by John Zimich, publicity director, Pocono Downs

Skydancer Hanover, who drew the No. 6 post for the biggest race of the 2004 harness racing season at The Downs at Pocono (home of Pocono Downs harness racing), has been tabbed as the horse to beat.

Finals of the Max C. Hempt Memorial Pace Saturday night (May 22) will have a field of nine three-year-old colt and gelding pacers from throughout the country. Purse is $162,696.

In one of the three elimination races last Saturday evening at The Downs at Pocono, Skydancer Hanover paced the mile in 1:51 with a heavy rain falling and the track listed as sloppy. That 1:51 time ranks as one of the fastest ever recorded at the Northeastern Pennsylvania racetrack.

George Napolitano, Jr., the track’s leading driver and trainer, drove Skydancer Hanover to that 1:51 time in the Hempt elimination race.

“I think he’s a natural killer,” said Napolitano, Jr. “There’s no question in my mind that he’s the best in the race. He’s got wicked speed. The horse is just so quick you don’t even realize how fast you’re going.”

Napolitano, Jr., felt the track last Saturday night was least one second off.

“After that opening panel was clicked off in 26.2, I moved Skydancer Hanover to the front,” offered Napolitano, Jr. “When I began to grab into him he started to hit the right wheel. The horse was crushing the race bike on the right side.

“It’s nice to drive for Chris Oakes and Mark Harder, one of the hottest trainers in America. We’ll be looking for another win and big mile Saturday night in the finals.”

Harder, who mainly trains horses at the Meadowlands, conditions Skydancer Hanover for owners Oakes, George Alter and William Kenyon, the latter two of New York. Oakes is an owner-trainer and has his stable at Pocono.

Since the track opened in 1965, the fastest any horse has ever gone was Stand Forever, an aged stallion that won in 1:50 back on May 31, 1997 with Jack Moiseyev driving.

Record for a three-year-old pacing colt at the Northeastern Pennsylvania racetrack is 1:50.1; a world mark also established when Third Straight (Mike Vanderkemp) paced the mile in 1:50.1 on July 27, 2002.

Other horses in the Hempt finals and posts include Up Front Brad (No. 1), Driven To Win (No. 2), Mauro Hanover (No. 3), Santastic’s Pan (No. 4), Wizsell (No. 5), Casey’s Bonanza (No. 7), Sand Shuffle (No. 8), and Maltese Artist (No. 9).

Up Front Brad won an elimination race also last Saturday with a time of 1:53 while the third victor was Casey’s Bonanza, who won in 1:52.1 and also trained by Harder.