Pocono: Max Hempt Memorial the highlight of Sun Stakes Saturday

The sophomore male class of pacers has been looking for a leader for much of the season. With the 2025 Horse of the Year Beau Jangles failing thus far to fulfill that role, others have stepped forward, holding the mantle just long enough before surrendering it. As we move towards the end of the summer battles, there appeared to be only one location left on the schedule that could bring together all the major components and pinpoint the leader. That notion came to fruition on Monday (August 17) when all the major sophomore stakes winners in 2026 entered the $300,000 Max Hempt Memorial, part of a huge 14-race Sun Stakes program at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania.

Even better yet was the post-position draw that will leave none of the key players an excuse should things not go perfectly within the contest. With Meadowlands Pace champion Brandon Blvd (post two) and North America Cup victor Odds On Mr Mamba (post four) to the inside of the starting car, they could get some redemption after failing to fire in the Cane Pace on Hambletonian Day. Trainer Ron Burke is never short on talent, and he'll send out Adios winner Al Papi (post three), along with Milstein Memorial winner Melillo (post one) as two of his three in the field. Add to the mix Cane Pace upsetter Sweet Lovin Lou (post six) and the extremely-speedy Gentleman's Club (post seven), a horse that fought off repeated challenges in the Cane only to come away with second prize. That Another C Note (post eight) has won more races than any other in the field this year - with nine trips to the winner's circle - despite showing the lowest money won of the octet, there's little question whether the connections would have preferred the $200,000 first consolation rather than this spot.

As formful as the seven others in the field have been at times, there is one horse that is nearly impossible to figure out, and that is Beau Jangles. The son of Cattlewash was unbeatable as a freshman, capturing all 12 of his starts in 2025 and giving rise to the speculation that he might in fact be the second coming of Somebeachsomewhere. That expectation quickly came crumbling down in June when Beau Jangles couldn't get past the Grade 1 North America Cup test captured by Odds On Mr Mamba. Invincibility is something that is extremely hard to recapture once a horse suffers defeat, and in the case of Beau Jangles the memory of 15 consecutive wins to start his career has been decimated by five consecutive losses heading into Saturday's contest.

Though Beau Jangles lost both North America Cup elimination and finals, it was a fifth-place finish in an Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Series event on June 27 that took the air out of his sails, both literally and figuratively. While some pondered whether the losses could be explained by some malady that could lead to a premature retirement, Beau Jangles returned a month later with a 1:50 qualifier at Woodbine Mohawk, looking sound for certain while racing just against the clock.

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There was talk of a Cane Pace supplement for Beau Jangles with the necessary test an Ontario Gold event at Grand River on August 3, a day before supplemental payments would be required. That buzz quickly evaporated when Beau Jangles got hopelessly parked to a 52 3/5 half-mile and subsequently retreated. That race would be the last for regular driver Bob McClure, but we'd be remiss in not pointing out that the first quarter in that Ontario Gold event was 25 4/5 and McClure could not be blamed for avoiding the early skirmish. On top of that, McClure had Beau Jangles almost completely around pace-setter and eventual race winner Redland Rocket Man at the half when his driver Jody Jamieson moved to keep him parked.

Todd McCarthy was brought in to drive Beau Jangles last Saturday (August 15) in an overnight event against aged horses at Woodbine Mohawk Park and following a fifth-place finish the critics resurfaced, this time not necessarily blaming the driver but questioning whether courage was part of Beau Jangles' DNA. Thankfully the connections of Beau Jangles weren't taking the criticism too seriously, as they will make the trip to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, on Saturday despite the talk. While it may have been true that McCarthy drove Beau Jangles perfectly, he also drove him conservatively. So, instead of getting the half in 52 and change, Beau Jangles was sixth in just a 55 3/5 first-half and thus overland through a back-half in 53 seconds.

The Hempt will attempt to sort out the sophomore group and test the speed and toughness in the process. Brandon Blvd had begun to look invincible following a pair of ultra-game efforts in the North America Cup elimination and finals, racing from the outside posts and taking plenty of air. His reward was capturing the Grade 1 Meadowlands Pace where he fought pressure on all sides and prevailed. Brandon Blvd enters the Hempt following his first sub-par performance, a third-place finish in the five-horse Cane Pace.

Melillo enters the Hempt with a great draw and an equally solid prep race for trainer Ron Burke and driver Ronnie Wrenn Jr. The Sweet Lou-sired gelding took all the air, going first-over and missing by just a head while finishing fourth in the Meadowlands Pace. He has since found the trips much easier due to the benefit of stablemates in his last two encounters. In the Adios, Melillo overcame post nine, getting a tuck fourth as Another C Note backed off from his rail position to allow a hole. In the Milstein, Melillo waltzed to the front in a moderate 26 4/5 opener before yielding to the Burke-trained Aces And Cinches. The pocket trip worked out perfectly when Aces And Cinches predictably bore off the pylons, giving Melillo a straight path to the winner's circle. On Saturday, having the rail may find Wrenn Jr. and Melillo not dealing with friendly fire in the first quarter-mile.

Al Papi has won twice in nine starts this year and is the only one of the Hempt starters to have not raced in the past four weeks. Certainly, the Papi Rob Hanover-sired colt deserved a rest following a pair of consecutive big miles at The Meadows, with a 1:47 2/5 blowout in the elimination followed by a 1:48 1/5 mile in the final. What is puzzling is that Al Papi was seen in an "unofficial" public workout this past Saturday (August 15) at The Meadows prior to the racecard, going what I believe was a 1:51 4/5 mile by himself for driver Yannick Gingras.

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For Odds On Mr Mamba, the Hempt allows his connections a modest entry fee as opposed to the supplement required for entry into both the Adios and Cane Pace. Of greater importance to those connections is the appearance of a larger field and the probability of a pace that he does not have to be a part of in the early going. Following his win in an Adios elimination on the front-end, Odds On Mr Mamba had too many Burke-trained horses to overcome in the final. In his Cane effort, driver James MacDonald pushed him a few times and found resistance in the form of Gentleman's Club, leading to his first off-the-board finish of the year. Odds On Mr Mamba's best races this year came via covered trips at Woodbine Mohawk Park in June. That may be what he's in store for on Saturday.

Scott Zeron has mended and returned to the sulky following an incident at Yonkers prior to this year's Hambletonian Day. Zeron had set up Sweet Lovin Lou nicely in the Adios final, keeping the colt interested despite racing parked the entire distance. Tim Tetrick picked up the drive in the Cane Pace and vaulted the Dan Legace trainee to a 1:47 3/5 career-best. Zeron returns with Sweet Lovin Lou, landing post six for the Hempt. A horse with early speed, Sweet Lovin Lou's chances will be enhanced if others can pace a half in 53 or better.

Gentleman's Club has enjoyed great success at the Meadowlands during his career, capturing the Governor's Cup there as a 2-year-old and returning this season with a solid third in the Meadowlands Pace and second in the Cane Pace. Post seven in the Hempt is a daunting challenge for the Aaron Lambert-trained son of Downbytheseaside.

The 2026 edition of the Max Hempt Memorial shapes up as an extraordinary race on paper, with a majority of the field capable of winning with the right trip. That makes it an ideal betting race and the high point on the Sun Stakes card.