by harness racing publicists across North America

Saturday’s (May 12) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Saratoga Casino Hotel, Buffalo Raceway, The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, Vernon Downs and Tioga Downs.

Racing Roundup: Maxdaddy Blue Chip wins at Saratoga

Saratoga, NY — The weather may have been significantly cooler on Saturday night but the fractions in the feature were sizzling at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The $14,500 Open Pace had just six participants but the race wound up as eye-popping and competitive as any we’ve seen thus far this season.

Melissa Simser-Iovino photo

Maxdaddy Blue Chip wins his first race in 2018 in the fastest pacing mile at Saratoga Casino Hotel this year (1:51.2).

Former Horse of the Year Panocchio was back in town after spending his winter at Pompano in Florida and he was determined to cut the mile in his return to the Spa. Rival Deetzy had other thoughts. Those two speedy pacers slugged it out in a nearly unheard of first lap of :53.4 before Deetzy took over approaching the half.

The closers in the race, which included the favored Maxdaddy Blue Chip (Sportswriter), loved the early battle and reaped the rewards of it. The Rene Allard-trained Maxdaddy Blue Chip, who finished second in last week’s Open, came charging hard late in the mile and paced past his rivals to win in 1:51.2, the fastest time for any horse thus far in the 2018 season at Saratoga.

Perennial Open threat JK Panache (Jimmy Devaux) also came from off the pace and wound up as the feature’s runner-up while Sassy Hanover (Bruce Aldrich Jr.) earned the show spot.

Maxdaddy Blue Chip, who had a 15-win 2017 campaign, was piloted to his first 2018 score by leading driver Billy Dobson.

Allard trainees have won the local Open Trot in back-to-back weeks and will look to extend that streak to three on Sunday when Consolidator takes part in the matinee’s feature. First post time is set for 12:15 p.m.

— by Mike Sardella

Buffalo Raceway

The betting favorites couldn’t find the winner’s circle in Buffalo Raceway’s co-featured $10,400 Open Pace and Trot events on Saturday night so it was time for others to steal the spotlight. Focus Power ($8.40) used a 1:53.1 mile to notch the neck win over Linkjack Hanover in the Open Pace while Southern Palms ($9.90) wore down a stubborn Trooper Jim to take the Open Trot by 1-3/4 lengths in 1:58. It was quite a night for driver Shawn Gray as he had six victories on the 13-race program. It was also a good evening for the tandem of driver Ray Fisher Jr. and trainer Ryan Swift as they teamed up to capture four races. Fisher Jr. completed the night with five wins. In the Open Pace, Fireyourguns (Mike Caprio), starting in his first race of the season, zoomed to the lead off the starting gate and posted some snappy fractions of :27.3, :56.2 and 1:24.4. Those grueling split suited Focus Power just fine. Sitting in the third spot with a quarter mile to pace, Focus Power (Drew Monti) popped out around the final turn. The pace-setting Fireyourguns (Mike Caprio) found the fractions too much called it a night, eventually settling for sixth.Both Linkjack Hanover (Fisher Jr.) and Upfront Countryboy (Shawn Gray) made stout attempts to catch Focus Power in the stretch but finished second and third respectively. The 1:53.1 mile by Focus Power was the quickest of the season. Owned by James Caradori and trained by Darrin Monti, it was the second win in five tries this season for the 6-year-old gelded Focus Power (Shadow Play-Luv’s For Ever). He has a bankroll of $13,936 in 2018 and $174,903 lifetime. It was a battle on the front end in the Open Trot as Trooper Jim was parked by Edom Up Blue Boy for over three quarters of a mile. With the final panel to trot, Edom Up Blue Boy surrendered but Trooper Jim still stood tall. While it was an extremely gutsy performance by Trooper Jim, it just wasn’t enough. Southern Palms (Kevin Cummings) had the shorter journey and it paid off in the victory in 1:58.0 over the fast track. Trooper Jim (Monti) was second and SR Radar (Shawn Gray) took third. Trained by Gerry Sarama and owned by Mike Torcello, Southern Palms (RC Royalty-Pacific Elegance) is a 5-year-old gelding who has third victories in nine tries this season. He has won $19,476 on the campaign and $213,591 in his career. Trainer James Clouser Jr. had three winners on the night. Racing will continue on Wednesday evening at 5 p.m. with a 12-race program scheduled. There’s a $770 carryover in the Pick-5 which begins in the second race. For more information including the latest news, simulcast schedule, upcoming promotions, race replays, results and entries, go to www.buffaloraceway.com.

The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono

One second he looked in dire straits, the next second he was clear and on his way to a 3-1/2 length victory – the racing gods of fortune smiled on Alta Jerome N during the $20,000 claiming handicap pace feature over a sloppy track Saturday at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono. Alta Jerome N left strongly for driver George Napolitano Jr., made the lead mid-first turn, then yielded to sit the pocket as Allstar Partner cleared to the top at the quarter pole. Down the backstretch Ardie B Speed came first-up to challenge Allstar Partner and looked like he might get by the leader before the three-quarters, leaving Alta Jerome N ready for Shuffle City, but then Allstar Partner drifted out – and quick as a flash George Napolitano got the Jereme’s Jet gelding in gear along the inside and right to the lead, winning comfortably in 1:52. Hunter Oakes conditioned the winner of $284,302 as he won for the first time in 2018 for Northfolk Racing Stable and Sam Dalia. But he did not go back to the Oakes shedrow after the race, as Alta Jerome N was haltered for a $38,000 claiming price. The night’s top event for conditioned pacers went for $17,500, which saw the Four Starzzz Shark gelding Soho Wallstreet A shrug off the effects of a first-over journey, sailing to the lead late on the far turn and pacing away in the lane to stop the timer in 1:50.4 in the off going. Marcus Miller guided the impressive winner of two straight for trainer Ross Croghan, with owners Let It Ride Stables Inc. and Dana Parham seeing his bankroll rise to $170,904 lifetime. Walks Of Life, the winningest horse in North America in 2018 coming into the night, with his 11 victories putting him one up on four others, added victory 12 in the evening’s opener. George Napolitano Jr., a four-time winner on the night, put the Western Ideal gelding on the lead early, and the pair had enough late to hold off potential pocket rocket Hugh Hefner N by a neck in 1:53.1. Hunter Oakes conditioned the winner for the Northfolk Racing Stable, but like Alta Jerome N in the feature, Walks Of Life changed hands, after a $20,000 claim. It was the eighth straight race in which Walks Of Life was claimed, but an 8-6-2-0-$42,750 scorecard gives ample evidence why. On the evening, there were eight claims in five selling events – Oakes/Northfork lost four, including three winners, but gained one; Rene Allard, the leading trainer at the meet, gained three, including Alta Jerome N, but lost one. An immediate success in its inaugural round last week, the Great Northeast Open Series returns to Pocono tomorrow night, with Open trotters and filly & mare pacers in the spotlight. Rubber Duck, who won the first contest in his class at Harrah’s Philadelphia last Saturday afternoon, will try to make it two straight over the trotters, while the female pace will mark the seasonal debut of Pure Country, who is the only distaff pacer in history to win her divisional title at 2, 3, and 4. The meet’s leading driver, Anthony Napolitano, teamed with trainer Hunter Oakes to win the last race with Major Trick, giving both four winners on the night.

Vernon Downs

Love Live Laugh (Jimmy Whittemore) fired late to win the Vernon Downs fillies and mares feature ($7,000) on Saturday. Mydelight Bluechip (Ben McNeil) took them to the first quarter in :26.2. Marquesa Seelster (Josh Kinney) then took over carrying the next fractions (:55.2, 1:25.3). Love Live Laugh ($4.80) found herself in fifth after three-quarters. Owned by Diane Whittemore and trained by Jimmy Whittemore, she would move three-wide in the stretch and blow right by to win in 1:54.4. Kardashian (Truman Gale) charged late as well but had to settle for second. Under The Bus (Claude Huckabone Jr.) finished third. Love Live Laugh, an 8-year-old mare Hi Ho Silverheel’s, won for the fourth time this season and the 31st time in her career. Whittemore won two more on the night with Escada De Vie ($3.70) and Bob N Tony ($8.60). Truman Gale won three times as well. He got victories with Ms Casey Mac ($4.90), Painite ($8.40), and Tiger Boudoir ($24.80). Vernon Downs returns to live action with a special Mother’s Day 10-race card starting at 1:05 p.m. For more information go to www.vernondowns.com.

Tioga Downs

Golden Son (Mike Simons) won the Open Trot ($12,000) at Tioga Downs on Saturday.Dragin The Wagon (Aaron Byron) controlled all the early fractions (:28.1, :58.1, 1:26.3). Golden Son ($2.90), who is owned by John DeVito and trained by Jenny Melander, sat in the pocket for the first three-quarters. Simons, would then go first-over and wear down a stubborn Dragin The Wagon (second) to win in 1:55.2. Second Sister (Jim Meittinis) finished third. Goldon Son is a 5-year-old gelding by Majestic Son. It was his fourth win in a row and fourth win of the season. He now has 24 career victories. Mike Simons had three other winners. He won with Explosive Jet ($15.40), All On Black ($7.30), and Fleet Bumblebee ($9.10). Mike Merton won four times as well. He got victories with KJ’s Caroline ($10.40), Rusty’s Flying ($3.10), Commentary ($4.10),and Delilah De Vie ($7.50). Tioga Downs returns to live action on Sunday (May 13) with a 10-race card starting at 1 p.m. For more information go to www.tiogadowns.com.