Racing Roundup: Thursday, August 14, 2008
August 15, 2008,from Harness Publicists across North America
Thursday’s (August 14) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Harrington Raceway, Saratoga Gaming and Raceway, The Meadows, Mohawk Racetrack, Vernon Downs, Ocean Downs, and the Dayton (PA) Fair.
Morand wins seven at Harrington
Harrington, DE — Driver Jim Morand won seven races on the Harrington Raceway program on Thursday.
The 43-year-old driver and winner of 7,672 races lifetime, became one of only four drivers in track history to win seven races on one program.
Morand started the win parade in the second race with May Day Jojo ($3.80) and followed with consecutive winners in the sixth with Solar Powered ($5.40) and Escape To Paradise ($32.40) in the seventh. Morand then drove McGuigan N ($5.40), Herthie D ($20.60), Right To The Top ($3.60), and P T’s Gold Dust ($3.60) on the second half of the program.
He is currently second in the driver standings with 84 wins. Tony Morgan leads all drivers with 182.
Only Morgan, Brad Hanners and Brandon Givens have achieved seven winners on a card at Harrington.
Sister Kae scores impressively at Saratoga
Saratoga Springs, NY — After finishing third behind Whycantiforgetyou and Dandy’s Jewel in last week’s top female pacing event at Saratoga Gaming and Raceway, Sister Kae benefited from the absence of those rivals when capturing Thursday’s featured $15,000 Fillies and Mares Open Pace in 1:55.2.
Dave Oxford photo
Sister Kae captured the $15,000 Fillies and Mares Open Pace at Saratoga Gaming and Raceway in 1:55.2.
Driven aggressively from post five by Mark Beckwith, Sister Kae had no intentions on settling through the early stages of the Thursday feature, battling with Dance In The Wind (Frank Coppola, Jr.) while parked on the lead through an opening quarter in :27.3. After clearing the front as the field negotiated the second turn of the mile, Sister Kae paced confidently on the lead, reaching the half-mile marker in :57.1 before powering though a three-quarter split in 1:26.2.
Sister Kae entered the stretch with a 1-1/2 length lead, and while a late-charging Express Ball N (Ron Cushing) did provide modest pressure down the lane, the result was never truly in doubt as the daughter of Keystone Raider prevailed by a length at the wire.
Sister Kae returned $3.50, $3.20, and $3.00 for the victory. Express Ball N paid $4.60 and $2.90 for second, while Dance In The Wind brought in $3.00 for third.
Thursday’s victory was the ninth of the year for Sister Kae, who is owned by The Inquisitive Stable LLC, and is conditioned by Elaine Elmore.
— Michael Costanzo
Green Dot goes back to back at The Meadows
Meadow Lands, PA — Green Dot made it two in a row in The Meadows’ top trot Thursday, using his characteristic late brush to score in 1:56.
Green Dot was in mid-pack, as is his custom, when Tony Hall sent him on an uncovered bid down the backside. The 6-year-old gelded son of S J’s Photo-Warrawee Anken wore down early leader Dyno Trevor, then held off the late charge of Snappy Salute to take the $23,000 Invitational by three-quarters of a length. Cosmic Man finished third.
Steve Bush trains Green Dot, who pushed his career bankroll to $379,659 for Have A Dream Stable.
— Evan Pattak
Russell Hill breaks maiden in second round of the Bridger
Campbellville, ON — Russell Hill converted from a perfect pocket trip to capture Thursday’s single division in the second leg of the Bridger Trotting Series for 2-year-olds at Mohawk Racetrack.
Paul MacDonell was up behind the son of Conway Hall-Southwind Maywood in the compact field of five and left alertly from post one to secure two-hole position through the :29.1 first quarter.
Russell Hill followed Triumphant Caviar through a half in :59.4 and three-quarters in 1:29.1 before coming out to challenge as the field turned for home. It came down to a final quarter sprint and Russell Hill was able to easily haul down the pacesetter for a sharp 1:57.1 victory. Cantabs Pride survived a close photo to pick up the show spot.
It was a maiden-breaking win for the Jimmy Takter trainee who is owned by Marvin Katz and Al Libfeld. He has hit the board in all four career starts and the winner’s share of the C$20,000 purse increased his seasonal take to $22,844.
The C$50,000 (est.) Bridger Series Final will go postward next Thursday night (August 21) at Mohawk.
— Greg Blanchard
Vernon feature to Marietta Hall
Vernon, NY — Josh Marks scored four times during Thursday night’s 12-race program at Vernon Downs, including a 1:51.4 triumph behind Marietta Hall in the week’s top Miracle Mile class for female pacers.
After finishing fourth in this class during her initial Vernon venture last Friday, Marietta Hall was on the engine from the start, motoring to the lead off the gate and cutting fractions of :26.3, :56.1 and 1:24.2 en route to a three-quarter length tally over the favorite, Saratoga invader Dandy’s Jewel.
Although the fast-paced mile marked Marietta Hall’s first local victory, it was the seventh season’s score for the 4-year-old mare, who is conditioned by the meet’s leading race-winning trainer Tracy Brainard and is owned by the Bulletproof Enterprises. The time was one second off the track record for her age, sex and gait and two-fifths of a second off her lifetime mark, earned earlier this year at The Meadowlands.
While recording his third four-win outing of the meet, Marks closed to within 10 tallies of dash-winning leader Jimmy Whittemore, 63-53.
Marks also directed the veteran trotting mare Hanger Pride N to a 1:59.4 decision in Thursday’s 11th event, which made her the winningest equine after 54 current programs. The fast-closing triumph was the fourth in succession and seventh this season at the Downs for owner-trainer Brainard, one more than the pacers Artachebythenumber, Basilio Blue Chip and Caroline Star.
Marks also won with the trotter Jaffah’s Victory, in 1:58.1 for owner-trainer Dave Dewhurst, and with Cindy Blue Chip, in 1:56.1 for trainer Mary Fisher and the Two Peas In A Pod stable.
Share The Credit became the first 2-year-old trotting winner at the meet after driver-trainer Brian Allen steered the son of Credit Winner-Makinyen to a 2:01.1 maiden breaking victory in Thursday’s first race for owner Diane Gilligan.
— Jim Moran
Concertino wins again in Myer Series
Berlin, MD — The heavy rains prior to the third leg in the Alan Myer Memorial late closer series at Ocean Downs on Thursday had turned the track “sloppy.”
Concertino, the 3-year-old colt who had won the first and second legs in this series started slowly on the rail Thursday, but driver/trainer William Long wasn’t really worried.
“He just kind of got out slow, but he kept coming. He’s not a big leaver,” Long explained.
The Tejano-Concert Goer colt handled the sloppy track well.
“He doesn’t seem to mind the track. He does all right,” Long said.
Concertino roared from fourth in the five-horse field and went three-wide on the backstretch to win going away by four lengths (2:01.2, $2.60). Sky Blues Commando, driven and trained by Justin Vincent, finished second.
In Thursday’s other division of the Alan Myer Memorial, 4-year-old gelding Lil’ Cocoa won his second of the year, but first in this four-leg series ($7.60, 2:03.3). Wayne Long had the lines again Thursday.
“He’s starting to come around now. He’s been doing a little better the last couple weeks, been a little sharper, a little more racing each week,” Long said of this George Leager-trained son of Presto Hanover-Lamey’s Sister.
The final leg of the Alan Myer Memorial series will be contested on Thursday, August 21.
— Jim Whittemore
More PA stakes contested in DaytonDayton, PA — Eight Pennsylvania Sire Stakes, each with a purse in excess of $5,000, highlighted the Thursday afternoon card at the Dayton (PA) Fairgrounds before a crowd of over 700 fans.
The day began with a pair of sophomore filly trots, with victories going to Excellent Caviar (SJ’s Caviar-L V Prima Donna) and Lookingpretty (Sierra Kosmos-Spring Photo). Excellent Caviar was a 2:10.1 winner for trainer/driver Terry Altmeyer. It was Excellent Caviar’s fifth win of the year for owner Bill Altmeyer. Lookingpretty trotted the mile in a quick 2:04.3 for trainer/driver Randy Neal. Rick and Regina Beinhauer are the winning owners.
Driver Ed McNeight picked up a pair of wins driving for trainer Roger Hammer, capturing both divisions of the 3-year-old filly pace. First, it was Ty’s Artist, a Real Artist-Ty Wish filly owned by Hammer. McNeight battled throughout the final half with driver Winston Lineweaver, who was driving Allamerican Swift. The pair crossed the line side by side, but the photo showed that Ty’s Artist had held on by a scant margin for her fourth win of the season. The second division was a different story, as McNeight and Makerbark drew away from the field for a 2:03.3 win that pushed her season’s earnings near the $70,000 mark. Hammer co-owns the Dragon Again-Mardelle Hanover filly, who was a $2,700 yearling in 2006, with Vicki Fair.
PA Harness Racing Comm. photo
Special Character won his seventh straight.
In the first 3-year-old colt pacing division, Special Character kept his win streak alive, picking up his seventh consecutive victory with a 2:04.1 score. The Shady Character-Sweet Tahoma gelding, owned by Virginia and Kathy Schoeffel along with Kathy’s mother, Marian Schilling, has now won nine of 13 starts on the season. Steve Schoeffel trains and reined the winner. In the second division, RT Coolart won his second in a row, pacing in 2:05.1 for trainer/driver Robert Rougeaux. Owned by the estate of Harold Brocious, RT Coolart is a son of Arturo-RT Cool Aid.
Three-year-old colt trotters were next to the track, and Mablesimamazed (Tagliabue-Just Mable) made it look easy in the first split, winning in 2:06.2. Owned by Delmar Smith and trained by Cindy Truitt, Mablesimamazed was driven to victory by Bryce Truitt. In the second group, Tooth Ache was an easy winner for driver Timmy Offutt, scoring in 2:06.4. Tooth Ache, who only raced once as a freshman, has now won five straight PASS fair stakes and eight of 10 overall on the season. Joe Offutt trains the SJ’s Caviar-Armbro Kanaka filly for owner Anne McDonald.
— Pennsylvania Harness Racing Commission