Racing Roundup: Thursday, August 28, 2008

from Harness Publicists across North America

Thursday’s (August 28) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Harrah’s Chester, Saratoga Gaming and Raceway, Vernon Downs, The Red Mile, Scioto Downs, and the Van Wert, Ohio Fair.

Chester Open to Mireille AS

Chester, PA — Mireille AS beat the boys in Thursday afternoon’s $40,000 Open Handicap Trot at Harrah’s Chester.

The 6-year-old Prego Nilema mare floated out from mid-pack, settling in well behind a speed duel between Four Starz Robro (Jonathan Roberts) and Rickie (George Napolitano, Jr.). After a hotly-contested opening quarter of :27.1, Tim Tetrick angled Mireille AS ($5.40) off the cones and brushed to the front.

Kristen Delp/World Wide Racing Photos

Tim Tetrick steered Mireille AS to a 1:54.2 score in the Open Handicap Trot.

“There were a lot of horses leaving, so I backed off initially,” commented driver Tim Tetrick about the race’s early formation. “When I asked her for speed, she went right to the front.”

Despite a second quarter breather of :29.3, Mireille AS faced steady pressure up the backstretch in the form of Armbro Aristocrat (Mark Gingrich), and these two battled to the three-quarters in 1:25.

“As soon as I made the front, I had pressure from Gingrich’s horse,” added Tetrick.

Despite Armbro Aristocrat reaching Mireille AS’s throatlatch midway around the far turn, the mare easily rebuffed the challenge, opening up by 1-1/2 lengths at the top of the stretch and holding clear to win in 1:54.2.

“With Armbro Aristocrat fading, I was able to open up, and that was enough to get me to the finish,” concluded Tetrick.

American Pacific (Tony Morgan) tipped off cover and closed for second, with Bet To Win (Daniel Dube) finishing third.

Anette Lorentzon trains Mireille AS for ACL Stuteri Ab.

— James Witherite-Rieg

Mystic Player upsets Filly and Mare Pace at Saratoga

Saratoga Springs, NY — Overlooked by the wagering public at odds of 14-1, Mystic Player utilized a perfect pocket trip to upset the featured $15,000 Fillies and Mares Open Pace at Saratoga Gaming and Raceway on Thursday, covering the mile in 1:56.

Dave Oxford photo

Mystic Player was a 1:56 winner in the $15,000 Fillies and Mares Open Pace at Saratoga Gaming and Raceway.

Driven from post one by Dan Cappello, Jr., Mystic Player settled comfortably along the pylons in second place as odds-on favorite Whycantiforgetyou (Frank Coppola, Jr.) took the field through fractions of :28.3, :58.2, and 1:26.3.

After turning back a first-over challenge from Dandy’s Jewel (Brian Allen), Whycantiforgetyou entered the stretch with a one length lead, but had no answer for the late charge of Mystic Player, who sprinted down the passing lane to reach the front in the final yards and tally a three-quarter length triumph.

Mystic Player returned $30.80, $5.20, and $3.30 for the victory. Whycantiforgetyou paid $2.30 and $2.70 for second, while S F Hazey (Mark Beckwith) brought in $7.70 for third.

Owned by Ellen McNeil, and trained by John McNeil III, Mystic Player halted a 10-race losing streak with her Thursday victory, and has now visited the winner’s circle three times during her 2008 campaign.

Saratoga Raceway hosted five $10,800 divisions of the New York Sire Stakes Late Closer series for 3-year-old pacing fillies on Thursday, with the fastest mile of the night belonging to Gray Major, who took the opening event of the evening in 1:57 for Purple Haze Stables LLC, trainer Jessica Okusko, and driver Howard Okusko.

Additional Sire Stakes Late Closer series winners on the program included Lesley’s Jlo Belle (1:58), Penny Pincher (1:57.4), Natural Spring (1:57.2), and Dream Delight (1:58).

— Michael Costanzo

Cool Touch scores in Vernon feature

Vernon, NY — Cool Touch had the winning feeling in the featured trot, while three promising youngsters established season’s speed standards at Vernon Downs on Thursday night.

Leaving from post five, the winningest starting slot at the meet, Cool Touch took control of the week’s top Miracle Mile trotting division before the half, reached in :59, and maintained his advantage to the finish of the eighth race, defeating Coach Fox by a half-length.

The determined effort marked the fifth local verdict and seventh season’s score for the 5-year-old gelding, who is shared in ownership by trainer Tracy Brainard and Scott West.

It was one of three wins during the evening for driver Josh Marks, who moved to within one victory of Jimmy Whittemore’s meet leading total of 65.

Brainard, the meet’s leading conditioner, earned a double during the evening and moved to within eight scores of John Stark, Jr.’s single-season Vernon record of 76 training triumphs.

Scrumptious Lindy posted a 2:00.3 tally in Thursday’s opening $10,000 division of the Kindergarten Classic Series, and became the fastest 2-year-old trotting filly of the meet, while Money Machine won the event’s other $10,000 flight in 2:01 to become the quickest colt high-stepper at the Downs in 2008.

Scrumptious Lindy, a bay daughter of Cantab Hall-Peace A Pie, owned by K R Breeding, was driven to her first lifetime victory by trainer Frank Antonacci, while Mike Simons steered Money Machine, a bay son of Plesac-River Runs Wild, to a third season’s score for trainer Roman Lopez and his ownership partners Edward Reich and Irwin Lampert.

Marks did the teaming for trainer Mark Capone as Allamerican Fate forged a 1:55 maiden-breaking victory in Thursday’s second race for owner Frederick Hertrich, III and became the meet’s fastest frosh pacing filly.

— Jim Moran

Stage Show steals the show at The Red Mile

Lexington, KY — Coming into Thursday, Stage Show had never missed the board in seven lifetime starts, which included five wins and a third-place finish in the $750,000 Hambletonian Oaks.

Nigel Soult photo

Stage Show cruised to a 1:57 victory for driver Dave Palone.

The 3-year-old daughter of Broadway Hall-Flirtin My Way did not disappoint once again, taking the night’s third race, a $6,000 late closing event, with a commanding gate-to-wire, 8-1/2 length score as the heavy 1-5 favorite in 1:57. Dave Palone was in the bike for trainer Jim Campbell and owners Arlene and Jules Siegel.

The race was never in any doubt as Palone controlled the field through soft fractions of :29.1, :58.2, and 1:29, before sprinting away with a :28 final panel.

Stage Show used the race as a prep for the upcoming Grand Circuit meet in Lexington that begins in the last week of September.

— Gabe Prewitt

Mi Counter Attack fastest at Scioto

Columbus, OH — The sophomore pacing colt Mi Counter Attack moved to the lead in the second quarter of his race on Thursday at Scioto Downs and never looked back. He drew off to win by 3-1/4 lengths in 1:55.4, fastest mile of the evening.

Chris Page drove the Jeff Amann-trained pacer for owner William Silcott.

Sent off as the even-money favorite by the bettors, Mi Counter Attack was third after the opening quarter-mile, then shot to the front of the pack in the second quarter. A fast third quarter discouraged his pursuers and Mi Counter Attack hit the wire well ahead of Huey Munster and Action Bliss.

Also on the program, the 2-year-old Cambest filly Cam Town Carrie scored in 1:58.3 for driver Brett Miller. He confidently stayed off the pace with the 1-5 favorite and swept by the leaders in the stretch to win by three-quarters of a length. Randy Owens trains for owner Robert S. Gray.

— Dean A. Hoffman

Snow Storm Sam in track record time

Van Wert, OH — The Van Wert County Fair at Van Wert, Ohio opened up its four-day harness racing program on Thursday night with a new track record for 3-year-old gelding pacers.

Snow Storm Sam (Nobleland Sam-My Flirt) toured the Van Wert oval in a record time of 1:57.3 for trainer-driver Duke Sugg. Ivan Sugg co-owns the gelding with For The Record Stable.

Trent Bates guided Foxy’s Fire Water (Towner’s Big Guy-Instant Reserve) to victory in the other split of the 3-year-old colt pace in 1:59.2. Chad Williamson trains the gelding for Rufus Duprey and Don Morris.

Taco Chip (Chip Chip Hooray-Dale’s Delight) captured the lone division of the 3-year-old colt trot in 2:04.2. DM Stables LLC and Denny Miller are the owners of Taco Chip and Jim Mulinix is the trainer-driver.

The sole division of the 2-year-old colt pace went to Big Guy (Towner’s Big Guy-Scramblin Rose) in 2:01.1. Terry Livingston is the trainer-driver of Big Guy and Keith Livingston pays the bills.

— Bill Peters

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