Colts Covet Earl Beal Jr Berths In Elims At Pocono; Indiana Pair Must Perform Brilliantly

The letter (e) notes a Hambletonian-eligible horse. On June 20 at Hoosier, two Hambo-eligibles are in the field of a 10 going for the main prize from $48,500 in leg two of the Indiana Sires Stakes for sophomore colt trotters. Foremost in the field are Don’t Sass Me (e) and Lite Years Away (e). Hambletonian-graded Encore Encore sired both. At two, Lite Years Away made $50,000 plus and Don’t Sass Me earned $9,000 at Hoosier. Each has made $1,000 this season without hitting the board. This becomes one of their most important affairs if they want to impress their connections enough to drop into the August-classic’s box. It is, actually, sink or swim for them, so bettors should accept the slight edge and the big odds. The money piles will be placed before three others—Martini Show, It’s A Herbie and Chrome Flywheel, but their odds will offer far less than their chances and won’t be equally distributed. You may want to take your shot with the Hambo prospects, be those prospects dim. THE BEAL DEAL At Pocono on June 22, a pair of $25,000 elims for the Earl Beal Jr Memorial Final on the Sun Stakes program the following week, features some serious contenders for the main event on the first Saturday in August. Division one plants six glamour-boy trotters before the gate. Foremost focused upon will be Green Manalishi S (e), who makes his debut amid great expectations. His successful two-year-old season left nothing but promise for a glamour campaign handled again by Marcus Melander. The only Hambo outsider is Wittyville, as the rest are raring to get to August and racing like it. Summit In Sight (e) is the current hottest, overcoming the mild achievements of Swandre The Giant (e), White Tiger (e) and Sheer Muscle (e). Summit In Sight will be the favorite here, no doubt, putting Swandre The Giant into a tight spot—needing to improve enough to once again be considered in the top five, at least (see HT Top Ten below). For that status and to still have the gumption to make it into the Hambo elims, Ron Burke’s Indiana-bred colt needs to get into the final with a power trip and then win the final. Swandre The Giant should get less play than the importance of his goal, so for price and purpose we will ignore his stretch weariness in last week’s Goodtimes and take him here in the hope that he rises to the serious performance needed. The second $25,000 elim offers six colts while the spotlight is on one—Greenshoe (e). Should he race to form, he stands in the way of the both division members making the final. Melander’s hopes for a Hambo victory have dimensions to them but Greenshoe rules the chances. Making cases for some others, however, is not foolish; none of these are about to hand over all hope to Greenshoe. Osterc (e) put off the improving Marseille (e) last week, just as some pundits were dismissing him; Reign Of Honor (e) and Goes Down Smooth (e) have been serious forces in the sires stakes. It is only No Drama Please (e) who has yet to win this season, disappointing as a public choice twice in action. Osterc’s odds should be at least as good as when he beat Marseille at a bulging 9-2. Per Engblom’s colt will be worth a bet against “Saint” Greenshoe and certainly should be his exotic partner if it is a blowout. Hambletonian Trail TOP TEN June 17 1. Gimpanzee 2. Greenshoe 3. Pilot Discretion 4. Osterc 5. Mr. Vicktor 6. Summit In Sight 7. Forbidden Trade 8. Green Manalushi S 9. Swandre The Giant 10. Marseille Follow Hambletonian Trail action from this blog on Twitter #Hambo19 and @FrankCotolo in cooperation with the Hambletonian Society.