Pocono: Captain Albano hauls down Legendary Hanover in Hempt Memorial

Captain Albano moved to the outside from the pocket coming off the final turn and got to favorite Legendary Hanover just prior to the wire to win Saturday's $300,000 Max C. Hempt Memorial for 3-year-old male pacers by a nose in 1:48 3/5 at Mohegan Pennsylvania's Pocono Downs. Gem Quality finished third.

Driver Todd McCarthy and Captain Albano got to the front in a 27 1/5 opening quarter as Legendary Hanover, who got off the gate in fourth from post seven, pressed forward in a bid for the lead. Legendary Hanover, the 1-5 favorite, finally cleared Captain Albano heading to the second turn and reached the half in 55 1/5 and three-quarters in 1:22 1/5.

Captain Albano, sent off at odds of 10-1, came home with a 26 1/5 last panel to notch his third victory in-a-row, following wins in his Adios elimination on July 20 and the Adios final on July 27.

"Everything sort of really went to plan in the first quarter for me and I was sort of content to follow (Legendary Hanover)," McCarthy said. "When he came, I just wanted to keep the speed on a little bit and make him step around, but I didn't want to do too much, as well.

"Coming off the (last) turn my horse felt really good. I probably went a little bit earlier than normal, but it's not quite as long a stretch here as some of the bigger tracks that he's used to, so I wanted to get him out and going."

Captain Albano, the 2023 Dan Patch Award winner for 2-year-old male pacers, has won five of nine races this season and 12 of 18 in his career, good for earnings of $929,195. The Noel Daley trainee has finished worse than third only once.

"Earlier on in the year, things just weren't going our way," McCarthy said. "I sort of wanted to drive him a little more forward after that.

"He showed his heart, and his determination and Noel has had the horse spot on all year. He's just been an absolute pleasure to drive."

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Captain Albano is owned by Patricia Stable, L.A. Express Stable, Sjoblom Racing, and Michael Dolan. The son of Captaintreacherous-Angelou was bred by Frederick Hertrich III.

Captain Luke, the winner of the Governor's Cup last year, decided to govern the pace in the $200,000 Hempt Consolation I and made his lead stand in 1:50 1/5, although McCrunch kept coming on from first-over and narrowed the margin to a neck at the wire. Solid Character was third. Captain Luke is a $560,524-winning son of Captaintreacherous-Bodacious Hanover trained by Tony Alagna for Robert LeBlanc, Pryde Stables, Brad Grant, and Steven Head.

Driver Dexter Dunn won his third of the four Consolation II events (he was third in the other) by working out a second-over trip with the Always B Miki-Night Music gelding Its Saturday Night, going wide to the stretch lead, and then stopping the timer in a lifetime-best 1:51 3/5 for trainer Nifty Norman and owner Dune Road Stables in the $100,000 Hempt event. Its Saturday Night was the 8-5 second choice; the 3-2 favorite Number Cruncher went a big mile himself, making a break amidst leavers early, recovering and moving fourth-over, and then closing powerfully to miss by only three parts of a length. Captain Fear Not was third.

--with files from the PHHA/Pocono--