The Saturday (June 29) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Buffalo Raceway, Saratoga Casino Hotel, Vernon Downs, Tioga Downs and Running Aces.

Black Is Back takes Buffalo Raceway Open

Hamburg, NY — Black Is Back ($4.10) left the field feeling blue in Buffalo Raceway’s $13,000 Class AA-Open Pace on Saturday night (June 29) with a neck win over Lucan Hanover in 1:54.3 over the fast track. It was fourth straight victory for Black Is Back with the previous three decisions coming at Saratoga Casino Hotel.

Black Is Back wins Buffalo Raceway Open pace. Steve Roth photo.

With his first start behind Black Is Back, David McNeight III got to the front early with him but saw Lucan Hanover (Billy Davis Jr.) storm by and take control as they hit the opening quarter in :28.1.

“I think he (Black Is Back) wanted to cut the mile but he can race from behind,” stated McNeight III after getting the pocket trip.

That closing kick came in handy as Black Is Back blasted a :28.1 final quarter to help in topping the pace-setting Lucan Hanover. Upfront Countryboy (Shawn McDonough) was third.

“At the top of the stretch I knew I had a lot left but I wasn’t sure I was going to get by Lucan Hanover who is a tough horse to pass,” McNeight III said.

Co-owned by Mihajlo Zdjelar Sr. and Curtis Edholm and trained by Mihajlo Zdjelar Jr., the 6-year-old gelding Black Is Back (Western Terror-Magic Moments) is now a winner of five races in 11 tries this season. The victory improved his 2019 earnings to $29,500 and $193,475 in his career.

Manceiver ($10.60) took the $11,000 Class AA pace with a wire-to-wire victory in 1:55.4 for Kevin Cummings.

Starting from the five post, Manceiver took right off from the wings and was able to set the tempo of :28.2, :57 and 1:26.2. The closers made belated moves in the stretch but Manceiver’s advantage was too much to overcome. Western Conquest (Ray Fisher Jr.) was second with China Dream (Davis Jr.) taking third.

Owned by Mike Torcello and trained by Gerry Sarama, it was the seventh victory in 22 appearances for the 5-year-old gelding Manceiver (Sportswriter-Swift N Shout). The win pushed his season winnings to $45,410 and $140,047 lifetime.

There were a pair of $10,000 Class A paces on the the program with In Runaway Bay ($6.00) taking the first division in 1:55.1 for Morrill Jr. while What’s Goin On ($3.90) rallied three-wide around the final turn in posting a 1:55.2 triumph under the guidance of Cummings.

Cummings remained red hot in the sulky with three victories while Morrill Jr. doubled. Sarama had a pair of training wins.

Racing will resume on Wednesday evening at 5 p.m. with a 12-race card slated. The New York Sire Stakes will be back as the 2-year-old filly pacers will collide in a pair of $54,000 events. There will also be competition in the Excelsior A series and a non-betting affair in the Excelsior B division with post time for that race at 4:30 p.m.

For more information including the latest news, race replays, results, entries, upcoming promotions and simulcast schedule, go to www.buffaloraceway.com.

— by Brian Mazurek

Saratoga Casino Hotel

Hudson Phil (Shanghai Phil) continued his winning ways in Saturday night’s feature at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The Jackie Greene-trained star went coast-to-coast in the $15,000 Open Pace for the second consecutive week. Jay Randall piloted Hudson Phil to his fifth victory of the year in the local Open, a win that came with the 4-year-old as the public’s 1-9 betting favorite. In A Single Bound (Billy Dobson) sat the pocket to Hudson Phil and was the runner-up while Panocchio (Gerry Mattison) earned the show spot. Trainer Jackie Greene has taken home the Pacer of the Year award in each of the last three seasons at Saratoga as her Artful Way has been the dominant force in the regular Saturday feature at the Spa. In 2019, though Artful Way does have three victories in the local Open, it is his stablemate Hudson Phil who has the lead among local pacers with five wins in the $15,000 feature. Saturday’s win for Hudson Phil came in 1:51.2 which is a full second slower than the 1:50.2 clocking he took in April at the Spa which serves as the lifetime mark for local star pacer. Live racing continues on Sunday afternoon with a matinee beginning at 12 p.m.

— by Mike Sardella

Vernon Downs

Cindy’s Party Boy (Howard Parker) won the featured pace ($7,000) at Vernon Downs on Saturday (June 29). The big favorite Sgt Papa Daddy (John MacDonald) went to the front and went to the first quarter in :27.1. Cindy’s Party Boy ($9.10) went first-over and took the lead before hitting the half in :55.2. As they went around the final turn, he would still control the pace hitting three-quarters in 1:22.3 with Sgt Papa Daddy still following in the pocket. Cindy’s Party Boy, who is owned by the Scarlett Stables and trained by Patti Harmon, led into the stretch and cruised to a win in a lifetime best of 1:49.4. Sgt Papa Daddy held for second with Electrofire (Jennifer Lappe) getting third money. Cindy’s Party Boy is an 8-year-old gelding by Amercian Ideal. It was his third win this season and his eighth career victory. Howard Parker had two more driving wins on the evening. He once again teamed up with Harmon and the Scarlett Stables for a win with Beach Bum ($9.70). His third win came with Golden Brit ($7.10). Dylan Huckabone-Miller wins first parimutuel race at Vernon Downs. It was a heck of a last two days for Huckabone-Miller. On Friday the 18-year-old graduated from high school and on Saturday he captured his first parimutuel race by charging late in the stretch to win with Im On Schedule ($4.90) in 1:57.0. Huckabone Miller is the son of driver Claude Huckabone III and Casey Miller. It was the first of many wins for the future star. For more information go to www.vernondowns.com.

— by John Horne

Tioga Downs

Glide In The Wind (Wally Hennessey) captured the first of the co-featured trots ($7,000) at Tioga Downs. Sky Crest (Sean McAleese) led the group into a first quarter in :28.1. Glide In The Wind ($3.60) then took over heading to the half in :58.4 and to three-quarters in 1:28.0. Glide In The Wind, who is owned and trained by Hennessey, would battle Commentary (Andy Santeramo) all the way down the stretch. Glide in the Wind would dig in and would not be denied winning in 1:58.3. Commentary had to settle for second. Vicki All (Jim Taggart Jr.) fired late to finish third. Glide In The Wind is a 4-year-old gelding by Yankee Glide. It was win number six in 2019. He now owns 10 career victories. Oh No Three O (Jeffrey Long) took the second co-feature ($7,000). Lodi Bank Robber (Corey Braden) led to the first quarter in :30.1. Choochoocharlie (Fern Paquet Jr.) then took over leading to the half in :59.4. Cashahallic (Andy Santeramo) then took control leading to three-quarters in 1:29. Oh No Three O ($10.00), who is owned by Charlene Long and trained by Paul Long, came flying down the stretch for an easy win in 1:58.2. Cashahallic finished second and Choochoocharlie was third. Oh No Three O is a 12-year-old gelding by Ken Warkentin. It was his first win this season. He now has 37 career victories. Hennessey drove three other winners on the night. His other wins came with Harry Terror ($2.10), CC Big Boy Sam ($6.40), and Geronimo Fame ($8.20). Tioga Downs returns to live racing on Sunday (June 30) as they host two divisions of the New York Sire Stakes for freshmen trotting colts and geldings. The 15-race card starts at 1 p.m. For more information go to www.tiogadowns.

— by John Horne

Running Aces

The Saturday evening program at Running Aces was highlighted by a track record performance from Urgointohearmeroar (Mooney Svendsen) who dominated a $7,000 conditioned pace and stopped the timer in 1:50.4 to register a track record for 4-year-old geldings. The clocking also equaled the fastest time ever at Running Aces, a distinction he now currently holds with Six Gun, Trashytoungetalker, and Holdingallthecards. After getting away from the gate in fifth position early, Svendsen sent his charge first-over and swept to the lead near the three-eighths marker. Once on the lead, Urgointohearmeroar ($4.40) was never in doubt, keeping early leader Skim The Top (Don Harmon) at bay in the pocket, and powering home in the final half (:55) to score a 1-3/4 length tally over Skim The Top and Marktentwentyseven (Dean Magee), who was 8-3/4 lengths back at the wire. Urgointohearmeroar is by Mystery Chase, out of the Jenna’s Beach Boy mare Unconditional. He has now won 15 of 19 career races for owner/trainer Mark Anderson, who nominated him to the 2019 Dan Patch Free-For-All Pace coming up in July. The $13,800 featured event was the 3-year-old Minnesota-sired Class A pacing event. The race delivered a stretch battle that had all of the contestants in pursuit of front-runner Stay Humble N Kind (Gerald Longo) who benefitted from a :30.3 breather in the second quarter to have plenty left in the tank deep in the stretch, holding off four challengers and scoring a third straight victory by a head in 1:54.3. Windmeupnwatchmego (Dean Magee) just missed a fourth straight win, while SB Bodacious (Rick Magee) was only beaten a half-length in third. Stay Humble N Kind is also owned and trained by Gerald Longo, and returned $8.60 for the win ticket. In the $9,200 Minnesota-sired Class B pace, The Boss’ Wife ($7.20) captured her first lifetime win with an aggressive drive by trainer Nick Roland. She dominated the affair with a gate-to-wire tally in 1:58. The 3-year-old filly by Voracious Hanover showed a tremendous improvement while third in her last outing, and followed that up with the one length victory for owners Cathy Dessert and Set The Pace Racing. Drivers Mooney Svendsen, Dean Magee and Steve Wiseman all turned in doubles on the Saturday card.

— by Darin Gagne