by harness racing publicists across North America

Saturday night’s (Aug. 20) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Tioga Downs, Vernon Downs, Saratoga, Kawartha Downs and Running Aces.

Skowyra, Simons sweep Tioga pacing features

Nichols, NY — Trainer Joe Skowyra and driver Mike Simons swept the pacing features on Saturday (Aug. 20) evening at Tioga Downs, teaming up with Believe This Bob ($4.20) in the featured $13,000 Open I Pace and Flying Cowboy ($4.30) in the sub-featured $10,000 Open II Pace

Fred Brown photo

Believe This Bob controls all the terms in the $13,000 Open I Pace on Saturday at Tioga Downs.

Believe This Bob avenged his defeat to Andreios Kardia in last week’s Open I successfully, sprinting to a clear lead from Pop Cop (Scott Coulter) on approach to the first turn and controlling the pace through splits of :27.2, :56, and 1:23.2. The 8-year-old Beach Romeo gelding edged clear off the far turn, evading steady first-over gains from runner-up Andreios Kardia (Corey Braden) by 1-3/4 lengths in 1:51. Pop Cop faded to third after laboring from the pocket.

Mary Ann Larrimore owns 38-time winner Believe This Bob, a winner in four of his last six races.

Flying Cowboy used similar tactics early on in the sub-featured event, pushing clear of Winyard Hanover (Jim Meittinis) through the first turn before rating a leisurely :58 half mile. The 6-year-old Brandon’s Cowboy gelding responded well to heavy first-over pressure from Vangura (Corey Braden), digging in following a :26.4 third quarter to repel Vangura and hold sway of Winyard Hanover by 1-1/4 lengths in 1:52.1. Major War (Mike Merton) mounted a mild rally off stalling cover to save third.

Wade Wyatt owns Flying Cowboy, a 31-time winner who posted a fourth consecutive victory.

Live racing returns to Tioga Downs on Sunday (Aug. 21), with a 14-race card due to commence at 1:30 p.m. EDT.

Eliminations for the pacing divisions of the Empire Breeders Classic take center stage along with New York Sire Stakes events for 2-year-old trotting colts and geldings.

— by James Witherite

Vernon Downs

JK Panache ($3.10) continued his dominance in the top pacing ranks at Vernon Downs with a 1:48 shellacking of his three foes in Saturday (Aug. 20) evening’s featured $9,000 Open/Preferred Pace. John MacDonald sent the 7-year-old Art Major gelding to a clear lead over Modern Gesture (Andy Gardner) on approach to the first turn, posting a :25.2 first quarter before keeping a fast pace throughout. JK Panache maintained an uncontested lead through middle splits of :53.4 and 1:21 before drawing away in upper stretch. JK Panache used a :27 last quarter to evade Jacksrluckytoo (Greg Merton) by 4-1/2 lengths, while Rock On Moe (Dan Daley) rallied mildly to take third in the last yards from the fading Modern Gesture. Trainer Dave Dewhurst co-owns JK Panache with Philip Hale. Live racing returns to Vernon Downs on Thursday (Aug. 25) evening, with post time set for 6:45 p.m. EDT.

Saratoga

Idealbeach Hanover (Somebeachsomewhere) prevailed in the local Open at Saratoga Casino Hotel for the first time on Saturday (Aug. 20) night as the Rene Allard-trained pacer toughed out a first-over journey. Hall of Fame reinsman Wally Hennessey piloted the 5-year-old in the $15,000 Open Pace and after leaving for position moved Idealbeach Hanover first over on longshot leader Spinarama (Austin Siegelman). Idealbeach Hanover wore that one down but the backfield was in motion late as the race’s favorite Givenupdreaming (Stephane Bouchard) and longshot Mc Rusty (Mark Beckwith) came charging at him in the final strides. Idealbeach Hanover held on to win in 1:52.4 while Givenupdreaming came up second best and Mc Rusty earned the show spot. Idealbeach Hanover, whose victory was his seventh of the season, paid $8.20 to win in the Saturday feature. The exacta returned $19 while the triple came back $132.50. Live racing resumes on Tuesday (Aug. 23) night at Saratoga with a 7:05 p.m. first post.

Kawartha Downs

Kawartha Downs’ leading driver Gord Brown had three victories on the 10-race program. His first win came with the 3-year-old Federal Flex daughter Legionsofangels, who was much the best, winning by more than 10 lengths to record her first lifetime win in 23 tries. Philip Caswell trains the filly he co-owns with Lewis Palmer. Gord returned to the winner’s circle with Salvo, a 5-year-old gelding who hung on to win in 1:56. It was the second straight win for Salvo owned and trained by Luc Loyer. A Boy Named Suuzz gave Gord his third win of the night, and fastest mile of the evening as well thanks to a 1:55.4 score. Rebecca Titus trains the 5-year-old gelding for owners Gary McCready and Katie Huskinson. Brown won’t have much time to reflect on the wins as he heads to Rideau Carleton tomorrow where he’ll drive 12 horses over the double card. Racing returns to Kawartha Downs next Saturday (Aug.27). Post time is 7 p.m.

Running Aces

One of the most notable wins on the Saturday (Aug. 20) night harness racing program at Running Aces was that of the 13-year-old trotting mare One Bad Cookie (by One Bad Boy), who picked up her second win of the season in a $5,500 conditioned event. It was no speed record, but it was immensely impressive for a different reason. One Bad Cookie has raced in Minnesota every year of her career, making her very first lifetime start as a 2-year-old at the Cannon Falls Fair in 2005, four years before Running Aces held it’s first-ever race in 2008. Since then, she has not missed a season at Running Aces during it’s nine-year history. She is perhaps the only horse to have started here every year since the track opened. During this time she has accumulated eight wins, 17 seconds, 32 thirds and $69,340 with a mark of 2:00.0 taken right here at Running Aces in 2012 at age 9. She actually has a very good chance to register her best season yet at age 13. To true harness racing fans, these are some of the best stories in the game, as this is a nice trotting mare who keeps going strong at age 13, and hasn’t missed a season of local action. She has done all of this with one owner, Wendy Haberberg, who in fact has also trained her throughout her career and even drove her in most of her early starts. She was even bred by another local horseman, Dave Carter. Tonight One Bad Cookie was quick off the gate from post five for driver Rick Magee, then yielded for the pocket, and later wound up third along the pylons before being angled out in the stretch. That’s when “Cookie” began to strut her stuff and charge by her rivals to post a three-quarter length tally in 2:01.1 over a surface rated sloppy. She pulled off a 9-1 upset ($20.20) in the mile, while bringing a smile to many on this night, including her proud owner, all those true local fans, and of course all those holding the winning tickets. The $11,000 Open Handicap Trot was the featured event, and it would be another feather in the cap for Flameon (Dean Magee), as he posted his ninth win of the season in 16 starts. He trotted in 1:57. to out-kick Big Expense (Mooney Svendsen) and Banker Volo (Luke Plano). Flameon ($8.00) is owned and trained by Mark Anderson. In The $8,500 Minnesota sired filly pace tonight it would be another sharp winning effort by Look Again Eda (Rick Magee). It was her second win in a row, and fifth lifetime tally in nine starts. The David Flynn trainee was sharp off the gate from post five and saved ground until the stretch, where she was charging hard to the wire to just defeat the front-runner American Dancer (Luke Plano) by a head and the fast-closing Fancy Little Girl (Dean Magee) who was also just a neck back in third. Look Again Eda paid $5.20 to her backers. She is owned by Ira Bontreger and stopped the clock in 1:57. The $8,500 Minnesota sired colt & geldings pace went to Stuckey Dote ($4.20) who did not disappoint as the favorite with Jim Marino in the bike. He got away third from post three and made his move past the three-quarter pole, and never looked back from there. He comfortably held off a late charge from Cyrax (Brian Detgen) with pace-setter Freedom Reigns (Tim Maier) checking in third. Stuckey Dote registered a three-quarter length win in 1:55.1 for owner/trainer Merlin Van Otterloo. Drivers Rick Magee, Dean Magee, and Jim Marino all posted the triple/triple this evening (each winning three races on the card).