from harness publicists across North America

Saturday’s (April 16) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, Buffalo Raceway and Saratoga Casino and Raceway.

Bushwacker wins $25,000 Pocono pace in 1:49.3

Wilkes-Barre, PA — Bushwacker, under full-out assault by Cooperstown down the backstretch in the $25,000 winners over pace at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono Saturday night, turned back that rival on the far turn, then held off second-over Badiou Hanover by a neck in 1:49.3.

Curtis Salonick photo

Bushwacker scored in 1:49.3 in the Saturday Pocono feature.

Driver Larry Stalbaum had no problem whacking out the pace with the altered son of Rocknroll Hanover, passing the first two striped poles in :26 and :54.3. Shortly after the half Cooperstown, gunning for his fourth straight victory, came roaring up to the leader and got a half-length by before the three-quarters but could not clear as the timer read 1:21.1, a :26.3 third quarter into an atypical backstretch headwind at Pocono.

Bushwhacker fought off Cooperstown and regained the lead, then had enough left when Badiou Hanover circled wide and menaced nearing the finish. Cooperstown settled for third. Favored Bettor’s Edge raced in the pocket but may have been bottomed out chasing the whirlwind front end duel, as he faded in the last quarter and finished fifth.

Bushwacker posted his first victory since February 20, but he has been facing some pretty mean hombres in the interim: for one example, he finished third behind Wiggle It Jiggleit and Rockeyed Optimist, arguably the two best pacers at the races at this moment, on March 28 at Dover. Chris Ryder trains the winner, who raised his bankroll to nearly $460,000 lifetime for Henderson Farms.

The Angus Hall mare Allerage Star went the fastest trotting mile this year at Pocono in a $15,500 conditioned event, going right to the top for driver Marcus Miller and steaming home in :56 to complete a 1:52.3 victory, also a lifetime mark. Julie Miller conditions the winner of two straight for Little E LLC (also the breeder), Arthur Geiger, David Stoltz and Jason Settlemoir.

With a temperature reading of 72 degrees at first post time, speed was the order of the day, as three other miles in 1:50 were paced, with Achilles Blue Chip (Marcus Miller), Simply Business (Anthony Napolitano), and Allbeef N Nobull (Mike Simons) all freezing the timer at exactly the new standard for the “magic mile.”

The third round of the Bobby Weiss Series for pacers highlights the Sunday card at Pocono, which has a post time of 7:30 p.m. Both the males and females will contest three $15,000 divisions; hoping to making their Weiss records three-for-three will be, for the males, Options Are Adream (race 10, looking for his ninth win of an undefeated career) and Midnight Leader (race 11, the fastest Weiss winner in 1:51), and for the females, Candy Corn Hanover (race seven, her two Weiss wins the first two starts of her career).

— PHHA/Pocono

Buffalo Raceway
Fireyourguns made his 2016 debut at Buffalo Raceway a successful one as he went gate-to-wire in the $10,000 Open Pace to score an easy 1-1/4 length victory over Youwillwishyouhad in 1:54.2 on Saturday night. Being assigned the eight post, Fireyourguns ($5.40) and driver Mike Caprio went right to the lead and never looked back in posting fractions of :28.1, :57.3 and 1:26.2. A final split of :28 was more than enough to hold off any challenges from Youwillwishyouhad (Todd Cummings) and third place finisher Babe’s I Scoot (Ray Fisher Jr.). Trained and co-owned by Terence McClory along with Jennifer and Robert Lowe, it was just the second start of the season for Fireyourguns (American Ideal-Villa Hanover). He finished eighth at Pocono on April 9 to kick off his 2016 campaign. Fireyourguns holds the all-time Buffalo Raceway track record of 1:52, set last season. The 7-year-old gelding won 11 of 18 races in 2015, earning $84,220. This victory puts his lifetime winnings at $309,341. Todd Cummings posted a driving triple on the night while Fisher and David McNeight III each notched doubles. Trainer JD Perrin, fresh off five wins on Friday evening, added three more on Saturday night.

Saratoga Casino and Raceway
Spinarama (Cam’s Card Shark) went the distance on the front end to secure another victory in Saturday night’s Open Pace at Saratoga Casino and Raceway. One of the winningest horses in the local feature in 2015, Spinarama is off to a strong start to his 2016 campaign as he recorded his third win in six seasonal tries on a beautiful Saturday night in the Spa City. Stephane Bouchard moved the race’s 6-5 favorite out to the early lead in the 1-1/16th mile Open, a lead that the 7-year-old pacer would not relinquish. Caution Signs (Bruce Aldrich Jr.) sat the pocket to the winner and wound up second best in the $15,000 feature while Pappy’s Pal (Jim Devaux) earned the show spot. The 1-1/16th mile distance was covered in 1:58.3 by Spinarama who gave Bouchard one of his four winners on the night. The veteran reinsman, who also scored in Friday night’s feature behind pacing mare Ella V Horse, is currently the meet’s leading driver. Spinarama led an exacta and triple that returned $16.40 and $64, respectively. Spinarama is owned by Mike Casalino Jr. and trained by Chris Marino.