by harness racing publicists across North America

The Friday (June 24) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Buffalo Raceway, Saratoga, Tioga Downs and Vernon Downs.

Kahoku disposes the field in the Buffalo Raceway Open Trot

Hamburg, NY — Kahoku ($10.40) found out for the second straight week that the front end was the place to be as he scored an unexpectedly easy length victory over Cold Certified in Buffalo Raceway’s featured $10,000 Open Trot on Friday (June 24) night.

Last Friday (June 17), Kahoku never looked back in cruising to a 4-1/4 length decision in a non-winner’s event in 1:56.4. This week, the 8-year-old gelding stepped up to face open company and never was threatened in posting the 1:57.2 victory over the fast track.

With two Buffalo Raceway track record holders in the field, Noble Legend and Strong Hope, Kahoku (Ron Beback Jr.) took his chances on the front end and had a minor skirmish with Cold Certified to reach the top.

Posting panels of :28.3, :58.0 and 1:28.0, the pace-setting Kahoku and Cold Certified managed to open up four lengths on the field turning for home. In the drive to the wire, there were no threats in the lane as Kahoku confidently trotted to the wire and disposed of Cold Certified by a length while Strong Hope (Ray Fisher Jr.) finished a distant third.

Co-owned by Colleen Girdlestone and Michael Gentner and trained by Mark Laidlaw, it was the seventh win in 20 starts for Kahoku (SJ’s Caviar-Tags Gold). The victory upped his 2016 earnings to $41,438 and $168,500 lifetime.

Kevin Cummings and David McNeight III each had a pair of victories in the sulky.

Racing will resume on Saturday (June 25) night at 6 p.m. with an 11-race program on tap.

There’s a $603 carryover in the Pick-5 that begins in the fifth race.

For more information including the latest news, upcoming promotions, race replays and results, go to www.buffaloraceway.com.

— by Brian Mazurek

Saratoga

Godiva Seelster (Camluck) continued her dominance of the Fillies and Mares Open on Friday (June 24) night at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Mark Beckwith picked up the catch drive behind the Dan Hennessey-trained mare who overcame her assigned outside post to make the lead in a :27.1 opening quarter. The 3-5 betting favorite in the $15,000 feature for distaffers, Godiva Seelster got headed turning for home by Bettorhaveanother (Frank Coppola Jr.) but dug in in the stretch to turn back that rival before stopping the timer in 1:52.4. Bettorhaveanother was the runner up as she hit the board for the fifth time in her last six tries in the Friday (June 24) feature while So Nice (Stephane Bouchard) came on for third. For Godiva Seelster, it was win number six this year to go with six second place finishes in just fourteen seasonal tries. Live racing continues on Saturday (June 25) night at the Spa with first time set for 6:45 p.m.

Tioga Downs

Despite sitting last a quarter mile from home, Drea’s Good Powow had enough late pace to circle her six rivals in Friday (June 24) evening’s $11,000 Mares Open Handicap at Tioga Downs. Trainer/driver James Hysell wanted no part of the early pace with the 6-year-old daughter of Squaw’s Fella, settling second from last as Asset Management (Fern Paquet, Jr.) and Four Hour Nap (Jim Meittinis) alternated on the lead through early splits of :26.4 and :56.2. As Four Hour Nap faced intensifying pressure from K J’s Caroline (Jim Taggart, Jr.) Hysell moved Drea’s Good Powow fourth-over from the rear of the field. Drea’s Good Powow swung five-wide off the far turn, circling the entire group in the final 150 yards as the pacesetting pair dueled into defeat. Goldstar Rockette (Corey Braden) finished second from a perfect second-over trip, while lukewarm 5-2 favorite Shutthefrontdoor (Dan Clements) stayed on for third from third-over. Patricia Connor owns Drea’s Good Powow, now a 17-time winner. Trainer Shane Arsenault scored a hat trick on the nine-race card, accounting for victories from Mittnage a Trois ($3.70, Scott Coulter, 1:55.4), Artiawitchtoyou ($5.30, Brandon Arsenault, 1:54.2), and Crazy Blue ($6.00, Coulter, 1:58.1). The 50-cent Pick-5 evaded the Friday (June 24) players, chiefly due to a 20-1 upset from Vacation Day (Tyler Freese) in the sequence. The carryover mounts to $700.78 for Saturday’s (June 25) Pick-5. Post time for the first of 10 races on Saturday’s (June 25) Tioga card is 6:30 p.m. Eastern.

Vernon Downs

An early break in stride by 3-2 favorite A Penny Earned helped pave the way for Twice Too Nice ($6.10) to wire the boys in Friday (June 24) evening’s featured $8,000 Miracle Mile/Open Handicap Trot at Vernon Downs. Trainer-driver John MacDonald pointed the 5-year-old Valley Victor mare immediately to the fore, out-sprinting fellow distaffer Gimme the Cash (Angus MacDonald) to a :27.2 first quarter before reining back the speed. Twice Too Nice remained uncontested through a :57.3 middle half and edged away a bit at head-stretch. With Gimme the Cash unable to threaten from the pocket and the first-over Pounce K (Claude Huckabone, III) fading off the far turn, Winding Hill (Jimmy Whittemore) challenged from his stalking trip upon cornering, working into second at the eighth pole. Twice Too Nice held sway for a 1:53.4 triumph, keeping Winding Hill a length at bay while Gimme the Cash finished a laboring third. Brett Crawford owns Twice Too Nice, who took her 12th career win and her fourth on the year. While MacDonald prevailed in the feature, Jimmy Whittemore led all drivers with three wins on the 11-race card. Racing returns to the Miracle Mile on Saturday (June 25) with an 11-race card due off at 6:45 p.m. Eastern.