She’s A Fan, Platonic win in Whenuwishuponastar

Campbellville, ON — The heavily favored She’s A Fan coasted to victory while longshot Platonic was a surprise winner in Thursday’s opening leg of the Whenuwishuponastar Pacing Series for 2-year-old fillies at Mohawk Racetrack.

In the opening C$15,000 split, Platonic went straight to the front post five, yielded for the pocket, and then converted late for a 1:55 victory compliments of driver Randy Waples. The daughter of I Am A Fool-Pastina used a :27 final quarter to haul down tempo setter Break The News while favorite Backstretch Sweetie rallied from far off the pace to pick up the show spot. The victory was the first in two tries this season for Platonic who is trained by John Kopas for owner George Hempt.

The second division proved to be a cakewalk for She’s A Fan who got away second from post two, moved to the front past the first quarter, and then won under wraps for Mark MacDonald in 1:56.3. A :27.2 final frame was more than enough to easily hold off My Heart Was True with Keystone Radiant rounding out the top three.

The daughter of Artiscape-Tear Drop is now perfect in three starts this season for trainer Carl Jamieson who co-owns along with Thomas Kyron, The Hastings Mill Inc. and George Harrison. In her second outing, She’s A Fan was a 1:56.4 winner in a C$45,856 division of the Bud Light Stakes at Flamboro Downs.

The Whenuwishuponastar Series will continue next Thursday night at Mohawk.

— Greg Blanchard

Eng-amer scores at Vernon

Vernon, NY — Eng-amer Davanti tied Hanger Pride N as the winningest trotters of Vernon Downs’ 55th season after a determined 1:56.4 mile in Thursday night’s $10,000 featured eighth race.

Fourth in the early going, Eng-amer Davanti advanced to third in the final turn and then powered through the stretch to defeat the pacesetting Splendid Les by 1-1/4 lengths in the week’s top Miracle Mile trotting class.

The win was the second in succession and the fifth at the meet for the 5-year-old gelding, who enabled Vernon’s top trainer, Tracy Brainard, to achieve a double on the evening, and her 40th score after 40 programs.

Hanger Pride N notched her fifth Vernon victory on Tuesday night.

The win was one of four during the 11-race card for driver Josh Marks, who also posted tallies with the trotters Jazz Brand and Moonlight Lilly, owned and trained by Adam Capizzano.

Jack Rice and his wife, Maria, enjoyed a driver-trainer three-win evening, getting first place finishes from the trotters Odee Ozar and Bert’s Pick (both owned by Jack’s father, Sam), and Affaro Hanover, registered to Vincent Palmiotto.

— Jim Moran

Mega Pixel sharp in Scioto victory

Columbus, OH — Indiana invader Mega Pixel raced like a heavy favorite should, winning the feature race on Thursday at Scioto Downs.

The 6-year-old trotting mare took command of the race before the half-mile marker and won by 3-3/4 lengths in 1:58. Boy Meets Grill was second and Mr Cruise finished third.

Kyle Ater, leading driver at Scioto this meet, steered the winner for owner Paul J. Roberts and trainer Roy Murphy.

— Dean A. Hoffman

Michelob Pace divisions contested at Ocean Downs

Berlin, MD — Ocean Downs featured two divisions in the first leg of its Michelob Pace Late Closer on Thursday.

Boot’s Place, a highly touted 3-year-old filly by Park Place-Put The Boots won handily in the first division (1:56.1, $2.60). Eric Ledford drove the filly to her eighth win in 16 starts this year for trainer Michael Hall.

“Yeah she’s a real nice horse. Really good. Good driver, good horse. Makes it easy,” said Hall, who now has 11 wins and continues as the summer meet’s leading trainer.

Ray Robinson, Jr. recorded his 18th win this summer and 975th career tally as “Shorty” took the reigns for the W. David Hill III owned and trained 4-year-old mare Preview The Dream (Preview Lobell-Bonnie Dream), who took the second division (1:58.3, $7.20).

Hill was injured a couple races earlier, but called the track from the hospital to let fans know his injuries were not serious.

— Jim Whittemore

K D Rowdy One gets the job done at Cal-Expo

Sacramento, CA — Conditioned and claiming trotters, racing for a purse of $6,050, were featured at Cal-Expo on Thursday night, in which K D Rowdy One did the best work.

Before starting from post position five in the field of seven, trainer Rocky Stidham had one thing in mind after his charge broke before the start the week before.

“My thought was getting him away from the gate on the trot,” said Stidham. “If we did that successfully — then we had a good chance.”

Under urging from mid-stretch to just hold off an eye-catching British Columbia, K D Rowdy One would win ($12.80) by a nose. Owned by Ben Kenney in partnership with Stidham, K D Rowdy One would stop the timer at 1:58.1. Easter Call (Lemoyne Svendsen), who got pushed back into the stretch, would come on to be an unlucky third, another three-quarters of a length farther back.

“It was a very good win, and I was happy to get him back into form,” Stidham concluded.

On the Thursday night card, both Stidham and Steve Wiseman had driving triples.

— Scott Ehrlich

Racing concludes in Hughesville

Hughesville, PA — The two-day harness racing meet at the Lycoming County Fair in Hughesville, Pa., concluded on Thursday with 13 races, including 11 stake events for 2-year-old trotters and pacers.

In Pennsylvania Sire Stake action, KT Dixie Player earned his fourth win of the season, capturing the first division of the 2-year-old colt trot in 2:08.1. Steve Schoeffel drove the Sierra Kosmos-KT Troublein Dixie gelding to the win for owner/trainer Ken Weaver. Amour’s Brother, trained and driven by Joe Offutt, won the second split in 2:12. Anne McDonald LLC2 owns the S J’s Photo-Armbro Kanaka colt. The third division was won by Pine Hill Bling (Yankee McCoy-Hidden Victory) in 2:07.2. Tom and Michele Albaugh-Young own the colt, with Tom earning the training win and Michele picking up the winning drive.

Two $5,264 divisions of the PASS filly trot were up next, with Kantrotalot (SJ’s Caviar-KT Jetta) and Bank Star (Banker Hall-Classofninetyfive) recording wins. Kantrotalot, owned by Ken Weaver along with Wayne Shaffer, Jr. and Wayne Shaffer III, won in 2:13 with Schoeffel at the lines. Bank Star was driven to victory by Timmy Offfut for owners John and Michelle McMullen. John McMullen was the winning trainer.

Colt pacers then took to the track in two groups, with Schoeffel picking up both wins as both the trainer and driver. AK (Audie K-Aly’s Shocker), owned by Terry Schoeffel, won in 2:04.4, while Lislea Moran (Lislea-L’etoile) paced a blistering 1:59.2 mile. The gelding is owned by Virginia and Kathy Schoeffel along with James Nelson.

The final two sire stake events featured 2-year-old filly pacers, and victories went to Allamerican Tender (Real Artist-Thurston’s Love-e) and Mud Pie Hanover (Allamerican Native-Mud Hen). Allamerican Tender, owned by Bill Kreutzer and Denton Barrett, scored in 2:03 with Winston Lineweaver in the bike. Kreutzer was the winning trainer. Mud Pie Hanover, trained and reined by Steve Schoeffel, won in 2:05 for owners Virginia and Kathy Schoffel and Marian Schilling.