by harness racing publicists across North America

Saturday’s (Oct. 29) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Batavia Downs, Pocono and Vernon Downs.

China Dream much the best in Batavia Downs feature

Batavia, NY—A scratch-shortened field of six top class pacers became a mere group of spectators who watched China Dream command their fate from the start of the race as he won the $10,500 Open feature at Batavia Downs on Saturday night (Oct. 29).

Paul White photo

China Dream captures his tenth win of the year at Batavia Downs on Saturday.

China Dream (Shawn Gray) left sharply and crossed over to the pylons before the field rounded the first turn and then opened up a gapped advantage he would maintain for the remainder of the race. After Gray hit the brakes with a :29.3 second quarter, Littlebitaclass (Jim Morrill Jr.) pulled first up in an attempt to advance to the front with Knocking Around (Dave McNeight III) right on his back. But after hearing the footsteps, Gray asked his charge for more and more is what he got. China Dream pulled away in a quick :28 third panel and found himself leading by seven lengths at the top of the stretch. He continued his momentum all the way to the wire and cruised to a wrapped-up 1:54.4 victory.

It was the tenth win of the year for China Dream ($4.40) and it inflated his annual earnings to $77,680 for owners Jack and Maria Rice. Maria Rice trains the winner.

In the co-featured $9,000 Open II, Thunderbolt Jaxon (Jim Morrill Jr.) took the lead just past the quarter and cruised to an easy three-length win in 1:54.1. It was the third straight win for Thunderbolt Jaxon ($5.00) and seventh of the season. Mike Torcello owns the winner who is trained by Gerry Sarama.

Jim Morrill Jr. led all drivers on Saturday night with four wins while Drew Monti, Jim McNeight Jr. and Ray Fisher Jr. all scored doubles. Trainers Gerry Sarama, Jim McNeight and Mihajlo Zdjelar Jr. each sent two winners for pictures.

Racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Wednesday (Nov. 2) with a 6:15 p.m. post.

— by Tim Bojarski

Pocono

E Street Plan, despite being away from the races for 21 days, thundered down the middle road of the stretch to be along in 1:49.1 while taking the $20,000 pacing feature at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono on Saturday (Oct.29). E Street Plan was the first on top, but he yielded to favored Somewhere In L A before the rapid :26 quarter. It soon started to look that the gelded son of Rocknroll Hanover’s fate was to be the “E Street shuffle,” because as soon as Somewhere In L A cleared, Handsome Henry K made a wicked brush towards command, and the winner wound up third through Henry’s wild middle numbers of :53.2 and 1:20.3. Driver Eric Carlson got E Street Plan closer to the lead on the turn and out to the three-path in the stretch, and his pacer (who, yes, has raced at Freehold) found his best gear and strode clear late, 1-1/2 lengths to the good at the wire. Somewhere In L A was up for second in a photo over another late charger, American Rage, with the speedy pacesetter Handsome Henry K another neck back in fourth. Trainer Gilbert Garcia-Herrera had his charge sharp despite the brief respite to reduce his lifetime mark by three-fifths of a second for owner Michi Yvette Abday. He paid $26.20 to win. Rockin Rambaran made it five wins in a row when he took the $18,000 high-level claiming handicap in 1:51.2 for driver George Napolitano Jr., trainer Chris Oakes, and owner Hunter Oakes. But the winner was claimed for the third straight week for the $25,000 tag. Double season’s leader Scott Rocks moved to the lead early and posted his 10th victory of the campaign in winning a $15,500 co-featured pace for Napolitano, Oakes, and owners Susan Oakes and Chuck Pompey.

Vernon Downs

Drivers Truman Gale and Fern Paquet, Jr. each captured three of Saturday evening ‘s (Oct. 29) 12 races at Vernon Downs. The 27-year-old Gale began his hat trick in the second race, a $3,900 second-level Miracle Mile event, with Card Knock Life ($8.90, 1:52.2), trained by his wife Jocelyn. Team “Night Train” would team up again in the fifth, a $3,600 maiden event, with Springhouse Mojo ($5.20, 1:56.1), who drew off to a convincing 11-1/4 length victory after making all the pace. Gale concluded his driving triple with Dave Dewhurst trainee Pantheon Hanover ($9.50, 1:54.1), who recovered from a break to circle the seventh-race field and just prevail in the $4,300 third-level pacing event from third-over. Paquet, a winner of over 2,800 races in his career, teamed up with trainer Joe Skowyra to take the $3,100 sixth event with Rockavellian ($6.70, 1:54.2) before holding sway in the $3,300 first-level distaff ninth race for a narrow front-end win with Paul Minckler trainee Table Games ($6.00, 1:55.3). Paquet concluded his hat trick in the $3,500 first-level eleventh, pulling the pocket and vaulting forward with Jordan Hope trainee Ultra Shok N ($4.80, 1:53.4). The evening’s featured event, a $6,700 pace, saw Damon Blue Chip ($11.60) rally off cover and edge away to a 1:53.4 score for trainer-driver John MacDonald. The J P Stables own the 7-year-old Rocknroll Hanover gelding. Closing weekend at Vernon Downs kicks off Friday evening (Nov. 4), with post time slated for 6:45 p.m. Eastern.