by harness racing publicists across North America

Sunday’s (May 21) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Tioga Downs, Saratoga, Hippodrome 3R, Hawthorne and Running Aces.

The Last Chapter wins Williams Auto Trot at Tioga

Tioga, NY — The Last Chapter (Drew Monti) takes the featured Williams Auto Trot at Tioga Downs Sunday afternoon (May 21). This exciting race showed many lead changes until the top of the stretch. The 3 year-old Chapter Seven gelding took over and won with ease.

Fred Brown photo

The Last Chapter cruises to victory at Tioga Downs on Sunday afternoon.

The Last Chapter ($2.90) owned by Richard Gutnik, Joe Losito and the TLP Stable, turned the mile in 1:56.2.

Royal Casanova (Jim Taggart Jr.) came up to take second. TT Conway (Jim Marohn Jr) finished third.

Tioga Downs is dark this Friday and returns to live action on Saturday night (May 27) at 6:50 p.m. There is a special Sunday (May 28) start time of 6:50 p.m

New York Sire Stakes action returns Sunday night as 3-year-old trotting fillies take center stage.

Memorial Day Monday (May 29) post time is 1 p.m.

— by John Horne

Saratoga Raceway

Saratoga, NY — Lucid Thoughts (Cash Hall) has spent much of 2017 finishing second and third. The John Macdonald trainee had hit the board in nine of his 11 seasonal tries but was winless as he drew the rail for Sunday’s (May 21) Winners Over trot at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Lucid Thoughts was part of a significant three-horse speed duel in the early stages of the $14,000 Sunday feature but Macdonald would not relinquish the lead. Parking out a pair of rivals, the 8-5 co-favorite Lucid Thoughts went to the half in :55.3 but looked none the worse for the wear in the race’s second lap as he cruised to his first win of the year, a victory that came in 1:55.2. Photo King (Jay Randall) sat just off the early speed and was the runner-up while Cincinnati Miss (Frank Coppola Jr.) closed for third. While Lucid Thoughts was co-favored, the exotics paid well in the Sunday feature with an exacta of $51.50 and a triple that returned $449. Live racing resumes on Thursday afternoon with a matinee that kicks off at 12:15 p.m.

Hippodrome 3 R

Trois-Rivieres, PQ — Both Half A Billion and HP Sissy established themselves as the “horses to beat” with repeat victories in the second round of the Quebec bred Series for 4 and five-year-old pacers. Half A Billion was the fastest of the two series winners as trainer/driver Francis Picard worked out strong cover for his horse against the entry of the two full brothers, Mach On The Beach (Pascal Berube) and Mr Match On Beach (Stephane Brosseau).Mach On The Beach and Berube had cut the mile with Mr Match On The Beach sitting the pocket trip as HP Patriote and driver Guy Gagnon tried in vain to get to the front, giving Half A Billion live cover until the backstretch. It was then that Picard sent Half A Billion around HP Patriote and went after the race leaders, collaring Mach On The Beach around the final turn and then going on to win by 2-1/2 lengths in 1:57, the fastest mile on the afternoon card. Mr Match On Beach was second with Mach On The Beach third. It was the second straight win and fourth triumph on the year for Half A Billion. Owned by Michel & Francois Letarte, Jean Allaire and Corey Giles, it was the 5-year-old gelded son of Sportswriters fourth win on the year. He paid $4.00 as the even money favorite. HP Sissy soundly defeated nine rivals in the second round of the series. With Guy Gagnon in the sulky, HP Sissy left from post three in the sixth race co-feature and was able to outkick Skyfall Sena (Jocelyn Gendron) to the opening quarter-mile and never looked back. Holding the field at bay the rest of the one mile race, Gagnon and HP Sissy pulled away from the field around the final turn, winning with ease by 5-1/4 lengths in 1:57.2. The pocket-sitting Skyfall Sena held for second place with HP Mercedes (Richard Simard) third. It was the second straight win and third triumph of the season for HP Sissy. The 4-year-old mare by Up The Credit is trained by Jean Tourigny for breeder Claude Hamel, who co-owns the mare with Michel Damphousse. She paid $3.80 to win. There is one more week of preliminary competition before the top eight money winners in each division compete in their respective $30,000 finals on June 11. Code Word won for the second straight week as driver Maxime Gaudreault gave the 10th race Invitational Pace, scoring an upset at 13-1 and paying $28.00 to win. Driver Jocelyn Gendron brought in the highest payoff of the season as he won the seventh race pace with Northern Trophy at odds of 33-1. Taking the lead after the opening quarter mile, Gendron would not give way to 1-5 race favorite Hard Rock, putting them away in the backstretch. Northern Trophy paid $69.10 to win. Gendron, along with Guy Gagnon and Francis Picard, all scored driving doubles on the program. Trainers Francis Richard and Charles Gaudreault also had training doubles.

Hawthorne Race Course

Stickney, IL — The Sunday (May 21) card opened with a field of six for the second leg of the Peter Galassi series for filly and mare pacers. The 3-5 favorite was leg one winner Lakeside Ms Queen at 3-5. Lakeside Ms Queen broke prior to the start and spotted the field seven lengths. Dali Delight took advantage and set the fractions through a comfortable :29.4 quarter and :58.4 half. On the turn, Dali Delight maintained her advantage as Lakeside Ms Queen picked up the chase while three wide. After three quarters in 1:28.1, Lakeside Ms Queen came to challenge Dali Delight. At the wire, Lakeside Ms Queen overcame the break at the start and won by a neck in 1:56.3. Dali Delight was second while Rear View finished third. Lakeside Ms Queen is owned by Jace Sundeen and Denise Jarka and trained by Jace Sundeen. Race five on Sunday was an open handicap for filly and mare pacers as OK Heavenly looked for her second consecutive victory at this level. Leaving for the lead was Seeyouatthefinish for Kyle Husted as she covered the quarter in :28.2. Moving to take over on the backstretch was Fox Valley Charm, through a half in :57.1. On the turn, Fox Valley Charm maintained her lead through three quarters in 1:24.4. In the lane, they lined up six across as favored OK Heavenly and driver Casey Leonard rolled by, winning in 1:53.4. Owned by Dandy Farms, Inc. and Mark Winship, OK Heavenly is trained by Angela Coleman.

Running Aces

Columbus, MN — The Sunday night Running Aces harness racing card featured the return of local favorite Roland N Rock to the Minnesota oval to headline the $11,000 Open Handicap Pace. He did not disappoint his loyal fans and pari-mutuel backers as he turned in a dazzling performance as expected. Assigned the outside post in the eight horse field, driver Nick Roland sent Roland N Rock out quickly in search of the lead, but found plenty of competition for the top spot, and opted to float back into the four hole as they checked in at the quarter in a swift :26.4. From there the duo sat patiently through the half in :56.1 before launching their attack, first with a second over position nearing three-quarters (1:24) and then a quick three-wide brush to take command turning for home, pacing away from the field to score by 2-1/4 lengths in 1:52.2 with a :28 final quarter and a final half in :55.3. SF Donttellonme rounded out the exacta off of an early pocket trip, while pacesetter Easy Again checked in third. Roland N Rock (Rocknroll Hanover) returned $3.60 for a $2 mutuel after posting his third win of the season and boosting his seasonal bankroll to $117,450 for owners Duane and Connie Roland. Firedrake ($5.20) did not disappoint in his 2017 debut as well, delivering as co-favorite in a nice $6,400 conditioned pacing event. Firedrake and trainer/driver Nick Roland secured a pocket trip behind Bo Master and found his way up the inside of the track late to score a nice win by 2-1/4 lengths in 1:56.1. Firedrake is owned by Jessica Johnson and the 4-year-old gelding by Dragon Again now sports seven wins in 16 lifetime tries. The win also completed the back-to-back double for Roland. Steve Wiseman posted a grand slam with four wins on the Sunday night card. Wiseman fans were rewarded in the opener as he scored aboard Art Genta paying $3.40, race three ($2.60) with Muscle Beach, race four steering Cenalta Diesel ($7.60) and race 10 with a $4.80 mutuel aboard Magnifique. Wiseman had a triple on the opening night card and jumped out to the early lead in the driver standings. Lemoyne “Mooney” Svendsen picked up his second driving double in a row with the two biggest prices of the night, Losira in race five ($18.60) and Hi Ho’s Little Rev ($21.00) in race nine. Live racing returns to Running Aces this coming Tuesday (May 23) with a first post of 7 p.m. (CDT).