by harness racing publicists across North America

Saturday’s (June 10) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Running Aces, Tioga Downs, Saratoga, Buffalo Raceway, Vernon Downs and Hawthorne Race Course.

My Little Susie adds another track record at Running Aces

Columbus, MN — The featured event on the Saturday night program at Running Aces was the $10,000 Open Handicap Trot and My Little Susie would steal the show this evening, by storming down the center of the track to get home first and establish a new track record of 1:55 for 4-year-old mares, adding to the record she set here as a 3-year-old last season of 1:56.4.

She now sports two current track records here at the Minnesota oval.

Dee Leftwich photo

My Little Susie established a new track record of 1:55 for 4-year-old trotting mares.

Driver Steve Wiseman floated My Little Susie quickly off the gate to find a pylon position in third, and waited patiently in that spot as race favorite Banker Volo (Luke Plano) set all the fractions (:27.1, :56.3 and 1:25) before My Little Susie came charging up the inside passing lane in the stretch to overtake the leader and hold off the pocket sitter Leave Your Mark with Nick Roland, who took second, with Banker Volo checking in third.

Saturday night’s big win was the 20th lifetime tally for the talented mare, who is owned by A Piece Of The Action LLC and trained by Kathie Plested.

Whatevershesgot ($3.60) with Gerald Longo aboard picked up the winners share of the second leg of the Charlie Hare Trotting Series in a lifetime best mile of 1:57.1 after converting the pocket trip into a 1-3/4 length score. It was the first win of the season and fifth lifetime victory for the 4-year-old mare by SOS Lunar Eclipse, who is owned and trained by Jenni King.

Ideal Jesse ($3.20), a 3-year-old colt by Jailhouse Jesse, was sharp in winning the $8,000 3-Year-Old Open Trot in 1:57.4 with part owner/trainer/driver James Yoder in the bike. It was the third lifetime win in 18 starts for Ideal Jesse who is also owned by Jesse Yoder.

Drivers Rick Magee and Nick Roland both picked up driving doubles at Running Aces.

The next card of live harness racing at Running Aces Casino & Racetrack will go to post on Sunday night at 6 p.m. (CDT), with a carryover in the 20-cent Jackpot Pick-5 wager of $7,908.32.

— Darin Gagne

Tioga Downs
Barn Bella (Jim Taggart Jr.) won the $12,000 Open Trot at Tioga Downs Saturday night. Barn Bella is now five-for-five as a 3-year-old. At Tioga Downs this year the Conway Hall filly, who is owned by Purple Haze Stables along with Nancy and trainer Steve Pratt, is three-for-three. She has either equaled the track record or beaten it in each start. Saturday night she raced the five-eighths-mile oval in 1:52.4, beating her own mark of 1:53.3. Wisenheimer led the field to the first quarter but Barn Bella ($3.60) brushed by to take over with one lap to go. She would lead by four lengths at the top of the stretch. That is when the late-charging Prairie Fortune (Jim Meittinis) would take a run at her. Just when it looked like he might catch her she found even another gear to smash her record. Barn Bella used this as a tune-up as she will race in the $228,000 Empire Breeders Classic final on Sunday (June 18) at Vernon Downs. Leading driver Mike Simons added to his total, winning three times with Explosive Drama ($4.00), Noble Anthony ($3.70), and Winning Wizard ($9.50). Racing returns Sunday (June 11) afternoon at Tioga Downs at 1 p.m. The 13-race card features the Graduate Series leg three for 4-year-old pacers and trotters as the Grand Circuit makes its first 2017 trip to Tioga.

Saratoga
Settlemoir (Western Ideal) went coast-to-coast in the Saturday feature at Saratoga Casino Hotel. In his local debut last week, the Rene Allard-trained Settlemoir finished second in the $12,500 Winners Over and subsequently was the 8-5 betting favorite this week as he looked to wire the featured field. Wally Hennessey sat behind the 4-year-old pacer as he clicked off a first quarter of :27. Following an effective breather in quarter two that led to a half in :56.3, Settlemoir wound up having just enough left to hold off the late bid by pocket-sitter Panocchio (Gerry Mattison) who had to settle for second. Bet You (Stephane Bouchard) earned the show spot. Settlemoir, who stopped the timer in 1:52.4 for his fourth win of the season, prevailed in just his second start following the claim by Allard at Yonkers in May. Live racing continues on Sunday afternoon with a matinee first post set for 12:15 p.m.

Buffalo Raceway
Fireyourguns had just two starts to begin his 2017 season and in both attempts, well, he fired blanks. But in Buffalo Raceway’s $9,000 Open II Pace on Saturday night (June 10), Fireyourguns had a full arsenal and easily gunned down the field in 1:53 over the fast track. With fifth and seventh place finishes to begin the year, Fireyourguns, who holds the Buffalo Raceway all-time track record of 1:52 set in 2015, never looked back in going gate-to-wire. He handily defeated Western Alumni by a comfortable 1-1/4 lengths. Able to reach the lead off the starting gate, Fireyourguns (Mike Caprio) set fractions of :27.3, :56.3 and 1:25. Those fractions were more than enough to take the starch out of the rest of the field in the stretch as Fireyourguns ($4.00) strolled to the victory. Western Alumni (Todd Cummings) took second with Sir Ziggy’s Z Tam (Ray Fisher Jr.) finishing in third. It was the 49th win in 109 lifetime starts for the 8-year-old gelded Fireyourguns (American Ideal-Villa Hanover). Co-owned by trainer Terence McClory and Robert and Jennifer Lowe, Fireyourguns now has earned $351,556 lifetime. Fisher Jr. and Ron Beback Jr. each completed the night with three victories while Jim Morrill Jr. and Larry Stalbaum doubled. Trainers James Clouser Jr. and Maria Rice had triples. Racing will continue on Wednesday night at Buffalo Raceway with 12 races scheduled for a 5 p.m. start.

Vernon Downs
Vernon Downs’ leading driver John MacDonald would add four more to his total on Saturday night (June 10). Starting in race one MacDonald would take Cam’s Lucky Sam ($3.40) to victory, going gate-to-wire in 1:52.3. JD’s Brent N Sheree (Truman Gale) finished second. NBA Pick (Justin Huckabone) was third. In race number eight, MacDonald would guide Fox Valley Cadet ($4.20) from fourth to first in the stretch. Sambestmckee (Jimmy Wittemore) would be nipped at the wire to finish second. Sucrose Hanover (Truman Gale) finished third. In the featured ninth race, MacDonald would take Oh My Joepa ($6.90) gate-to-wire in 1:51.1. MacDonald owns and trains the 9-year-old gelding by Rocknroll Hanover. Apollo Seelster (Jimmy Wittemore) was second. Rock N Row (Truman Gale) captured third. MacDonald’s final win would come in race 11. He would lead Stirling Ensign ($8.70) to a gate-to-wire victory as well in 1:54. Golden Britt (Joe Nassimos) finished second. McDan (Justin Huckabone) was third. Vernon Downs returns to live racing on Friday (June 16) at 6:45 p.m.

Hawthorne Race Course
Race five on Saturday (June 10) evening was the feature as filly and mare open pacers battled. A field of nine lined up with OK Heavenly favored from the outside with driver Casey Leonard in the bike. Getting away for the lead was Kyles Secret, through a contested opening quarter in :28. On the backstretch, OK Heavenly moved to take over. After a half in :56.2, OK Heavenly maintained her advantage, covering three-quarters in 1:25.0. Early in the lane, OK Heavenly was challenged by Ryleigh’s Lilly and contended with that one to the eighth pole. After a stretch battle, OK Heavenly prevailed, holding off the late moves of Fresh Squeezed and Hipnumberone. OK Heavenly stopped the clock in 1:53. OK Heavenly is owned by Dandy Farms Inc. and Mark Winship and trained by Angela Coleman.