Andover Hall colt claims Earl Beal Memorial elimination

Champion sire Andover Hall will have three starters in this Saturday's (US time) $500,000 Earl Beal Jr. Memorial for 3-year-old trotters with Perfect Spirit victorious in his $25,000 elimination at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono over the weekend and Dover Dan and Moonshiner Hanover also qualifying for the Final with top three placings in their elimination races.

The Ake Svanstedt trained Perfect Spirit upset the hot favourite Devious Man in the second of the Beal eliminations, coming with a storming run in the home straight after being three back on the running rail to down last week's Empire Breeders Classic winner Devious Man by a head at the line.

It was Perfect Spirit's third win of the year and his fifth lifetime victory taking his earnings to just under $65,000 to date.

Last season's Bluegrass Stakes winner Dover Dan was third in the same elimination, securing his spot in Saturday's Final, while Moonshiner Hanover, a recent Currier & Ives division winner, booked his spot with a third placing to champion filly Ariana G in the last of the eliminations.