by Evan Pattak, for The Meadows

Wednesday’s (Nov. 19) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from The Meadows, The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono and Batavia Downs.

Washington, PA — Lady’s Dude took the field through a swift three-quarters but had enough left to thwart challengers inside and outside as he captured Wednesday’s (Nov. 18) $20,000 Winners Over $10,000 Life/Preferred Handicap Trot at The Meadows in 1:53.2, matching his career best.

Lady’s Dude zipped to the lead from post seven and rolled through snappy fractions of 27.1/56.3/1:24.2 but then had to deal with Classicality on the outside and Tall Cotton shooting the Lightning Lane. Under Dave Palone’s urging, the 4-year-old Victory Sam-Lady’s Star gelding found another gear and held off Classicality by 1/2 length, with Tall Cotton third.

Ron Burke trains Lady’s Dude, who won for the fifth time in his last seven starts and extended his career bankroll to $264,962, for Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi LLC and Johnny Yoder.

Jim Pantaleano and Mike Wilder each piloted three winners on the 15-race card.

–Evan Pattak

The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono
Ooh Bad Shark, a serious candidate for “Most Improved Standardbred of 2015,” brushed to the lead in front of the stands and went on to victory in the $20,000 feature for pacing mares Wednesday night at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, with Andrew McCarthy guiding her to a 1:51.2 triumph.
The daughter of Cam’s Card Shark raced in the bottom-level “nw5000L5” class at Harrah’s Philadelphia on June 7 of last year — and since then has won $239,180 in the intervening 18 months, and taken a mark of 1:48.3 at The Meadowlands. In 2015 Ooh Bad Shark has recorded five wins and 16 board finishes in 21 starts, with earnings of $150,040 (now $512,055 lifetime) for trainer William Wiggins, co-owner with Donna Fedorak.
The 2015 racing season at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono comes to a conclusion on Saturday night, with the first race of the last card called for 6:30 p.m.

Batavia Downs
Wind gusts topping 50 mph could not dissuade the best effort of Mach This Way after she got aired out for more than half a mile before winning the $10,000 Open mares pacing feature at Batavia Downs on Wednesday night (Nov. 18).
The race was basically the tale of two mares. Memumsnotnice (Drew Monti), who shot right to the front to cut the fractions as she normally does, and Mach This Way (Ron Beback Jr.), who was taken back to sixth until past the quarter pole.
Coming to the head of the stretch the first time, Beback pulled Mach This Way first-over and started a slow, methodical march toward the leader. By the time the field hit the three-quarter pole, Mach This Way was almost alongside Memumsnotnice and had no intention of stopping. The pair broke away from the pack, paced stride-for-stride around the far turn and matched steps all the way down the stretch until Mach This Way got a late advantage to win by a half-length in 1:56.4.
It was the sixth win of the year for Mach This Way ($17.80) and pushed her earnings to $48,005 for owner William Emmons. James Clouser Jr. trains the Mach Three mare.
Ron Beback Jr. had an outstanding night in the sulky, winning four races. He took pictures with Dirt Track Momma ($6.90), Mach This Way ($17.80), China Dream ($3.30) and Carman Coyote ($13.20). Drew Monti, Jack Flanigen and Ray Fisher Jr. all scored driving doubles. Trainers James Clouser Jr. and Maria Rice also sent two horses each to the winner’s enclosure.
Live racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Friday night (Nov. 20) at 6:15 p.m.