by harness racing publicists across North America

Saturday’s (Oct. 15) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Batavia Downs, Pocono, Vernon Downs and Saratoga.

BJ’s Guy swoops foes in Batavia Downs feature

Batavia, NY — Fresh off a win in the Yonkers preferred pace last week, BJ’s Guy shipped into Batavia Downs to take on the best local talent on Saturday night (Oct. 15) and went from worst to first in the $9,500 Open pacing feature.

Paul White photo

BJ’s Guy picks up his seventh win of the year at Batavia Downs on Saturday.

Normandy Invasion (Jim Morrill Jr.) took a methodical stroll to the front off the gate and eventually opened up a two-length lead at the quarter-mile in :27.2. Positions remained unchanged to the half-mile in :55.2, when BJ’s Guy (Drew Monti) started up on the outside from last and prompted Brees Creek (Kevin Cummings) and China Dream (Shawn Gray) to pull in front of him, establishing a three-horse outer flow going up the backside.

When the group passed three-quarters, China Dream tipped three-deep and BJ’s Guy followed in step and they both began to chip away at Normandy Invasion’s lead. As they came off the turn and stormed down the lane, Normandy Invasion began to tire and China Dream got to the front, but BJ’s Guy brushed harder. He overtook his rival in the middle of the track and got home first in 1:53.4. China Dream did hold on for second and Junior Pride (Ray Fisher Jr.) snuck up the passing lane to grab third.

It was the ninth win of the season for BJ’s Guy ($7.70) who has now earned $91,902 during the year for owners Blindswitch Racing Stable, David Sebolsky and Stanley Yoskowitz. The 7-year-old gelded son of Towner’s Big Guy is trained by Jose Godinez.

Jim Morrill Jr. won four more races on Saturday night and those wins pushed him into second place for the dash-winning lead with 65 victories behind Kevin Cummings who has 68. The quadruple also gave him 12 wins in the last three nights of racing at Batavia.

Also on Saturday, Shawn Gray scored a driving hat trick while Drew Monti doubled up on the card.

Racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Wednesday night (Oct. 19) with post time set at 6:15 p.m.

— by Tim Bojarski

Pocono

Limelight Beach, the 2014 Little Brown Jug winner, held off a determined rail-shooting Katies Rocker to take the $20,000 featured conditioned pace Saturday night (Oct. 15) at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono in 1:51.1. Matt Kakaley left strongly with the gelded son of Somebeachsomewhere, but still had to race two-wide to get around Dreams Beachboy at the :26.2 quarter-mile marker. Limelight Beach posted middle fractions of :55 and 1:22.4, had put away a strong first-over bid by Major Uptrend, and was able to get some separation from Dreams Beachboy. In midstretch Katies Rocker, who had raced third-inside, shot to the deep Pocono Pike and gained rapidly, with Kakaley urging his charge on and withstanding that one by a half-length, with Theartofconfusion A coming from far back to edge Dreams Beachboy for third. The victory was the third in the last four starts for the lifetime winner of $1,175,699. He had taken his previous start at Batavia on the Kane Pace undercard, with the feature taken by his Ron Burke stablemate Foiled Again. Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, M1 Stable LLC, and the Wingfield Brothers LLC are the “Superfecta LLC” owners. Rockin Rambaran won his fourth straight race when he took the $18,000 high-end claiming pace by two lengths in 1:51.1 for driver George Napolitano Jr., trainer Richard Banca, and the P T Stable. But “P T,” who had claimed the pacer for $25,000 out of his last start, will have to settle for a “$9,000 minus a week’s training fees” profit from the horse, as he was taken Saturday right back by the Chris Oakes stable.

Vernon Downs

JK Panache ($2.20) made every yard a winning one in Saturday evening’s (Oct. 15) featured $9,900 Miracle Mile/Open Handicap Pace at Vernon Downs, drawing clear easily by 4-1/4 lengths in his 1:49.3 victory and giving John MacDonald one of his four driving wins on the 11-race card. The 7-year-old Art Major gelding had no trouble clearing his three rivals, sprinting to the fore through a :26 first quarter before leading pocket rival St Lads Moonwalk (Truman Gale) through middle sectionals of :54 and 1:22.2. JK Panache began edging clear at the head of the home straight, leaving an all-out St Lads Moonwalk well behind and evading a late bid from Calvin B (Greg Merton), who emerged from last off the far turn to take the runner-up spot. St Lads Moonwalk was a laboring third, while Some Kinda Beach (Mike Merton) faded to fourth. Dave Dewhurst co-owns 45-time winner JK Panache with Philip Hale.
In addition to his featured win, MacDonald teamed up with Pramatic Life ($2.10, 1:53.3), Charmbo Curiosity ($3.70, 1:53), and Big Cal ($2.80, 1:54) to complete his grand slam.
Live racing returns to Vernon Downs with a nine-race card on Thursday evening (Oct. 20) evening; post time is 6:45 p.m.

Saratoga

Gibson Blue Chip (Artiscape) stayed hot on Saturday night (Oct. 15) in the feature at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The 7-year-old pacer was claimed two weeks ago by trainer Norm Dessureault and scored his second win in as many weeks. Gibson Blue Chip, who went from last to first to prevail last week in a career best 1:53.1, moved out to the early lead in Saturday’s $10,175 feature in pursuit of back-to-back jacks. Stephane Bouchard piloted the rejuvenated pacer and got him to the top in an opening quarter of :27.4. Tested throughout the majority of the mile, Gibson Blue Chip surged away late from pocket-sitting favorite Nesh Cruiser (Frank Coppola Jr.) before stopping the timer in 1:53.1 to match the lifetime mark he set last week. Nesh Cruiser, who was also looking to repeat on Saturday night, finished second while Espen De Vie (Jim Devaux) earned the show spot. Gibson Blue Chip was the 2-1 second choice and returned $6.90 to win while the exacta and triple paid $8.90 and $24.80, respectively. Gibson Blue Chip is owned by Anthony McGrath of Troy, N.Y. Live racing continues on Sunday afternoon (Oct. 16) at Saratoga with a matinee beginning at 12:15 p.m.