Earl Beal, Jr. Memorial Trot set for Saturday
June 23, 2011,by Jennifer Starr, Racing Marketing Manager, Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs
Wilkes-Barre, PA — The Earl Beal, Jr. Memorial Trot will be contested at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs on Saturday (June 25). A purse of $500,000 will be up for grabs in the 3-year-old Open Trot final.
Trainer Trond Smedshammer sends out I’m The Answer and Dejarmbro, who drew the one and two posts, respectively. Dejarmbro has been made the favorite at odds of 5-2. I’m The Answer set a new world and track record on June 18 for 3-year-old geldings on the trot while winning one of the three eliminations for the inaugural Beal trot. He finished in 1:52.4, shattering the previous Pocono mark for sophomore geldings on the trot of 1:53.3, set by Shermans Mountain in 2009. I’m The Answer is 4-1 on the morning line.
Pastor Stephen, a powerhouse from the barn of Jimmy Takter, with Ron Pierce in the bike, drew the eight post, and has been made the second favorite with odds of 3-1. Takter also trains Leader Of The Gang, who will be driven by David Miller.
Opening Night (Tyler Buter, Jim Campbell) and Buffalino Hanover (Todd Schadel, driver and trainer) drew post positions four and nine, respectively. Big Rigs and Bambino Hall from trainer Kelly O’Donnell, and Broad Bahn from trainer Noel Daley, round out the race.
Earl Beal, Jr. was a driving force in bringing casino gaming to PA tracks and along with it, a new generation of potential fans. PA Harness Horseman’s Association President Sam Beegle said, “The industry’s revitalization doesn’t begin and end with slots. It’s been a long process and Earl was there every step,” citing accomplishments like the push for simulcasting and later, off-track wagering.
“Earl loved the trotters,” Beegle said. “He was a fan himself and always put the fans first. What better way to honor the legacy of a guy who changed racing for the better?”
The race is the 14th with an approximate post time of 10:14 p.m.
- Smedshammer duo look to shine in Beal Memorial (Monday, June 20, 2011)
For most of the horses in Saturday’s $500,000 Earl Beal Jr. Memorial at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, the race is hoped to be a stepping stone to August’s Hambletonian. The exceptions are Dejarmbro and I’m The Answer, both from the Purple Haze Stables and barn of trainer/driver Trond Smedshammer.
- Pastor Stephen draws post eight for Beal Memorial (Wednesday, June 22, 2011)
Pastor Stephen, last season’s Dan Patch Award winner as best 2-year-old male trotter and a perfect 3-for-3 in 2011, will start from post No. 8 in Saturday’s $500,000 Earl Beal Jr. Memorial for 3-year-old trotters at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs.