by harness racing publicists across North America
The Friday (Aug. 5) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Batavia Downs, Saratoga and Vernon Downs.
Noble Legend scores in Batavia Downs feature trot
Batavia, NY—The quickest route between two points is a straight line and that was the game plan for Noble Legend to win the $10,500 Open Trot at Batavia Downs on Friday (Aug. 5) night.
![](http://ustrottingnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/70878-NobleLegend080516st.jpg)
Paul White photo
Noble Legend captures the featured trot at Batavia Downs.
Leaving from post one, Noble Legend (Kevin Cummings) fired off the gate and went right to the lead with Lutetium (Todd Cummings) prompting him from the outside. After the field passed the quarter in :29, Lutetium finally found his way clear and took the lead. From there the group remained unchanged to the half in a pedestrian 1:00 clocking.
As they headed into the clubhouse turn, Shawnee Magic (Ray Fisher Jr.) came first over and drew even with Lutetium, leaving Noble Legend in the pocket with perfect cover. The two trotted in tandem by the three-quarter pole and around the far turn to the head of the stretch when Shawnee Magic faded, Lutetium bore out slightly and Noble Legend made a bee-line straight up the pylons to a two-length victory in 1:59.1.
J A T O (Mike Caprio) finished second in a furious rush coming from last and Lutetium hung on for third.
It was the seventh win of the year for Noble Legend ($3.00) and it pushed his 2016 earnings to $43,238 for owners Vogel & Wags Nags and Jack Rice. The 4-year-old gelded son of Kadabra-Lovin It is trained by Maria Rice.
Noble Legend was on of three winners that trainer Maria Rice sent to the post on Friday. She also captured both halves of the early double with Pan Street USA ($3.60) and Schlim Schlamma ($7.80).
Kevin Cummings and Jack Flanigen both had a driving triples on the night and trainer Mike Carrubba sent two horses to the winner’s enclosure for photographs.
Live racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Saturday (Aug. 6) evening with the first post set for 6:15 p.m.
— by Tim Bojarski
Saratoga
Velocity Vespa (I Scoot Hanover) scored her second consecutive win in the Friday (Aug. 5) feature at Saratoga Casino Hotel as the Rich Banca-trained mare cruised to a wire-to-wire victory in the $15,000 Fillies and Mares Open. The 6-yearold distaffer was claimed by Banca two weeks ago and went coast to coast in 1:52.1 in her debut for her new connections last week. On Friday night, Velocity Vespa was the race’s 1-2 betting favorite and cruised out to the early lead in a first quarter paced in 27.3. Reinsman Jimmy Devaux gave the mare a bit of a second quarter breather before she was met with the challenge of a first over Bazooka Terror (Billy Dobson). Velocity Vespa paced away from her rivals in a :27.3 final quarter and scored a decisive four-length victory, stopping the timer in 1:52.2. Bazooka Terror was the runner-up in the Friday feature for the seventh time this season while Campanile (Austin Siegelman) earned the show spot. For Velocity Vespa, it was win number 13 on the season in 20 tries following a 2015 campaign in which she won eleven times. Live racing continues on Saturday (Aug. 6) night at Saratoga with first post time set for 7:05 p.m.
Vernon Downs
Parkhill Horton ($17.00) used a quick turn of foot off the far turn to seize command from odds-on favorite Twice Too Nice in Friday (August 5) evening’s featured $7,500 Miracle Mile Trot at Vernon Downs. The 8-year-old Oaklea Julian gelding floated into third in the initial stages, enjoying a cozy tracking trip behind Twice Too Nice (John MacDonald) and My Lucky Word (Jimmy Whittemore) through splits of :28, :57.4, and 1:26.2. On approach to the head of the home straight, Claude Huckabone, III angled Parkhill Horton off the pegs, and he quickly pushed clear of the pacesetting Twice Too Nice-but he wasn’t home free. My Lucky Word hooked three-wide out of the pocket at the eighth pole to give chase, but Parkhill Horton responded to prevail by three-quarters of a length in 1:54.2. My Lucky Word was a strongly chasing runner-up, while Twice Too Nice faded to third. Trainer Robert Gale shares ownership of Parkhill Horton with Jeffrey Agan and David Adsit. In the $4,000 “Dashtonian”, a hybrid conditioned/starter allowance half-mile sprint for pacers, Bubba Zanetti vaulted to a clear lead through a :25.2 first quarter, but ultimately was collared in the final 40 yards by odds-on favorite Ring Leda ($3.30), who sustained a three-wide push off the far turn to prevail by three-quarters of a length. John MacDonald drove the 6-year-old Bettor’s Delight gelding to a :54.3 victory for trainer Eric Felter. Live racing returns to Vernon Downs on Saturday (August 6) evening, with a pair of $55,500 New York Sire Stakes events for 2-year-old pacing fillies taking center stage on the 13-race card. The undefeated Planet Rock (Rock N Roll Heaven-Villa Hanover) seeks her fourth career win in as many starts for trainer Linda Toscano in the evening’s 10th event. First post is slated for 6:45 p.m. Eastern.