Im The Answer set a new track record and world record on Saturday night at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs for three-year-old geldings on the trot while winning one of three eliminations for the inaugural Earl Beal Jr. Memorial Trot. Dejarmbro and Pastor Stephen also turned in winning performances in their respective eliminations

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The Beal Memorial final for three-year-old Open trotters will be held next Saturday night at Pocono and carries a purse of $500,000. On Saturday night, there were three $25,000 elimination races held for the stakes race. The top three in the official order of finish in each race advanced to the big-money final.

Im The Answer did his damage in the very first split for trainer-driver Trond Smedshammer, who sent the gelding to the front end at the 3/8-mile marker. He wasn’t seriously challenged from that point, crossing the line four and a half lengths the best in 1:52.4. That shattered the previous Pocono mark for sophomore geldings on the trot of 1:53.3, set by Shermans Mountain in 2009. The time of the mile was also a world record for three-year-old trotting geldings on a five eighths mile track and just two-fifths of a second off the overall sophomore male record held by colt Break The Bank K. Opening Night (Tyler Buter) finished second and Buffalino Hanover (Todd Schadel) picked up third to punch their tickets to the final.

In the third and final elimination later in the night, Smedshammer was at it again, this time guiding Dejarmbro to a come-from-behind win.

The colt sat off the sizzling fractions early, and began making his move on the back stretch. Leader Charlie De Vie went on a break on the final turn, allowing the hotly-pursuing Dejarmbro to take over and win by two and three-quarter lengths in 1:52.4. Other finalists from the race include second-place finisher Bambino Hall (George Napolitano Jr.) and Leader Of The Gang (Ron Pierce), who picked up the show.

In between Smedshammer’s successes, Pastor Stephen, a powerhouse from the barn of Jimmy Takter, staked his claim as the one to beat for next week’s final. With Ron Pierce on the bike, Pastor Stephen glided first-over past all of his foes to win by three lengths in 1:53.1. Also making the final from that split were Broad Bahn (George Brennan) and Big Rigs (George Napolitano), who finished second and third, respectively.

(With files from Pocono Downs)