By:Don Bielak, Freehold Raceway Publicity Director

FREEHOLD, NJ – – Camelot Hall, with George Brennan in the sulky, made every pole a winning one in the $111,625 Cane Pace elimination at Freehold Raceway on Saturday, and in the process, set a new track record for three-year-pacing colts.

World Wide Racing Photos

Camelot Hall, driven by George Brennan wins the Cane Pace elimination in a track record time of 1:51 1/5.

Brennan drove Camelot Hall quickly from the gate leaving from post five and cleared the lead just past the opening quarter mile mark which was timed in a rapid 26.3.

Once on top, the son of Blissful Hall continued to pace strongly, passing the half-mile station in 54.2 and stopping the timer in a blazing 1:22.2 for three-quarters of a mile.

Entering the final turn, Mantacular (Cat Manzi), who had been working his way into contention with a first-over move from the midway point of the mile, joined Camelot Hall and the two leaders dueled head and head around the turn and into the stretch.

With 100 yards to go, Camelot Hall gamely dug in and repelled Mantacular, but Timesareachanging (Ron Pierce), who was forced to rally three-wide around the final turn, was eating up ground with every step.

At the wire, Camelot Hall held Timesareachanging clear by a head in a record time of 1:51.1. Mantacular held on for the show spot, one length behind the winner.

Camelot Hall’s 1:51.1 clocking erased the former track record of 1:51.4 which was jointly held by Blissful Hall (1999), Astreos (2000) and Powerful Toy (2000.)

Brennan offered his thoughts about the performance. “It was a 10 horse field, so I knew in advance we were going to go forward from the gate,” Brennan said. “He has a lot of gate speed – that’s one of his best assets. He was on the bit, but I surely didn’t want to fight him”.

When asked if he thought Camelot Hall was going to be able to hold off the late challenge by Mantacular, Brennan said, “Cat’s horse (Mantacular) is a very good horse. I knew if my colt was going to win today, he’d have to put up fight, and he did.”

Brennan added that Camelot Hall fought much harder in the Cane elimination than he did in an elimination for the Adios – a race in which he led into the stretch but weakened late and finished fourth behind Timesareachanging in a 1:50 mile.

Camelot Hall won for the second time in nine outings this season in capturing the Cane elimination for his owners, David Scharf, Steven Arnold, Jerry Silva and Sampson Street Stables. Sent postward as the 9-2 third choice in the wagering, the Mark Harder trainee returned a win mutuel of $11.00.

In addition to Camelot Hall, Timesareachanging and Mantacular, the others who gained berths to the $334,875 Cane final on Labor Day are: Western Terror, Mark’s Secret Love, Harry Hornet, Droppin’thehammer and Holborn Hanover.

Two $22,230 divisions of eliminations for the Battle of Freehold for two-year-old pacers were held on the Freehold undercard. The first four finishers in each division gained berths to the $133,375 final at Freehold on Labor Day.

In the first division, Sampson Street Stables, Jerry Silva, Deena Frost and Tlp Stable’s Sleep Easy scored a come-from-behind victory with patient handling by George Brennan. The son of Dream Away, who is conditioned by Donna Marshall, swung four wide leaving the final turn and breezed by the pacesetters to record a three and one-quarter length win in 1:55.1. Long Live America (Stephane Bouchard) closed well to finish second. Marced Card (Stephen Smith) was another one and one-quarter lengths back in third. Quixotic (Cat Manzi) finished fourth and nailed down a spot in the Battle of Freehold final.

Division two saw Jeffrey Snyder’s Royal Flush Shark split horses in the deep stretch and surge to the wire to win by three-quarters lengths in 1:57.1 with Ron Pierce in the sulky. Western Glory (George Brennan) was prominent throughout the mile and lasted for second by a head over a fast-closing Brokaw (Stephane Bouchard). The final berth for the Battle of Freehold final went to Real Pro K (David Miller), who finished a length behind the winner in fourth.

Royal Flush Shark is a Cam’s Card Shark gelding trained by Ed Hart.