from Harness Publicists across North America

Tuesday’s (July 29) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Saratoga Gaming and Raceway, Vernon Downs, Plainridge Racecourse, and the Wood County (OH) and Clearfield (PA) fairs.

Riverofglory takes top Saratoga trot

Saratoga Springs, NY — The 11-year-old trotting mare Riverofglory returned to her winning ways on Tuesday, taking the featured $5,500 non-winners trot at Saratoga Gaming and Raceway in 1:59.3 to prevail for the 51st time in her career.

Dave Oxford photo

Riverofglory posted the 51st victory of her career on Tuesday.

Starting from post two with Scott Mongeon at the lines, Riverofglory showed little interest in the early stages of the Tuesday feature, dropping back to seventh place through opening fractions of :28.2 and :59.1.

As the trotters made their second journey down the backstretch, Riverofglory was angled off the pylons to make a third-over bid towards the front, moving up to sixth place as the leader Oye Oye (Brian Cross) reached the three-quarter marker in 1:29.

Oye Oye retained a short lead at the head of stretch, but quickly yielded the top spot to Blade (Chris Long), who was unable to hold off the late charge of Riverofglory, as that one powered to the front in the final yards to prevail by two lengths.

Riverofglory returned $20.20, $5.80, and $2.90 for the victory. Blade paid $3.80 and $3.10 for second, while Tuf’s Victor (Mark Beckwith) brought in $9.40 for third.

Owned by Richard Hallahan and trained by Guy Roemer, Riverofglory has found the wire first in 51 of her 214 lifetime starts, hitting the board 104 times while amassing $328,393 in earnings.

— Michael Costanzo

Marks triples his pleasure at Vernon

Vernon, NY — Josh Marks delivered three victories on Tuesday night, including a 1:56.4 score with Where’s Waldo, who became the fastest 2-year-old pacing gelding of Vernon Downs’ 55th season.

Tucking in behind the mile-cutter Sealed In My Heart in Tuesday’s $5,000 third race, Where’s Waldo drafted in second until the stretch drive, then closed for a 2-1/2 length triumph. It was the first tally in three tries for the brown son of Bettor’s Delight-Mystical Trick, who is owned by Ken Jacobs and trained by Tracy Brainard.

While chalking up his seventh triple of the meet, Marks also finished first with the pacer No Dice, in 1:53.2 for trainer Brainard and the Bulletproof Enterprises, and trotter Jaffah’s Victory, in 1:59.2 for owner-trainer Dave Dewhurst.

Defending dash-winning champ Howard Okusko, Jr. posted two tallies during Tuesday’s nine-race card, winning with the trotter Frankie Cal in 2:00.2 for owners Sal and Joyce Caruso and trainer Lon Rosenfeld, and pacer Highmaintenanceart, in 1:55.4 for the Purple Haze Stables and conditioner Jessica Okusko. He leads in two-win outings at the Downs this season with 12.

Tuesday’s fastest mile came from the 3-year-old pacing gelding Golden Receiver, who earned his second straight score after a 1:52.4 spin around Vernon’s seven-eighths-mile oval for driver Sean Mcaleese and owner-trainer Nina Simmonds.

— Jim Moran

Hardy, Hogan in Plainridge spotlight

Marlborough, MA — Plainridge leading driver Jim Hardy was in the spotlight again Tuesday with three trips to the winner’s circle, but driver John Hogan’s one win moved him to within a whisker of reaching a career plateau.

While Hardy’s hat trick included a victory with Mikes Beachboy N in the $5,000 Open event in 1:54, Hogan won by a nose with Southwind Night over Hoopichi, driven by Hardy, in the nightcap. That win ran Hogan’s lifetime career win total to 4,399.

Mike Eaton’s Bubba McGee also took a bow for his 10th win of the season in the co-feature, lowering his lifetime mark to 1:53.2.

Maine’s Wallace Watson was not to be outdone either. He scored wins with Eight Wonder in the third race (1:56.3) and Festus in the seventh (1:55.2).

The Hardy-Hogan show was also played out in the afternoon’s fifth race with Hardy posting a head win with TJ Force (1:55.1) over New Z Nuke with Hogan in the bike.

Hogan, a fan favorite in the 1970s and 1980s at Foxboro Raceway and all along the New England circuit, chases win number 4,400 when racing resumes next Monday (August 4) at Plainridge with post time at 4:00 p.m.

— Jack Ginnetti

Racing begins at Wood County Fair

Bowling Green, OH — The Wood County Fair at Bowling Green, Ohio kicked off its two-day meet with an 11-race program on Tuesday.

Curly Top (Emile Angus-Platinum Plus) captured the fastest division of the 2-year-old filly trot in 2:06.3. Jerry Lighthill is the owner-trainer-driver of the filly. I’m Loaded (Emile Angus-Carry A Load) came home first in the other division.

Kevin and Deloy Appel’s First To Cruise (Yankee Cruiser-First To Stand) remained undefeated in five starts by winning the fastest division of the 2-year-old filly pace. Trainer Charles Peter was also in the sulky in the 2:01 mile. Punkin Ball (Presidential Ball-Melodys Mission) picked up her first lifetime win in the second division.

Just Another Photo (Pegasus Spur-Just Plain Denise) had the fastest time of the two divisions of the 2-year-old colt trot. John Konesky III guided the gelding home in 2:12.1 for his wife, Mary Ann, and son, Patrick. Look At That (Ilooklikemymom-That Lady’s Hot) was the winner of the second division.

Mike Wolfe steered Bavarian Rose (Precious Bunny-Jentina Ken Win) home in the fastest division of the 3-year-old filly pace in 2:01. Jeff Miller trains the filly which he co-owns with Michael White. Our Cheap Date (Nobleland Sam-Bretta Falcon) picked up her second lifetime win in the other division.

The lone division of the 2-year-old Open Pace was won by Pacin Kate (Artistic-Aspen) in 2:08.1. Don Currier, Jr. drove the filly for owner John Garner and trainer Fred Winstead, Jr.

— Bill Peters

Another track record at Clearfield

Clearfield, PA — The Clearfield (PA) fair half-miler saw its second divisional track record mile in two days Tuesday, when the 2-year-old pacing colt DVC Firm Believer won the last race in 2:01, equaling the track standard set by Love Of Art in 2002 and DVC Done Good in 2006.

The hot father-son training/driving team of Joe and Tim Offutt are the braintrust behind DVC Firm Believer, a son of Quentin Hanover-DVC Iblievenangles who is co-owned by Tim Offutt along with Ryan Knott.

If it weren’t for Winston Lineweaver guiding Allamerican Tender in a division of the freshman filly pace, it would have been “Schoeffel and Offutt Day” at the central Pennsylvania track. Steve Schoeffel, the circuit’s leading driver, visited Victory Lane five times; Tim Offutt won twice and his brother Chris once on the nine-race card.

Racing continues at the Clearfield fair on Wednesday with 3-year-old trotters in the spotlight, and concludes Thursday, with the highlight on sophomore pacers.

— Jerry Connors