Racing Roundup: Wednesday, July 16, 2008
July 17, 2008,from Harness Publicists across North America
Editor’s Note: The USTA Newsroom is pleased to debut “Racing Roundup,” a daily look at overnight result stories from the sport of harness racing. Wednesday’s (July 16) edition of Racing Roundup features result stories from Pompano Park, Scioto Downs, Saratoga Gaming and Raceway and Ocean Downs, as well as fairs at Hughesville, Pa. and Oak Harbor, Ohio. Track record dead heat at Pompano Park Pompano Beach, FL — Not even the photo finish camera could separate You’re Next ($6.60) and Gale Warning ($2.40) as the two horses finished in a track record fastest dead heat win on Wednesday at Pompano Park. Lap Time Photo – Skip Smith You’re Next (#3) and Gale Warning (#4) battle to the wire for a track record dead heat win in 1:55.1. After a dramatic stretch duel, You’re Next and Gale Warning crossed the finish wire together in 1:55.1, surpassing the prior dead heat win record for trotters of 1:57.1 set on April 13, 1990 by Hypersonic and Forty-Five Caliber. At the time that mile was the world record for a fastest dead heat finish for trotters on a five-eighths-mile track. The $12,000 Open Trot saw Guy Gets Girl (Bruce Ranger) out kick You’re Next (Walter Ross, Jr.) to the opening quarter in :27.4. But driver Wally Hennessey had Gale Warning on the move and they took command of the race as they passed the grandstand the first time and led the field to the half-mile pole in :57.2. Then after tripping the teletimer at the three-quarter marker in 1:25.4 the race heated up as Ross moved first-over from third place and began to challenge Gale Warning. Coming down the stretch, You’re Next started to take a slight lead but Hennessey went to work on Gale Warning, urging his horse on and he responded by coming back to take a head lead. However, with ten yards to the wire Ross and You’re Next came on again and the two horses finished in a dead heat for win. Guy Gets Girl was third. For You’re Next, a 6-year-old gelded son of Yankee Paco, it was his third win in four starts this year for trainer Fred Cohen and owner Andrew Sassen. It was also a lifetime mark for You’re Next. Gale Warning, a 5-year-old gelding by Strong Gale, posted his sixth win this year for trainer Michile Lorenzo. Ron Lorenzo, Ciro Gentile and the Pomtambo Stable own Gale Warning. There were three divisions of the opening round of the Florida Sunshine State Stakes for 3-year-old trotters Wednesday. The first leg for filly trotters saw driver Bruce Ranger take Discreet Encounter right to the front and they wired the field to win by three-quarter of a length in 2:02.1 for a purse of $7,269. The 3-year-old Florida-bred colts and geldings took the stage in the second race for a driving double for Bruce Ranger and a training double for Mike Deters as Southern Rain won the $7,198 event in 2:01.1. Baileysirishdream and driver Robert Roberts took the $7,269 second division for 3-year-old fillies, going wire-to-wire in a mile of 2:00.2. Two drivers scored their pari-mutuel maiden victories on Wednesday. Robert Williams, III, 23, a fourth generation horseman, won the fourth race maiden pace with Sempre Ribera in 1:58.1 and then in the fifth race trot, William Owens, 51, set a lifetime mark with Smothers in 2:00. — Steve Wolf ‘Muscles’ colt breaks maiden with Scioto win Columbus, OH — Order By Roosevelt, a sophomore son of Muscles Yankee, took charge of the field after the first quarter to post an easy four length win in 1:58.4 at Scioto Downs on Wednesday night. Jeff Nisonger drove the winner for the Hatfield Stables. Finishing second was Mustache Fred while Royal Cat was third. Roy Mac Davis trains the winner. — Dean A. Hoffman Mesquite Heat on fire at Saratoga Saratoga Springs, NY — After visiting the winner’s circle just three times in the first 65 starts of his career, the 5-year-old pacer Mesquite Heat has now strung together consecutive victories after taking the featured $5,500 non-winners pace at Saratoga Gaming and Raceway on Wednesday in 1:56.4. Dave Oxford photo Mesquite Heat coasted to his second consecutive victory at Saratoga Raceway. Starting from post five with Dan Cappello, Jr. at the lines, Mesquite Heat made his intentions clear the moment the gate swung open for the Wednesday feature, charging directly to the front under aggressive handling to show the way through opening fractions of :27.4 and :58.2. After turning back a first-over bid from Allamerican Kansas (Brian Allen) through a three-quarter split in 1:27.2, Mesquite Heat entered the stretch with a 1-1/2 length lead, and was never presented with a challenge down the lane, coasting under the wire uncontested to tally a two length triumph. Mesquite Heat returned $5.10, $3.20, and $2.80 for the victory. Allamerican Kansas brought in $4.20 and $6.30 for second, while Honey Is That You (Jay Randall) paid $6.60 when closing well to finish third. Owned by Edward and James Hall, and trained by Daniel Gill, Mesquite Heat appears to be in career-best form since shipping to Saratoga from Harrington Raceway earlier this month, and is now unbeaten in two career starts over the Saratoga Springs oval. Bred in Delaware by Bonnie M. Benson, the son of The Firepan owns a career record of five wins from 67 starts, hitting the board 33 times while amassing over $80,000 in lifetime earnings. — Michael Costanzo Presidential Sam wins again at Ocean Downs Berlin, MD — Having won three races in the recently completed Bud Light Pace Series, 4-year-old Presidential Sam followed a half-length loss in the final with an impressive fourth win of the meet on Wednesday night Ocean Downs (1:56.3, $6.00). Driver Ray Robinson, Jr. had the lines for this John Wagner-owned son of Presidential Ball. Allen Long has been the trainer for these four races after Wagner transferred Presidential Sam to Robinson’s stable at Ocean Downs to avoid lengthy transport to the ocean from Rosecroft. “I’m kind of glad that he (Wagner) is with us,” Robinson said about his teaming with trainer Allen Long and working for Wagner. “We’re having a lot of fun with him.” Robinson liked his draw Wednesday night. “I was very fortunate to end up in the two hole. If you keep him covered up, he can sprint with the best of them at the end,” Robinson explained. — Jim Whittemore PA Fair Circuit visits Hughesville Hughesville, PA — The Pennsylvania Fair Circuit visited Lycoming County for the Hughesville Fair. The 3-year-olds were featured in stake races on Wednesday afternoon. The day started with a $5,141 PA Sire Stake 3-year-old colt trot, with Yankee TV earning the win for driver Timmy Offutt. The TV Show Kosmos gelding crossed the wire in 2:05.4, winning for owners Joe and Chris Offutt. Joe Offutt trains. The fourth race was the second colt trotting division, this one going for just over $5,000 in purse money. R George took home the bulk of the purse with a 2:04.4 victory for driver Norman Morford. R George, by R Blake, is owned and trained by Lynn Fry. In the 3-year-old filly trotting division, Lookingpretty scored in 2:02.3 for trainer/driver Randy Neal. Rick and Regina Beinhauer own the Sierra Kosmos filly. KT Attitude scored in the second division for owner/trainer Ken Weaver. The Sierra Kosmos filly won in 2:03 with Neal in the bike. Two $5,089 divisions of the 3-year-old colt pace were also contested, with wins going to Special Character (Shady Character) and Sound Dragin (Dragon Again). Special Character gave driver Neal his third win of the day, pacing in 2:01.3. Virginia and Kathy Schoeffel own the winner along with Marian Schilling. Steve Schoeffel was the winning trainer. Chris Shaw drove Sound Dragin to a 2:02 win for his brother, owner/trainer Jason Shaw. The day culminated with a 3-year-old filly pace, which featured perhaps the largest purse ever for a PASS Fair Stake, $10,003. Allamerican Swift, owned and trained by Bill Kreutzer, won in 2:01.2 from post six in the second tier. Winston Lineweaver guided Allamerican Swift to victory. — Pennsylvania Harness Racing Commission Oak Harbor Fair concludes Oak Harbor, OH — A day after being honored as a Blue Ribbon Fair by the USTA, the Ottawa County Fair wrapped up its three-day meet with a five-race program. Won More Sam won the fastest division of the 3-year-old colt pace in 2:01. The Nobleland Sam gelding is owned by Bill Webb and Charles U. Meyer. Webb trains Won More Sam and Mark Headworth was in the sulky for the winning mile. Snow Storm Sam picked up the win in the other division. Charles and Kermit Peter’s Windy Dawn came home first in the lone division of the 3-year-old colt trot. The Emile Angus colt toured the Oak Harbor oval in 2:03.4 with Charles Peter handling the lines. BL Home Alone found the winner’s circle in a conditioned trot in 2:05.2. The Dakota Spur mare is owned by Larry and Mary Jo Rheinheimer with Larry being the trainer-driver. The fair’s racing concluded with the Portage River Pace, which is a part of the Signature Series. David Carter’s Tattler’s Jet won the race for 4-year-olds and up in 1:57.4. Gene Miller trains the Tattler’s Torpedo gelding with Greg Bateson being the winning driver. — Bill Peters
