by harness racing publicists across North America

Saturday night’s (Sept. 17) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Batavia Downs, Hollywood Dayton Raceway, Shenandoah Downs, Tioga Downs and Saratoga.

China Dream victorious in Batavia feature

Batavia, NY — Track conditions were sloppy at best after torrential downpours swept through Genesee County. China Dream, however, did not seem to mind the mud, as he came first-over and put in a gutsy effort to win the $10,000 pacing feature at Batavia Downs on Saturday night (Sept. 17).

Paul White photo

China Dream was the best of the field in the featured event at Batavia Downs on Saturday evening.

From the pylons, Heaven Rocks (Kevin Cummings) took the lead by default, as no one else in the field left. From there, Cummings proceeded to cut pedestrian fractions for the class of :29.1 to the quarter-mile and :59.1 to the half-mile with his competitors following in post position order.

Shortly past that station, China Dream (Shawn Gray) pulled first-over and drew alongside Heaven Rocks. The two matched strides around the backside and around the last turn. At the head of the lane China Dream wore down Heaven Rocks, but met another challenge from Foreign Officer (John Cummings Jr.). Cummings had tipped three-wide and was driving, but China Dream was the better horse this night and held all comers at bay to win by length in 1:56.2.

It was the ninth win of the year for China Dream ($10.80) and raised his annual income to $65,055 for owners Jack and Maria Rice. China Dream is trained by Maria Rice.

Shawn Gray posted four driving victories on the night while Ray Fisher Jr. won two.

Trainers Maria Rice, Angelo Nappo and Richard Lareau all had two winners.

Racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Monday afternoon (Sept. 19) at 4:30 p.m. for the final twilight card of the year.

— by Tim Bojarski

Hollywood Dayton Raceway

Atta Boy Dan, a well-travelled 7-year-old gelding with 43 career wins, added Saturday night’s (Sept. 17) $15,000 Open I Pace at Hollywood Dayton Raceway to his long list of laurels. Content to get away third through the :26.2 opening panel, driver Chris Page moved the 6-5 favorite into second-over position by the :54.3 half and circled up to challenge pacesetter Fancy Creek Elusiv (Peter Wrenn) at the three-quarter mile beam, tripped in 1:22.3. Atta Boy Dan pulled away from the determined Fancy Creek Elusiv in deep stretch for the victory. The Ron Burke trainee boosted his lifetime bounty to $623,142 for Burke Racing Stable and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. Swing City (Josh Sutton) garnered the show dough in the feature event. Josh Sutton, the defending dash champion at Hollywood Dayton, atoned for a moderate start in the first week of the 2016 meet by capturing five of the first nine races on the lucrative Saturday night card. Sutton visited the winner’s circle with Rockin Finish after the $12,500 Open II Pace for his third consecutive victory in races four through six. His first score came behind the trotter Marley’s Guy in an $8,500 conditioned race, followed by a triumph behind Smiling Terror in a $9,500 conditioned-claiming pacing event. Two races later Sutton guided Tinhorn Creek to an open length win in a $10,000 conditioned race, his second tally for trainer Bobby Brower. King Harvest, a $20,000 claimer chasing a $12,000 purse, gave Josh his fifth win or “one for the thumb,” as announcer Barry Vicroy proclaimed as Sutton crossed the finish line. Hollywood Dayton takes a Monday through Thursday respite from racing, in deference to Little Brown Jug week at the Delaware County Fairgrounds and will resume its normal live racing schedule on Friday night (Sept. 23) at 6:15 p.m.

Shenandoah Downs

Trainer/driver Gerry Longo’s Explosive Muscles captured Saturday’s (Sept. 17) $7,500 featured Open Handicap Trot in wire-to-wire fashion at Shenandoah Downs as the inaugural pari-mutuel race meet in Woodstock, Va. continued. Longo captained the 6-year-old Muscle Mass gelding to his third straight victory. The last pair of wins have come at Shenandoah’s newly renovated half-mile oval, while the first came at Running Aces. Explosive Muscle opened strong in Saturday’s first race, carrying a four-length margin into the opening quarter-mile. Mistress Valentine closed the gap to a quarter-length as the field turned for home. Longo’s pacer, however, met the challenge and won by two lengths in 1:57.1. Out of the Balanced Image mare, Oaklea Odessa, Explosive Muscles earned his eighth win of 2016. The 71-year-old Longo, who also scored with Magnifique, was the oldest driver that competed on the card. On the equine side, a trio of 14-year-olds competed in different events Saturday. Expresso Forte, Fox Valley Armor and Whitesand Hooligan came to Woodstock with a combined 1,107 starts and 150 wins. While the latter two both finished fifth in their respective races, Expresso Forte, who finished second, notched a surprise victory courtesy of a disqualification. The original winner, Last Chance Harvey, lost the top spot for causing interference to the runner-up in the stretch. Expresso Forte was driven to victory by Joey Mapes. The Precious Bunny gelding is out of the Abercrombie mare Shopping List. This was his first win of the year and 53rd career triumph. He has now made 430 career starts. Driver Jeff Lieberman connected in back-to-back, coast-to-coat triumphs in the second and third races with Acadia As and Bombay Away. The former crossed in a season’s best 1:58.3 while the latter won his second straight at Shenandoah. He increased his lifetime bankroll to over $307,000, and triggered the fastest mile of the day (1:55.3). Dr. Scott Woogen, President of the Virginia Harness Horsemen’s Association (VHHA), also wired the field with his 4-year-old trotting mare, Peoplesayimnogood. His charge won handily by 5-1/2 lengths and crossed the wire in 2:00.3. The final time was one-fifth of a second slower than the daughter of Lear Jetta recorded in a victory during the Shenandoah County Fair Sept. 2.Shenandoah Downs will host an 11-race card Sunday (Sept. 18) with first post at 1:00 p.m.

Tioga Downs

Owner-breeder Ina Madill’s Andreios Kardia ($3.00) demonstrated great determination in the featured $10,000 Pacer of the Year Match Race on Saturday’s closing-night (Sept. 17)program at Tioga Downs, upending pacesetter Believe This Bob in a 1:50.1 mile. The 5-year-old Badlands Hanover gelding was eager to go on from race’s outset, offering pressure to Believe This Bob through a :26.3 first quarter before settling into a tight pocket through the middle half. Mike Simons and Believe This Bob relaxed the terms through a :55.2 half mile, but were forced to accelerate as Aaron Byron switched Andreios Kardia back to the two-path with five-sixteenths to go. The two dueled through a :27.1 third quarter, and Andreios Kardia would emerge victorious in the final 150 yards, edging away from the game pacesetter by a half-length while driven. Jeff Byron trains 15-time winner Andreios Kardia, whose third consecutive top-level victory earned him 2016 Tioga Downs Pacer of the Year honors. Aaron Byron and Mike Merton led all drivers with four wins apiece on the 11-race card. Additionally, Trotter of the Year honors were bestowed upon Prairie Fortune, campaigned by owner Laurie Poulin, owner-trainer Mike Deters and regular driver Jim Meittinis. Deters was also crowned the seasonal training champion, while Ontario-based Scott Coulter maintained a clear margin over Mike Simons to capture top driving honors. Horseplayers and horsemen alike are advised to visit www.tiogadowns.com for updates on the ongoing casino expansion, as well as on the 2017 harness racing season.

Saratoga

Southwind Amazon (Camluck) made his local debut on Saturday night (Sept. 17) at Saratoga Casino Hotel and what an impression he made. The Paul Holzman-trained pacer showed some impressive lines in his races from the last few months,l but drew the outside post position in his debut in the $16,000 Open Pace. Driver Billy Dobson powered Southwind Amazon out early and didn’t stop until he reached the top. After an opening quarter in :27 seconds and a half-mile in :55, the 6-year-old star sped away from his rivals to build an insurmountable lead. Clicking off three quarters in 1:22.3, Southwind Amazon had plenty left in the stretch and stopped the clock in 1:50.4, the fastest time for any horse at the Spa this year. The race’s favorite Givenupdreaming (Stephane Bouchard) shook loose late, but it was to no avail as he had to settle for second, while Artful Way (Frank Coppola Jr.) earned the show spot. Southwind Amazon returned $7.80 to win and led an exacta and triple that came back $25.20 and $68.00, respectively. It was the 11th victory in 29 seasonal tries for Southwind Amazon, who posted the fastest mile of 2016 at Saratoga in a year that featured defending National Horse of the Year Wiggle It Jiggleit. He prevailed in 1:51 in July’s $260,000 Joe Gerrity Jr. Memorial Pace. Live racing continues on Sunday afternoon (Sept. 18) at Saratoga with a matinee that kicks off at 12:15 p.m.