from harness publicists across North America

Saturday’s (April 2) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from The Meadows, The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, Saratoga Casino and Raceway and Buffalo Raceway.

Rockin Ron stretches win streak to seven at The Meadows

Washington, PA — Like a Timex watch of yore, Rockin Ron takes a lickin’ but keeps on tickin’.

Chris Gooden photo

Rockin Ron stretched his winning streak to seven on Saturday.

He demonstrated that once again in Saturday’s $20,000 Winners Over $10,000 Life/Preferred Handicap Pace at The Meadows when, for the fourth consecutive start, he was parked in a sub-:27 opening quarter while trying for the lead. He prevailed easily Saturday, just as he did the previous three races, and stretched his overall winning streak to seven.

Once the 4-year-old Real Desire-Im All A Roan gelding settled on the front for Dave Palone, he repelled the first-over challenge of Dew N Doughnuts and scored in 1:51, 1-3/4 lengths better than the pocket-sitting Unlocked. Dew N Doughnuts saved show.

Ron Burke trains Rockin Ron, who now boasts $189,918 in career earnings, for Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi LLC and RTC Stables.

Aaron Merriman piloted five winners on the 15-race card while Tony Hall and trainer Paul Corey each enjoyed a three-bagger.

— Evan Pattak

The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono
The venerable Saint William A shared the spotlight with the Down Under import Benjaminbanneker N Saturday night at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono by winning the richest and fastest race of the night, respectively. The highest purse race on the card, a $16,000 pace for top-level claiming handicap pacers which kicked off the program, was won by the oldest horse racing Saturday at The Downs, 13-year-old Saint William A, who perhaps not totally coincidentally paid off at 13-1 as he won for driver/owner Larry Stalbaum and trainer Kim Asher. Last week the son of Presidential Ball was blocked until late in the stretch, then came on swiftly; this week his prayers for earlier clearance were answered at the head of the stretch, and he stormed down the Pocono Pike to defeat favored Forego The Cigar in 1:52.3 and raise his lifetime bankroll to almost $680,000. Later in the card Stalbaum almost pulled off another upset, guiding Bestjetyet to fractions of :26.3, :54.1 and 1:22.1 in a $14,000 conditioned pace, but Benjaminbanneker N came from second-over to get a half-length decision in 1:51.3. An altered son of Washington VC, Benjaminbanneker N was triumphant at The Downs for driver George Napolitano Jr., trainer Robert Bresnahan Jr., and owner J L Sadovsky LLC. George Napolitano Jr. won six races and Jim Morrill Jr. won four races on the Saturday night card.

Saratoga Casino and Raceway
Titus Seelster (Artistic Fella) scored his first feature win of the season at Saratoga on Saturday night. The Jackie Rousse-trained pacer always utilizes his early speed and did so in the $12,000 Winners Over with Frank Coppola Jr. in the sulky. Dismissed at odds of 7-1, Titus Seelster wound up sitting the pocket to invader Outrageous Art (Artsplace). Titus Seelster surged late and came on to win by a half-length, covering the 1-1/16th mile distance in 1:59.2. The race’s favorite JK Panache (Bruce Aldrich Jr.) toughed out a first over trip to finish second while Pappy’s Pal (Jim Devaux) earned the show spot. Titus Seelster returned $17.80 to win and led an exacta and triple that paid $59 and $351.50, respectively. The win was the first of what would be four on the night for the tandem of Coppola and Rousse.

Buffalo Raceway
It looked like In The Clear was all but beat at the three-quarter marker in Buffalo Raceway’s $8,600 featured pace on Saturday night. That wasn’t the case however as the 5-year-old gelding came from absolutely nowhere and nipped Western Alumni by a nose in 1:56.4 over the ‘good’ track. Sitting sixth and trailing by 4-1/4 lengths with a final panel to go, In The Clear (Ron Beback Jr.) fanned out five-wide in the stretch and roared past the shocked Western Alumni (Jim McNeight) in the photo. Beach Hero (Shawn McDonough) was third as the top five finishers were less than a length apart at the wire. Owned by Michael Torcello and trained by Gerry Sarama, In The Clear (Western Ideal-Orchid Island) has found the winner’s circle three times in 10 starts this season. The victory moved his 2016 earnings to $14,352 and $149,707 lifetime. Todd Cummings scored a four-bagger in the sulky while Drew Monti tripled. Sarama led the conditioners with a pair of victories. Racing will resume on Wednesday night at 5 p.m. with an 11-race program. The Pick-5, which starts in the fifth race, has a carryover of $2,795.