Pocono: Lawless Shadow staves off Perfect Sting in Hempt Memorial

Lawless Shadow reteamed with driver Mark MacDonald for the $300,000 Max C. Hempt Memorial on Saturday afternoon and put in a stunning wire-to-wire effort to capture the sophomore colt and gelding pacing stakes at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono in a 1:48 2/5 clocking.

Lawless Shadow had the advantage of the pole position, and MacDonald made sure he got away in good order as he forced Perfect Sting into a hole early and then made Adios winner Hellabalou take a three-hole on his way to a 25 2/5 opening quarter. With the field in line, MacDonald took a good hold of the Shadow Play-sired colt and was able to control the action through a more sensible opening-half of 54 seconds before any horse moved to the outside to challenge.

Southwind Gendry and driver Yannick Gingras were the first-over aggressors, but Lawless Shadow made a backstretch sprint, keeping pocket-sitter Perfect Sting at a distance as Southwind Gendry tried to advance while doing little to tow Cane Pace champion Rockyroad Hanover into the action. With three quarters posted in 1:21 2/5, the outer tier began to lose touch, allowing David Miller, driving Perfect Sting, plenty of room to pull and challenge the 6-1 Lawless Shadow through the stretch.

Perfect Sting gave it all he could, but MacDonald kept after Lawless Shadow, and the gritty colt dug in bravely to stave off the favorite with a 27 second final quarter. Perfect Sting continued his on-the-board streak for trainer Joe Holloway but finished second, with Hellabalou third.

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Trained by Dr. Ian Moore, Lawless Shadow is owned by Moore, R G McGroup LTD., Serge Savard, and Frank Cannon. Lawless Shadow returned $14.80 to win.

"That was the same time Shadow Play (Lawless Shadow's sire) went in the Adios in 2008," said Moore proudly of his former stable star.

For MacDonald the victory was sweet, and Moore paid tribute.

"There's chemistry between them," said Moore.

MacDonald had been scheduled to drive Lawless Shadow in an Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Series race on August 7 following drives at the Meadowlands but never made it to Woodbine Mohawk Park.

"That was a situation where the plane he was supposed to be on didn't take off from Toronto in time to meet him," said Moore.

Whichwaytothebeach and driver Andrew McCarthy made a swift regaining move before the quarter and then proceeded to cut the rest of the mile on his way to a 1:50 1/5 victory in the $200,000 Hempt Consolation I. Brett Pelling trains Whichwaytothebeach, who won for the sixth time in 2021.

Lou's Pearlman captured the $100,000 Consolation II for Yannick Gingras in 1:48 4/5, leaving the field in the dust for trainer Ron Burke, with Always A Miki and Exploit a distant second and third.