by harness publicists across North America

Saturday’s edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Yonkers Raceway, Batavia Downs and Saratoga Casino and Raceway.

The Real One wins Saturday feature; 12G Pick-5 carryover into Sunday

Yonkers, NY — Favored The Real One (Pat Lachance, $6.20) was again just that Saturday (Dec. 12) night, winning Yonkers Raceway’s $32,000 Open Handicap Pace.

Mile Lizzie photo

The Real One captured the feature race Saturday night at Yonkers Raceway in a seasons best 1:51.

Unhurried early from penultimate post position five, The Real One watched as Melmerby Beach (Tyler Buter) two-moved and worked around Lucan Hanover (Brian Sears) after a :26.3 opening quarter-mile. Pole-sitting Cyclone Kiwi N (Jason Bartlett) was away third, with Always At My Place (George Brennan) finding an early four-hole.

It was a spiffy :54.3 intermission going toward a 1:23 three-quarters as Cyclone Kiwi N moved from third. He went nowhere fast, while a Always At My Place slipped out to race second-up only to make a bad break.

Melmerby Beach owned a length-and-a-half lead into the lane, but was about to get swallowed up. The Real One found his path with Cyclone Kiwi N retreated, angled out and closed the sale. He measured it off from there, whipping Lucan Hanover by a half-length in a seasons best 1:51.

Rank outsider Fameous Western (Matt Kakaley) was third, with Melmerby Beach and Cyclone Kiwi N settling for the lesser loot.

For The Real One, a 5-year-old Mach Three gelding trained by his driver for owner Helene Filion, it was his ninth win in 32 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $23.80, with the triple returning $99.50.

Yonkers’ 2015 racing season wraps up Sunday, with a late morning (first post 11:15 a.m.) “French-centric” program and a guaranteed Pick-5 payout. After no one took down the gimmick either Friday or Saturday night, Sunday’s gimmick begins with a carryover of $12,601.37.

Since it’s the final program of the season, the pool shall be paid to the ticket(s) with the highest number of winners in the sequence (by rule, no wagers can be carried over to 2016, which is scheduled to began Thursday, Jan. 7 [pending approval of the NYS Gaming Commission]).

— Frank Drucker

Batavia Downs
On the final night of racing for 2015, Yonkers invader Major Trick (Drew Monti) took an early overland route to victory in the $10,000 Open pacing feature at Batavia Downs on Saturday (Dec. 12). Post time favorite Lucky Nadotremblay (Shawn McDonough) shot right to the lead with the rest of the field following in post-position order to the quarter in :28.4. But complicity to the pacesetter ended past three-eighths when Major Trick pulled and started an outer flow that included Cobble Beach (Dave McNeight III) and Jokerman (Jim McNeight). The race continued in two rows from there on, with Major Trick and Lucky Nadotremblay duking it out to the half in :58.4 and three-quarters in 1:26.4. Around the far turn, Major Trick was gaining momentum and down the lane he was gaining ground, eventually pulling ahead to win by a half-length in 1:55.3. It was the eighth win of the year for Major Trick ($8.10) and it raised his purse earnings to $68,387 for 2015. The 4-year-old son of Art Major is owned by Anthony Nicometo, John Mariano and Stuart Oppenheimer and is trained by David Russo. In the co-featured $8,400 Open II pace, Mr. Perseverance (Ron Beback Jr.) put on quite a show while taking his fourth straight win. The 7-year-old Real Artist gelding won by five open lengths in 1:54 and returned $5.30 for owner William Emmons. James Clouser Jr. trains Mr. Perseverance. Drew Monti led all drivers Saturday night scoring three wins while Jack Flanigen, Dave McNeight III and Ray Fisher Jr. all doubled up. Trainer Gerry Sarama also sent two winners to post. With the meet coming to a close, the management of Batavia Downs would like to wish everybody a very Happy Holiday season and is looking forward to the return of live harness racing to the oldest lighted harness track in America in July of 2016.

Saratoga Casino and Raceway
Artful Way (Artistic Fella) prevailed in his first try in the local feature on Saturday night at Saratoga Casino and Raceway. The Jackie Rousse-trained 3-year-old won the Open Pace while competing in it for the first time since coming to town in October. After moving aggressively to the early lead in 26.3, Artful Way kept rolling along on the front-end, clicking off middle half fractions of 55 and 1:23.1 en route to victory in 1:51.4. Invader Dynamic Youth (Billy Dobson) was the race favorite and moved first-over on Artful Way but didn’t make much of an impact before fading late to a fourth place finish. Longshot Duel In The Sun (Cambest) came charging hard in the stretch to be the runner-up in the final $18,000 Open Pace for 2015 while Theseyesrcrying (Bruce Aldrich Jr) came on for third. Artful Way, who was driven to victory by Frank Coppola Jr, was dismissed at odds of 10-1 while second place finisher Duel In The Sun went off at odds of 31-1. The exacta with the longshots returned $387.50 while the triple came back $2016. Saturday night served as closing night for the ’15 racing season with live racing set to resume in March of 2016.