Pocono: Super Chapter noses out Emoticon Legacy in Earl Beal Jr. Memorial

Hambletonian runner-up Super Chapter was back to his winning ways in Saturday's Grade 2 $300,000 Earl Beal Jr. Memorial for 3-year-old male trotters at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania as he converted a pocket trip into a world record 1:50 victory.

Driven by Dexter Dunn, Super Chapter tracked Emoticon Legacy (Louis Roy) from the two-hole through fractions of 26 4/5, 55 3/5 and 1:23 1/5, then swung to the outside on the final bend. Emoticon Legacy was game on the front-end but Super Chapter gained ground with every stride and nailed him on the wire. Onajetplane (Andy McCarthy) grabbed third, followed by Gap Kronos S (Tim Tetrick) and Greenma (Trond Smedshammer).

The time of 1:50 bettered Father Patrick's mark of 1:50 2/5 set on June 28, 2014 at Pocono.

"I probably haven't sat behind many horses that are as easy as him to drive. It makes my job pretty easy," Dunn said after the race. "Louis' horse was fantastic. It was a lot of work to get past him. My fella is just so courageous. He had his head stuck right out trying to get to the wire and he did the job. The trip worked out perfect. He's the type of horse that can put himself in the right position like today and get the good helmet to follow. He's extremely fast on the end of it.

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"He gives you all the confidence in the world. He's a beautiful-moving trotter and beautiful to drive. He's got a great attitude and he's a racehorse and he wants to win. He's really, truly a pleasure to sit behind."

Trained by Marcus Melander, Super Chapter is owned by Jeff Snyder and Arthur Pronti along with breeder Hanover Shoe Farms. Super Chapter has a summary of 11-4-1 from 18 outings, has put away $1,219,765 and paid $2.40 to win.

Consolations go to Fashion Green, Frank Leahy

Fashion Green worked his way to the lead at the quarter and set the pace as he pleased in the $200,000 Beal Consolation I, then had enough to withstand the game first-over Happy Jack B while equaling his mark of 1:52 2/5. The Greenshoe gelding, driven by Tim Tetrick for Jim Campbell and Fashion Farms LLC., pushed his lifetime record to eight for nine (the only loss a combination of bad luck and bad timing, as he was first-over in his Hambo elim and couldn't make the final).

Frank Leahy yielded to sit in the two-hole in the $100,000 Beal Consolation II, then moved inside for the stretch to catch pace-setting stablemate Cheers Hanover by a head while taking a new mark of 1:52 4/5. Yannick Gingras drove the winner, and Ron Burke trained the 1-2 finishers; the victorious Southwind Frank colt is owned by Ben Mondello LLC. and FAC Racing LLC.

--with files from the PHHA/Pocono--