Hempt Memorial elims draw field of 15

by John Zimich, publicity director, Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs

Wilkes-Barre, PA — Blueridge Western, fresh off a win in the $215,000 Berry’s Creek at the Meadowlands, leads a field of 15 top 3-year-old pacing colts and geldings into the Max C. Hempt Memorial Pace elimination races on Saturday afternoon (May 17) at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs.

The two elimination races will be part of the live 15-race card with first post at 2:00 p.m.

Saturday also marks the simulcasting of the Preakness Stakes, second jewel of thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown, and Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs will be holding a Preakness party with everyone’s favorite beverages and grilled foods available for purchase. Gates will open at 10:00 a.m. with Pimlico’s first post at 10:30 a.m.

Trained by Mickey Burke, Blueridge Western will be driven by Brian Sears. Blueridge Western won the Berry’s Creek last Saturday with a clocking of 1:50.1 from the nine post.

Posts for the first Hempt elimination are as follows: 1. Mystery Chase, 2. Fly High, 3. Segundo Hanover, 4. Blueridge Western, 5. Shadow Play, 6. Badlands Nitro, and 7. Truponder.

Second elimination race with horses and posts are as follows: 1. It’s That Time, 2. Duke Did It, 3. Four Starz Affair, 4. Alastair Hanover, 5. Dragoon K, 6. Idle Hour, 7. Sadler Hanover, and 8. Atochia.

Top four finishers in each of the Hempt elims and the fastest timed fifth-place horse will make the nine-horse field for the $300,000 (est.) final the following Saturday afternoon, May 24.

Segundo Hanover, trained by Mark Ford and driven by Ron Pierce, is a perfect five-for-five in 2008 with a seasonal best of 1:51 at the Meadowlands.

Mystery Chase, trained by Jim Campbell and driven by George Brennan, has a win and a second in two starts this year with the win coming May 9 in a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes race at the Meadows. Time of this mile was 1:51.3 over a racing surface listed as sloppy.

John Campbell, one of the sport’s Hall of Fame drivers, is scheduled to drive in at least one of the two Hempt eliminations.

Duke Did It, trained by Chris Oakes and stabled at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, is coming off a 1:51.4 win at the Northeastern Pennsylvania racetrack. Oakes won the Hempt in 2007 with Tivoli Hanover.

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