Mach Three and Monsoon Hall Win Berry’s Creek Elims

Monsoon Hall
(Photo courtesy of The US Trotting Association)

By Tom White
May 6, 2002

Delaware, Ohio--Mach Three, who was first or second in all nine starts at two, and stablemate Monsoon Hall won $25,000 Berry’s Creek eliminations and head into next Saturday’s $300,000 Final at The Meadowlands. Both are eligible to the $550,000-estimated Little Brown Jug scheduled for Thursday, September 19 at the Delaware, Ohio County Fair. McArdle, the third elimination winner, is not eligible to the Jug.

Mach Three held off Illinois sensation Mini Me by a neck in a lifetime best 1:50.3. The Monte Gelrod trainee is owned by Linda Magid of Cambridge, Ontario. John Campbell drove the three-year-old homebred son of Matt’s Scooter.

"I knew what kind of a colt he was last year and figured he’d be sharp this year," said Campbell, driving Mach Three for the first time. "He was on the bit to the half and took a little bit out of himself. The colt pushed his

career earnings to $976,028. "He was very impressive tonight," said Jeff Webster of the Gelrod Stable." With a tough trip he showed a lot of grit. He’s very versatile." Longshot Art Major, also a Jug eligible, was third to Mach Three.

Monsoon Hall posted a 2 1/4 length victory over Jug eligibles Riptide Hall and Cam’s Fast Gun in a lifetime best 1:51.2 for the Campbell-Gelrod connection. Owned by Val D’Or Farms of Hasbrouck Heights, NJ and Schoor Racing Stable of Colts Neck, NJ, Monsoon Hall won three of five starts last year.

"He’s a real nice colt and I liked him right from the start," Gelrod said of the son of Cambest. "I sent him to Canada last year, and he got sick. We decided to shut him down." Campbell said, "He was very good tonight.

Certainly the tightener last week helped him. he cruised around there and still had some left at the wire."

McArdle won his elimination in 1:53 by a half-length over Jug eligible Image Of Dawn.

In other news of Jug hopefuls the Bob McIntosh-trained duo of Allamerican Ingot and Wester Maverick qualified at Mohawk. Woodrow Wilson winner Allamerican Ingot won in 1:57 while his stablemate was third.