Captain Optimistic photo by Lisa Photo. Swingtown (inside) and Rick Wink in Ohio State Fair race by Conrad Photo.
By Ken Weingartner, USTA Media Relations Manager
There will be plenty of firepower in Saturday’s $300,000 Grade 2 Max C. Hempt Memorial at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, where five of the season’s seven fastest 3-year-old male pacers in North America will meet in a field of eight.
Prince Hal Hanover, coming off wins in the Grade 2 Carl Milstein Memorial and Grade 1 Adios in his past two starts, received the 5-2 morning-line nod. Captain Optimistic, who posted a career-best 1:48.1 triumph in the Grade 2 Cane Pace in his most recent start on Aug. 2, was made the 3-1 second choice followed by Twisted Destiny, who counts the Grade 2 MGM Grand Messenger Stakes in June among his victories, at 4-1.
Twisted Destiny has the fastest mark among that group, at 1:48, which he set in winning his Adios elimination on July 19. He was third in the final, beaten by only a neck, and second in the Milstein. Prince Hal Hanover set his mark of 1:48.1 in the Adios final after finishing second to Twisted Destiny in the elim.
Rounding out the quintet of speedsters are Papis Pistol, who won a 3-year-old Open in 1:48 in June at Woodbine Mohawk Park, and Dandy Ideal, who scored in 1:48.2 in a July 12 conditioned race at Pocono Downs.
But the depth goes beyond those five, with the Ron Burke-trained duo of Swingtown and Rick Wink also among the Hempt field.
Swingtown won an Adios elimination and finished second, beaten by a head, in the final. He met up with Prince Hal Hanover and Twisted Destiny again in the Milstein, where he battled to the front in a :25.4 opening quarter before finishing third. For the year, he has hit the board in seven of nine starts, winning four and earning $274,530.
Rick Wink made an early break in the Milstein and was no factor but finished a fast-closing fifth in the Adios final. He has four victories among six top-three finishes this year, with $169,000 in purses.
Swingtown and Rick Wink finished 1-2, respectively, separated by a nose, in the $145,000 Ohio State Fair race for sophomore male pacers at Eldorado Scioto Downs the week prior to the Aug. 9 Milstein Memorial at MGM Northfield Park. Swingtown will leave from post two with driver Ronnie Wrenn Jr. on Saturday and is 6-1 on the morning line. Rick Wink is 10-1 and will leave from post four with Yannick Gingras.
“I’m really happy with them,” Burke said. “With Rick Wink, you can throw out last week. He shied away from a tree that hangs over the track, so I’m not worried about that. Swingtown raced great. Going :25.4 at Northfield is legit. You’re going a real mile. He drew inside (Saturday), and he can control the pace, too.”
Swingtown and Rick Wink are among a group of Burke’s 3-year-old male pacers who have been overshadowed by stablemate Louprint, who was a Dan Patch Award winner last year and undefeated in five races this year, including the Grade 1 Pepsi North America Cup, before being sidelined by minor surgery.
“Louprint is just another step up,” Burke said. “These others are very good colts. But I think Louprint is special.”
The Max C. Hempt Memorial is part of Pocono’s Sun Stakes Saturday card, along with the Grade 1 James M. Lynch Memorial for 3-year-old female pacers, the Grade 1 Delmonica Hanover for 3-year-old female trotters, and the Grade 2 Earl Beal Jr. Memorial for 3-year-old male trotters.
Racing begins at 2:30 p.m. (EDT) Saturday at Pocono Downs. For free program pages, visit the Pennsylvania Harness Horsemen’s Association website<www.phha.org/>.
Ken Weingartner Media Relations Manager
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