by harness racing publicists across North America

Saturday’s (June 17) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Buffalo Raceway, Running Aces, The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, Kawartha Downs, Hawthorne Race Course and Vernon Downs.

Gwally, Fireyourguns share Buffalo Raceway spotlight

Hamburg, NY — Gwally has been at four different harness tracks in the past two months so developing a fan base might be a little difficult. But the well-travel sidewinder probably made a few new friends at Buffalo Raceway on Saturday night (June 17) after scoring a $42.00 victory in the $10,000 Open Trot in 1:57.4. In the co-featured $9,000 Preferred Pace, Fireyourguns showed he’s still got plenty of weapons left in the arsenal as he won his second straight race with a 1:53.0 score over Montezuma Bluechip. It was the 50th career victory for Fireyourguns in just 110 lifetime starts.

Steve Roth photo

Fireyourguns captures his 50th career race from 110 lifetime starts on Saturday at Buffalo Raceway.

Some hot fractions in the main event for the trotters proved to be a perfect set up for Gwally who has paid visits to Yonkers Raceway and Tioga Downs in the past few months. Noble Legend and Kahoku battled for supremacy with the opening half in :57.2. In the meantime, Gwally (David McNeight III) toiled in fifth and began to make a move in the outer flow to the three-quarter station.

Noble Legend and Kahoku threw in the towel at the top of the stretch and Gwally took full advantage of the situation and never looked back in notching the decision by 2-3/4 lengths. Empire Earl N (Larry Stalbaum) rallied for second with Studio City (Kevin Cummings) taking the show position.

Co-owned by Marissa Russo and John Mariano, Gwally (Rompaway Wally-Surrogate Lover) is a 7-year-old gelding who is trained by David Russo. It was the third victory in 20 starts for Gwally, now a winner of $24,446 in 2017 and $202,780 lifetime.

Fireyourguns (American Ideal-Villa Hanover) and driver Mike Caprio had to work hard to get to the lead from the seven post but once arriving there, he showed what a competitor he truly is.

Putting up fractions of :27.2, :55.3 and 1:24.0 over the fast track, Fireyourguns ($8.90) cruised through the stretch and easily held off Montezuma Blue Chip (Ray Fisher Jr.) and Sir Ziggy’s Z Tam (McNeight III) by a throttled down 3/4 of a length.

Co-owned by trainer Terence McClory along with Jennifer and Robert Lowe, the victory pushed Fireyourguns’ seasonal earnings to $10,000 and $356,556 in his sparkling career.

Cummings enjoyed a four-bagger in the sulky while Jim Morrill Jr. tripled and McNeight III doubled. Trainer Maria Rice sent a pair to the winner’s circle.

Action will continue on Sunday afternoon as Buffalo Raceway will present its first matinee of the season at 12:30 p.m. with a 12-race card. There is a $316 carryover in the Pick-5 which begins in the second race.

Fans in attendance will receive a 75th Anniversary Commemorative Lucky Exacta Coin while kids will get a 75th Anniversary Slinky along with free cotton candy and sno cones.

For more information including upcoming promotions, race replays, results and the latest news, go to www.buffaloraceway.com.

— by Brian Mazurek

Running Aces

The Saturday (June 17) night harness racing card at Running Aces featured Minnesota-sired 3-year-olds in action, with the pacers going for $16,000 in two divisions, and the trotters fielding a full gate of 10 sophomores in one division going for $13,000. In the $9,600 A division of the 3-year-old pacers, Whatitdobabyboo ($3.80) posted a very sharp win in a 1:54 lifetime best mile, with Rick Magee in the sulky for trainer David Flinn and owners The Van Oterloo Stables. Tonight’s tally was her ninth lifetime win in 12 starts. In the $6,400 B division, it was the filly Exsqueezeme ($11.00) by Up Front Brad who posted a gate-to-wire victory in a very sharp winning life’s best time of 1:56.1 as the second longest priced winner of the night. Exsqueezeme is owned by Alan and Cheryl Sandbulte, trained by Denise Maier, and was driven to her first lifetime win by Tim Maier. In the $13,000 3-year-old trotting event, the filly Imapixieatmidnight (by Sos Lunar Eclipse) posted a razor sharp win over a wet surface and despite a second-tier start. Trainer/Driver Nick Roland got his filly away from the gate in fifth position before grabbing the second over position just at the three-eighths pole and tipping three-wide down the backside to sweep into second and ultimately roll past race leader Al Mar Money Glide (Tim Maier). Imapixieatmidnight ($7.00) drew away impressively to score in 2:02.1 and register a new life mark for owners Set The Pace Racing, LLC.
Drivers Nick Roland and Tim Maier both picked up driving doubles on the card. Trainer David Flinn had five horses in-to-go on the Saturday program at Running Aces, with three of his charges going to the gate in the same event, the $9,600 Minnesota-sired Pace Class A , and two others going in separate conditioned events. This certainly makes for a busy night for Flinn and his team, which is not uncommon for his operation to have five or six horses in on any given night, but what transpired on this particular evening was something special, and most certainly noteworthy. It all started in race three on the card, the race where Flinn sent out half the field, for three different Iowa owners. Flinn’s charges picked up first, second and third money when Whatitdoo BabyBoo (Rick Magee) charged home in the stretch to pass Steve’s Hot Rod (Joe Casagranda) and pace a lifetime best 1:54 mile. The winner, owned by The Van Oterloo Stables, is no stranger to success at Running Aces, as she was the 2016 Minnesota champion 2-year-old pacing filly. The third place finisher was the other Flinn trainee, DeweyDidDoneGood with (Steve Wiseman), also a champion pacer from last year. The Flinn team had a couple of races off until race six when they sent out SwagasaurusRex in a $3,500 conditioned pace, and made their way back to the winner’s circle after he posted a sharp win in 1:55.2 for his first victory in five starts this season for owner Richard Davelaar, with driver Dean Magee in tow. Finally, Flinn sent Okee Dokee to the gate in a $4,400 conditioned pace in race eight with driver Brian Detgen, and that duo proceeded to trounce the competition and post a 9 1/2 length romp in a career best mile of 1:56.3. This 3-year-old pacer also owned by the Van Oterloo Stables. Final Score: five horses in, one trainer, four different owners, five different drivers equals three wins plus second and third in the same race. In any kind of racing, it just doesn’t get much better than that. Live racing returns to the Running Aces oval on Sunday (June 18), with a first post of 7:00 pm CT, and a carryover in the 20-cent Jackpot Pick-5 of $13,020.26.

The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono

Tell Us More leads all North American harness horses in 2017 victories after he won his 13th race of the campaign Saturday (June 17) night at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, taking one of two $18,000 claiming pace features in 1:50.4. George Napolitano Jr. sent the altered son of Tell All to the lead past the :26.2 quarter and the pair was typically ruthless from there, posting middle splits of :55.2 and 1:22.1, with a strong finish producing an eight-length victory, the gelding’s fifth in a row. Tell Us More now has a one win advantage in 2017 over Private Interview, who will attempt to regain a share of the lead Sunday night at Rideau Carleton. As for trainer Hunter Oakes and owner Susan Oakes, they had a short but very profitable relationship with Tell Us More as they claimed him for $20,000 last week, won $9,000 in purse money tonight, and saw him haltered for $24,000, for a week’s profit of $13,000 minus training fees. Napolitano’s brother Anthony won the other $18,000 claiming feature with One To Draw To, and went even faster, 1:49.3, leading at the :26 quarter, :54 half, and 1:21.3 at the three-quarter pole en route to his third triumph in succession. The victorious son of Major In Art won for trainer Steve Salerno, also co-owner with James Potter and Triple D From Tennessee, but alas these connections suffered the same fate as did the Oakes family, as the horse will now also change hands through the claiming box. In the top conditioned pace, worth $16,500, the Rocknroll Hanover gelding Sweet Rock overhauled 2-5 favorite Ontario Success with an individual last quarter of :27.2, winning by a half-length in 1:50.4. Marcus Miller had sulky duty for trainer Wayne Gievns and owners Legacy Racing of DE Inc., Reggie Hazzard II, and Gary Calloway. Three-year-old trotting fillies go postward Sunday at Pocono in the third leg of their Pennsylvania Sire Stakes preliminaries, with Treviso, the only double winner, heading one division and 2016 divisional champion Fine Tuned Lady topping the other.

Kawartha Downs

The weather was kind to Kawartha Downs Saturday (June 17) night as despite a torrential downpour prior to the races and some rough weather afterwards, the skies cleared and the weather was warm for the 10-race card. On track Reg Gassien recorded back-to-back wins in the second and third races. His first trip to the winner’s circle was courtesy of Dana Salaam who hit the wire in 1:55.4. The 5-year-old daughter of Ameripan Gigolo was recording her fourth win of the season for trainer Brian Collins and owner Alvin Cormier of Oshawa.
Victoria’s Jet gave him the second tally as she tripped the timer in 1:58. It was the second straight win and third in six life starts for the 3-year-old daughter of Big Jim trained by Dave Gibson for owner/breeder Val Spar Stables of West Hill. Young driver Jim Gillespie also recorded a pair of victories, the first with Ken Kan Win in the fifth race and the second with Radar Trap in the eighth. The fastest win of the night was the 1:55.1 effort turned in by The Love Bug guided by Nick Boyd to a 1:55.1 score. Steve LeBlanc trains and co-owns the 10-year-old gelding by Artesian. Kawartha Downs’ new General Manager, Orazio Valente, barbequed and gave out free hot dogs throughout the evening as he met with the many fans in attendance.
Lots of folks remained after the end of the Kawartha card to watch and wager on the C$1 million North America Cup from Mohawk Racetrack with one lucky fan who correctly predicted Fear The Dragon as the winner going home with NA Cup shirts and hats generously donated by Mohawk. Kawartha Downs is back in action next Saturday night with a 7 p.m. first post.

Hawthorne Race Course

On Saturday (June 17) evening at Hawthorne, two divisions of leg one of the Incredible Finale Stakes took place. The Incredible Finale is for Illinois-bred 2-year-old colt and gelding pacers. Race one opened the stakes action as a field of eight lined up after the scratch of Sagebrush Sharp. Favored was Beach Shootingstar with driver Mike Oosting in the bike. Leaving for the lead was Shooting Straight from the outside as he worked hard to make the top through a contested quarter in :29.4. After a half in 1:01.0, Shooting Straight maintained him lead into the turn. On the turn, Not Me Gram moved the challenge through three-quarters in 1:30.3. In the lane, Not Me Gram and Shooting Straight battled, but inside the final sixteenth, Mykonos slipped through along the inside to get up for driver Casey Leonard in 1:59. Shooting Straight battled back for second while Not Me Gram held third. Mykonos is owned by Tripoli Stable and trained by Tom Simmons. Race two on the Saturday card was the filly and mare open pace with a field of six. OK Heavenly was assigned post 10 in the six-horse field as the favorite for driver Casey Leonard. Shortly after the start, Fresh Squeezed encountered broken equipment and was pulled up, leaving five to contest the mile. Phyllis Jean got away on the lead, through the quarter in :27.4. After a half in :56.3, Phyllis Jean maintained her lead into the far turn. The field bunched up into the stretch with Hipnumberone swinging four-wide to challenge through three-quarters in 1:25.2. In the stretch, OK Heavenly was able to work her way through the field, splitting horses to win by a length over Hipnumberone in 1:52.3. Kyles Secret was third. OK Heavenly is owned by Dandy Farms Inc. and Mark Winship and trained by Angela Coleman. Race seven was the second division of leg one of the Incredible Finale with a full field of 10 set to face off over the good track. Favored from the outside was Molina with Kyle Husted driving. Leaving for the lead was the favorite as he cleared the lead in :29.4. On the backside, Molina maintained his advantage, covering the half in 1:01.0. On the turn, Molina continued on, covering three-quarters in 1:31.0. In the lane, Heza Real Shooter ranged up to challenge with Casey Leonard driving and caught Molina in the shadow of the wire to win by a neck. Final time for the mile was 1:59.2. Big Boy Frazier finished third. Heza Real Shooter is owned by John Barnard and trained by William Crone.

Vernon Downs

Chris Lems wins both trotting features at Vernon Downs on Saturday (June 17). Lems would win the first of two features piloting Muscles Jared ($2.20) and destroying the rest of the field. The 3-year-old gelding by Muscle Massive, who is owned by Al Ross and trained by George Ducharme, would win by nine lengths in 1:54. Thundercrest (Dustin Ingraham) would finish second with Williams Wish (Joe Nassimos) third. Lems and Ducharme would team up again for the other feature ($5,100) with Patton ($3.00). Patton (Conway Hall) who is owned by Ducharme, Fontaine, and Ross would charge to the front just after the half. The 3-year-old gelding would win in 1:54.1. Dewey’s Breeze (Dan Daley) was second while Lone Valley Sam (John MacDonald) captured third. A big day of racing during Father’s Day Sunday (June 18) at Vernon Downs begins at 1:05 p.m. The Miracle Mile’s day will feature two Empire Breeders Classic Finals for 3-year-old trotters. Also featured are four divisions of the New York Sire Stakes for 3-year-old pacers. The Empire Breeders Classic final for 3-year-old trotting fillies will compete for a purse of $228,250. The morning line favorite is Barn Bella (Conway Hall) at 5-2. Celebrity Ruth (Archangel) is at 4-). The Empire Breeders Classic final for the 3-year-old trotting colts for $252,000 will feature Devious Man (Credit Winner) as the 5-2 favorite. Bill’s Man (Credit Winner) is the second choice at 7-2. Thirteen races in all are scheduled for the Father’s Day afternoon. For more information go to www.vernondowns.com.