Racing Roundup: Legal Litigator scores in Open Handicap Pace at Yonkers
January 16, 2010,from Harness Publicists across North America
Saturday’s (Jan. 16) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Yonkers Raceway, Dover Downs, Pompano Park, Buffalo Raceway and Cal-Expo.
Legal Litigator scores in Open Handicap Pace at Yonkers
Yonkers, NY — Favored Legal Litigator (Cat Manzi) lasted on the lead Saturday night, earning a Yonkers Raceway repeat in the $32,000 Open Handicap Pace.
Mike Lizzi photo
Legal Litigator held on at the wire in the Open Handicap Pace at Yonkers.
Ordered outside his six rivals, Legal Litigator was wide early, taking the lead from Lindy’s Bandit (Greg Grismore) after a :27 opening quarter-mile. He then rolled by a :55 intermission and 1:23.2 three-quarters. Jo Pa’s Wild Card (Jim Pantaleano) tried it first-up, while Lindy’s Bandit was bottoming out of the pocket.
All the while, Legal Litigator widened to three lenghts turning for home — and he needed most of that. Southwind Tabor (Ryan Anderson), next-to-last early, rallied but missed by a nose. Legal Litagator prevailed in 1:53.1, a tick slower than last week but good enough here. Digital Z Tam (Patrick Lachance), Diamond Stick Pin (Jeff Gregory) and Jo Pa’s Wild Card earned the minor awards.
Legal Litigator, a 5-year-old Camluck gelding owned by Bob Hamather and trained by Casie Coleman, returned $4.60 for his second win in three seasonal starts. The exacta paid $21, with the triple (three wagering favorites) returning $52.
Cat Manzi had five winners (in 11 drives) on the 12-race Saturday card.
— Frank Drucker
Infinite Desire, Fivedollarsforsox win Dover features
Dover, DE — Infinite Desire won the $13,700 4- and 5-year-old pace and Fivedollarsforsox the $12,500 featured trot on Saturday at Dover Downs.
Fotowon photo
Infinite Desire held off White Diamonds by a head in the Saturday feature at Dover.
Sean Bier moved Jeff and Paul Long’s Infinite Desire into the lead heading to the clubhouse turn and proved invincible in the $13,700 feature for younger female pacers. The Jenna’s Beach Boy-High Roller Ash 4-year-old won for the first time in her second start since arriving at the track. White Diamonds (Kim Vincent) came on to finish second with Celebrity Zelda (Ross Wolfenden) the show horse.
In the $12,500 trot, George Dennis notched his third win, driving Fivedollarsforsox to a 1:57.4 victory. Dennis and his wife Tina and Ask W Stables own the SJ’s Caviar-Hurricane Bambi gelding, a winner of his first race of the New Year. Mr Beau Windswept (Corey Callahan) was second. Victory Starburst (Roger Plante) closed well to take third.
— Marv Bachrad
Napolitano, Hennessey dominate at Pompano
Pompano Beach, FL — If combining to win half of the 16 races contested on Saturday night meets the criteria for domination then you could affix that label to the driving exploits of Anthony Napolitano and Wally Hennessey on Jan. 16 at The Isle Pompano Park.
Lap Time Photo – Skip Smith
Cammabis won the $13,000 Open Handicap Pace at The Isle Pompano Park in 1:51.3.
Napolitano wheeled Cammabis to the front in the second quarter of the $13,000 Open Handicap Pace and never looked back through splits of :55.3 and 1:23.2. The Cambest-Majestic Lady 7-year-old gelding cruised under the wire a length to the good in 1:51.3 over a hard closing McRyan Michael with Joe Pavia, Jr. Daley Deposit Only with Dan Daley outbrushed race favorite Sugar’s Pride for the show position. Cammabis is now a career winner of $244,000 trained by Paul Holzman for Fred Reitberger.
Napolitano’s dominance with four wins in the first eight race session was completed from his own stable. He’s the trainer of Lindwood Native, a 7-year-old Dream Away-Keystone Native gelding that toppled the $15,000 claimers in 1:53. Pan Prix with Ricky Macomber, Jr. held second with Hesoneinamillion and Kevin Sizer following third under the wire.
The later eight race card in South Florida on Saturday evening saw Wally Hennessey step up with three more winners to complete a single tally in the early session. None were bigger than the 6-1 upset Hennessey engineered in the $13,000 Open Handicap Trot. Colie’s, trained by Wally’s brother Dan, was given a textbook pocket trip behind the tempo setting Baseball Express with Kevin Sizer through the early fractions of :28.4, :58.1 and 1:26.3. Colie’s was wheeled out in late stretch and had just enough daylight to hold off the hard closing favorite Gale Warning, in rein to Tom Sells, in 1:55.4. Chucaro Guadal with Kevin Wallis up took down the show position over Baseball Express.
Colie’s, a son of Credit Winner-Just For Sport, was making his 2010 racing debut for the Fred Monteleone Stable. He’s now a career winner of $229,000.
Driver Bruce Ranger combined with his stable’s head trainer Stewart Nemiro to sweep both of the undercard $10,000 Open-2 events. Andover America was a front end winner in the Open-2 Trot in 1:56.4. The Andover Hall-Armbro Array 5-year-old gelding dropped down from the top class for his first win of 2010 for the ownership of McTrade Enterprises. Power Drive with Wally Hennessey and Swift Kid in rein to David Ingraham followed next under the wire.
The Ranger-Nemiro team also clicked with an off the pace score in the $10,000 Open-2 Pace with I’ve Got The Power in 1:52.3. The Signed ‘N Sealed-Lady Paula 7-year-old gelding races for Glen Keiser and it was a life’s speed mark victory. George Napolitano, Jr. made his Pompano driving debut in this event and finished a close second with Omaha Survivor and Canadian millionaire Our Lucky Killean brushed up for third with Tom Sells in the bike.
— Frank Salive
Clooney Drummond splashes home the winner in Buffalo feature
Hamburg, NY — Clooney Drummond, a 5-year-old Clown’s Tears offspring, out of the No Nukes mare Counterglow, won the $9,000 Open Handicap Pace over a sloppy track in 2:02.1 for owner James T. Dunn at Buffalo Raceway on Saturday night.
Driven by Monticello regular Greg Merton, Clooney Drummond ($7.00) made every pole a winning one, setting fractions of :29.3, 1:00.1 and 1:32.2. A :29.4 last quarter put Clooney Drummond 1-1/4 lengths ahead of Devastating A (Jack Flanigen) at the wire. Scotts Rolls Royce (Troy Boring) came in the show spot.
“I had it pretty easy on the front end,” said Merton. “Being on the lead was the best place to be tonight.”
Trained by Jose Godinez, it was the first win of the year in two attempts for Clooney Drummond and the $4,500 share of the purse put his lifetime earnings at $208,473.
Ken “Doc” Holliday was the hot driver on this foggy, misty night, steering home three winners, Triple Bars ($5.20), Nifty Prescott ($2.90) and Brandonsnorthrnluk ($6.30).
Racing will resume on Friday, Jan. 22, with first post scheduled for 6:40 p.m.
— Sam Pendolino
‘Franky’ is a number one at Cal-ExpoSacramento, CA — A much happier trip saw Frankyluvsmeatbals at the top of the list. Open handicap pacers, in quest for the winner’s share of a $6,100 purse, were in the Saturday night Cal-Expo spotlight, in which Frankyluvsmeatbals was solid in victory.
Before starting from his assigned post five in the field of six, driver Luke Plano didn’t let a killer :26.3 parked-out first quarter from the week before get in the way of his confidence.
“I still thought the horse was in good shape despite the brutal trip last week,” stated Plano. “I thought I had a solid chance depending upon how the race went. As far as strategy, I was just sort of playing it by ear and seeing what everyone was doing at the gate.”
Ducking and coming away fifth into a very deliberate :29 opening quarter, Plano had two good reasons to quarter-move.
“We were going pretty slow and I thought I better move if I wanted to get into the race. Additionally, knowing that Cowboy Hanover (Rick Plano) was on the lead — who I’ve driven on many occasions, and knowing that he doesn’t prefer the front — added further reason for me to go to the lead.”
Getting to the top past the 7-16ths pole and pacing a :27.2 second quarter, did Plano have to use his charge into a :57.3 half-mile?
“I used him a little bit, but he was still fairly comfortable once he cleared.”
With the field now three-eighths of a mile from home, the young Plano let out a bit of a notch on his pacer, then let out more to the midway point of the final turn.
“He was strong on the turn and I asked him because I wanted to keep him going.”
Reaching the three-quarter station, timed in 1:25.3, Plano knew what he had, but what about the others?
“I didn’t know how much anybody had behind me, but I knew he still felt strong and had plenty left in the tank.”
Getting his earplugs popped into the lane, the 5-year-old slammed the door on his foes and wouldn’t be caught.
“When I pulled the plugs he responded smartly and took right off. I kept after him down the lane and he paced strongly to the wire.”
Owned by Maryann Plano and trained by her husband Rick, Frankyluvsmeatbals, while pacing his final three-quarters in 1:22.3, won ($7.20) by 1-3/4 lengths in 1:52.4. Keystone Eli (Lemoyne Svendsen) closed and raced well to be second, and Ideally Magic (James Kennedy) finished one length farther back in third.
“He’s a good horse who raced good and bounced back despite the rough trip last week,” finished Plano, who had four winners on the card.
Live racing continues at Cal-Expo on Sunday (Jan. 17) with a special early post time of 5:00 p.m. (PST).
— Scott Ehrlich