Racing Roundup: Saturday, August 30, 2008

from Harness Publicists across North America

Saturday’s (August 30) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Vernon Downs, Tioga Downs, Batavia Downs, Scioto Downs and the Wauseon, Ohio Fair.

Lems and Whittemore dominate at Vernon

Vernon, NY — Driver Chris Lems captured four events during Saturday night’s nine-race card at Vernon Downs, including the featured pace with The Best, while Jimmy Whittemore teamed both winners in a $21,700 New York-bred late-closing test for 2-year-old male trotters.

Lems, the track’s top provisional pilot both last year and this season, moved The Best into the lead after the :27.4 opening quarter and kept the 4-year-old gelding on the engine through additional splits of :57.3 and 1:25.4 en route to a 2-3/4 length decision over the fast-closing Fox Ridge Connor in the week’s $8,000 top flight of the Miracle Mile class.

The 1:53 clocking was the evening’s fastest mile, and it enabled the altered son of Pro Bono Best to record his second season’s score, both over Vernon’s oval. Trained by Lonny Hale and owned by Rocco Manzi, the speedy New York-bred raised his career earnings to $202,981.

Lems also finished first in the early double with the pacers Havana Harry and Tabo’s Tyke, and then raised his local win total to 49 by capturing Saturday’s final event with the pacer Bucky B Skipalong. After 61 programs, the 21-year-old horseman finds himself in a third-place tie with defending champ Howard Okusko, Jr. on the track’s 2008 dash-winning chart.

Following his meet-leading 11th double, scoring with Monaghan Man and Never Missed in Saturday’s third and sixth races, respectively, Whittemore tied Josh Marks at 67 atop the track’s current race-winning chart.

Monaghan Man’s personal best 1:59 performance made him the fastest freshman trotter of the season at the Downs. The gritty gate-to-wire performance in the late closer’s $10,800 first flight marked the third tally in seven lifetime starts for the gelded son of Malabar Man-Corfad Dream, who is shared in ownership by trainer Ray Van Dreason, and his partners James Kennedy, and Alan and Gus Johnston.

Never Missed, co-owned by trainer Raymond Allen and Brent Schlossberg, rallied from fifth in the early going, overcame a brief bobble entering the top of the stretch, and then closed from third at the head of the lane to capture the $10,900 second division by more than three lengths. The 2:02.4 mile enabled the altered son of CR Excalibur-Phyllis Doll to post his first score in two career starts.

— Jim Moran

Schoolkids and Billie Bluechip score at Tioga

Nichols, NY — Schoolkids scored his second straight victory in the $10,000 Kindergarten Classic for 2-year-old colt and gelding pacers on Saturday night at Tioga Downs.

The son of I Am A Fool-Game Bunny is owned by the Bulletproof Enterprises and is conditioned by the Tracy Brainard stable.

Fred Brown Photography

Schoolkids nipped Spring Again on Saturday at Tioga.

Josh Marks placed Schoolkids perfectly in behind Spring Again and Bruce Clarke as the field strolled through fractions of :28.2, :57.4, and 1:26.4. Marks then asked Schoolkids for his best through the final panel and he responded by challenging the leader in a toe to toe battle through a :27.1 last quarter to score in 1:54.

It was the second win in five starts for Schoolkids, who destroyed the previous track record for 2-year-old colt pacers last week at Vernon Downs in 1:51.

Spring Again and Bruce Clarke hung on for second, while the other part of the Brainard-Bulletproof entry, Aintnofoolsgold and Mike Simons, got up for third.

In the $10,000 division of the Kindergarten Classic for 2-year-old pacing fillies it was Billie Bluechip and Joe Pavia, Jr. who used a strong surge late to stop the timer in a new lifetime best of 1:55.4. It was the third win in seven starts for the daughter of Western Hanover, out of the Camluck mare Molly Can Do It, who is owned by Steven Held, Dijo Racing Inc., and Michael Rich.

Aint A Fool Ok and Josh Marks just did get caught at the wire and had to settle for second, while Jkmusicofthenite and Mike Simons picked up the show spot.

— Dustin Ross

Smarty Merit takes Batavia feature

Batavia, NY — James M. Dunn’s 7-year-old pacer Smart Merit went from last to first to win the featured $8,800 Open II/optional claiming pace on Saturday night at Batavia Downs Gaming.

Resembling a top pacer known for his closing from last style that raced at the Downs in the early 1970s named Pine Hill Time (Dick Welch), Smart Merit, with trainer/driver Ron Beback, Jr., just bided his time at the rail until the field of seven turned home, then angled out four deep at the top of the stretch and flew down the center to get up by a head in 1:55.3.

Northern Gale with Jim McNeight followed second over cover, took a stretch lead only to get out-finished but came in second while Mr Sundin (Troy Boring) took the short way around to be third.

Scoring for the sixth time this season, Smart Merit, an altered son of Chief Marty, raised his seasonal earnings to over $47,000 and lifetime earnings to over $207,000. He returned $26.60 to win.

Ron Beback, Jr. has had quite a start to the Labor Day weekend. He drove and trained a pair of winners on Saturday night after scoring the hat trick in both categories on Friday.

— Todd Haight

Gerald N Sam fastest at Scioto in 1:53

Columbus, OH — Gerald N Sam stepped down a bit in class on Saturday night at Scioto Downs and found it much easier to visit the winner’s circle.

The 4-year-old son of Nobleland Sam has been racing successfully in the Open Pace all summer, but on Saturday he got in an easier spot and paced to a 1:53 win.

Justin Hall drove his pacer confidently for owner Esther Crownover and trainer Earl Owings. He sent Gerald N Sam to the front at the start and rated the opening half-mile in :57.1. Hall then fired up the afterburners on his pacer and Gerald N Sam responded with a final half in :55.4 to beat Two Bills and Camcoder.

It was the eighth win of the season in 18 starts for Gerald N Sam, who went off as the 8-5 favorite.

The fastest mile of Saturday at Scioto came in a morning qualifier when the sophomore pacer Upfront Hannahsboy paced in 1:51.4 for trainer Jim Arledge and driver Del S. Miller. He paced his final quarter in :27 and won by more than 30 lengths.

— Dean A. Hoffman

Racing begins at Fulton County Fair

Wauseon, OH — The Fulton County Fair at Wauseon, Ohio kicked off its three-day race meet with a seven-race program on Saturday afternoon.

Trendy Ashley (Stand Forever-C’mon Ashley) took the fastest split of the 2-year-old filly pace in 2:01.3. Kim Pluta was in the sulky for owner Chuck Campbell and trainer Rob Harmon. Jay Cross piloted Darting Larkin (Cam’s Magic Trick-Sincere Dart) to victory in the second division in 2:02.4. Pauline Giesige owns Darting Larkin, and Bill Webb is the trainer.

Both divisions of the 2-year-old filly trot went in 2:03.4. DTM (Ilooklikemymom-Miss Gigi D) captured the first division for trainer-driver Charles Peter. Kevin and Deloy Appel pay the bills on DTM. Curly Top (Emile Angus-Platinum Plus) found the winner’s circle in the second split for owner-trainer-driver Jerry Lighthill.

— Bill Peters

Back to Top

Share via