,” Gulotta beamed. “We were on a high coming down the stretch in the Hambletonian as well. He made us proud.” He also indicated that he was “extremely confident” in his colt as he trotted down the stretch this afternoon. “I saw him coming up the rail, and I said: ‘it’s over’,” he recounted. “He pulled away by a couple of lengths. It was awesome.”

After going 0 for 8 as a two-year-old in 2022, Up Your Deo has now won four of seven as a sophomore. The $150,000 earned for his Beal win raised his lifetime earnings to more than $461,000. He paid $5.60 to win as the favorite.

Black Magic conjures score in $200,000 Beal Consolation

Black Magic (Full Count) picked a good time to take his first win of 2023, as he produced a lifetime-best effort in taking the $200,000 Earl Beale Jr. Consolation in 1:52 4/5 in harness racing action at Pocono Downs on Saturday afternoon (August 19^th).

Driver Dave Miller was aggressive with Black Magic from the outset, blasting off the gate from the widest post to take the first lead while favored Crown (Brian Sears) floated out and stayed in the two-path while pursuing the lead. Black Magic clicked off the opening quarter in :27.0 but he was overtaken by Crown after three-eighths of a mile while Seven Over (Yannick Gingras) sat third and Devilish Hill (Andrew McCarthy) raced fourth.

Positions were unchanged as the field passed the half in :56.2, but McCarthy would soon send Devilish Hill on a backstretch blast to the front and that gelding led his seven rivals through a 1:23.3 three-quarters. At that point, Miller pulled Black Magic for a second move as Bond lurked in the pocket waiting for the passing lane.

Black Magic proved to much for his two rivals, prevailing in a three-across stretch battle by a half-length over Crown with Devilish Hill another length back in third. The Gruffalo (Jason Bartlett), who broke at the start, rallied for fourth.

BLACK MAGIC REPLAY

Black Magic is now 1 for 11 this year and his $100,00 share of the purse raised his lifetime earnings to close to $318,000 for owners Richard Gutnick of Pennsylvania and Thomas Ponlone and Joseph Lozito Jr. of New Jersey. He paid $26.70 to win.

For complete race results, click here: US Trotting results.

by Garnet Barnsdale, for Harnesslink