from harness publicists across North America

Wednesday night’s (Aug. 31) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Saratoga and Running Aces.

Yagonnakissmeornot captures Saratoga Open

Saratoga Springs, NY — Yagonnakissmeornot (The Panderosa) never had an anxious moment in the Wednesday feature at Saratoga Casino Hotel as the 2-5 betting favorite recorded a convincing victory with Billy Dobson in the sulky.

Melissa Simser-Iovino photo

Yagonnakissmeornot was a 1:52.4 winner in the Saratoga Open.

Yagonnakissmeornot was coming off a two month layoff while in the midst of another season in which she has earned more than a quarter million dollars.

The 7-year-old mare showed no rust after cruising out to an easy lead in Wednesday’s $15,000 Fillies and Mares Open and had little difficulty securing her win in 1:52.4. Pocket sitting Keene Olivia (Stephane Bouchard) wound up second best to the mare who now has career earnings of just shy of $1.4 million. Bettorhaveanother (Frank Coppola Jr.) earned the show spot.

The exacta in the five horse feature returned $12.20.

Live racing continues on Thursday night at Saratoga with a 7:05 p.m. first post.

— Mike Sardella

Running Aces
One of the most impressive performances on the Wednesday night program at Running Aces came in a $7,200 conditioned-claiming event for pacers. Lil Orphan Elmer ($3.40), a 4-year-old gelding by Always A Virgin who just three nights ago posted a new life’s mark of 1:54.1, turned in a fantastic encore this evening by lowering that very mark to 1:53.3 with a commanding score by 7-3/4 lengths. Lil Orphan Elmer and trainer/driver Mooney Svendsen took control of things early, with a sweeping move from fourth at the quarter pole to the lead at the three-eighths, then proceeded to widen his advantage from there, pacing a back half in :55.3 and final stanza in :27.4 which left the competition reeling. This was the fifth start for his current ownership connections of Scott Ehrlich and George McChrystal, who purchased him in a private sale in early August and the ultra-sharp pacer now sports six wins and $31,091 this season. Another terrific display of talent was put forth by Dash Point Hanover, a 5-year-old gelding by Somebeachsomewhere, who pulled off a 21-1 upset ($44.20) with a very gutsy effort. He was hung nearly every step of the mile first-over, only taking the lead when it counted, at the wire in 1:53 to top the field in the $8,000 conditioned pace. The tally was his fourth win of the season and established a new mark for him as well, besting his previous lifetime best mile by one-fifth of a second for lessee/trainer/driver Jim Marino. Aubrey’s Jesse ($4.20), a 3-year-old trotting filly by Jailhouse Jesse, posted her second straight lifetime mark with her 2:00.1 victory, her third of the season, with Nick Roland in the sulky for trainer Joel McDanel and owners Carroll and Rick Huffman in a $4,500 conditioned event. She now sports eight wins in 11 lifetime starts. Driver Jim Marino posted a driving double on the program. The next card at Running Aces is the annual Night of Champions, which goes postward on Saturday (Sept. 3) at 6 p.m. (CDT), with more than $250,000 in total purses on the night. It is the closing night of the 2016 season and we will crown all of the Minnesota-sired champions for 2016.