Sheer Desire heads up a field of 110 eligible three-year-old pacers for the 2009 Max C. Hempt Memorial Pace at Pocono Downs

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Carrying an estimated purse of $300,000, the Hempt is one of the premier racing events at the Northeastern Pennsylvania racetrack and will be contested May 23 with elimination races scheduled for May 16.

Several of the top two-year-old pacers from 2008 are among the 110 eligible for this year’s race. Those horses include Sheer Desire, Schoolkids, Bunkmeister, Arctic Warrior, Barber Pole, Gentlemen Heir, Western Dakota, Ray’s Western, Johnny Z, Brodsky and Straight Shooter.

Sheer Desire won three of four starts in 2008 with a second and purse total just under $100,000. Sheer Desire, a two-year-old gelding, was the fastest of the two-year-olds last season with a life and world mark of 1:49.3. The gelding's mark was recorded at Lexington (Red Mile) last September 27.

Schoolkids was the eighth fastest two-year-old pacer in 2008 with a clocking of 1:51 at Vernon Downs, while Bunkmeister was in the top 25 with a mark of 1:51.3 recorded at Chester Downs last September.

(Pocono)