from harness publicists across North America

Wednesday’s (Sept. 9) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Saratoga Casino and Raceway, Batavia Downs, Vernon Downs and Running Aces.

Avivas Winner captures Saratoga feature

Saratoga Springs, NY — Avivas Winner (Credit Winner) lengthened his win streak in the Wednesday night feature at Saratoga Casino and Raceway.

Melissa Simser photo

Avivas Winner was a 1:56.3 victor in the Saratoga feature.

The John Podres-trained trotter didn’t have a victory this season before a couple weeks ago but after scoring a front-running win in 1:57.4 two weeks back, the young trotter has gotten awfully sharp. Jim Devaux pilots the 4-year-old who held on to repeat as the public’s odds-on favorite last week.

Avivas Winner was the second choice in the wagering as he looked to three-peat in Wednesday’s $11,250 trotting feature. After an early scramble for the lead, Avivas Winner overpowered the favored leader heading to the half and cruised away from his rivals to prevail by eight lengths in a career best 1:56.3.

Devaux and Podres also teamed up for a win with veteran pacer Predator DVM (Bettor’s Delight) who scored in a seasonal best 1:53.3.

Devaux, who currently sits fourth in the local driver standings, piloted four winners on the Wednesday card.

Live racing continues at Saratoga on Thursday with a first post time of 4 p.m.

— Mike Sardella

Batavia Downs
After making quite a jump in class, Makes Her Mark ($15.00) took full advantage of an assigned inside post to trip-out in the $8,500 Mares Open I-II Handicap on Wednesday night at Batavia Downs. It was a pretty simple race most of the way. All About Boyz (Dave McNeight III) left and went right to the front while the rest of the field remained in post position order behind her. Makes Her Mark (Kevin Cummings), who had post one, sat in the garden spot as the group went through fractions of :28.1, :57.4 and 1:27.1. When the field was approaching the third station, Call Me Maybe (Drew Monti) was moving on the outside with Ugly Betty (Mike Caprio) in tow. Then Caprio swung that one three-deep as the field entered the turn. Call Me Maybe’s bid failed along with Ugly Betty’s and their demise opened the door for Makes Her Mark to come off the pylons and go after the leader. Cummings pulled the mare and got the advantage at the wire in 1:56.4. Badlands Love (Jim McNeight) snuck up the rail for second and Country Delight (Jack Flanigen) picked up the pieces for third. It was the sixth win in 15 starts for Makes Her Mark and the victory pushed her yearly earnings to $20,732 for Jim Dunn, who owns and trains the 6-year-old Codyscoltfortyfive mare. The Downs leading driver, Kevin Cummings, scored a driving triple on the card while Drew Monti and Dave McNeight III both tallied driving doubles. Racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Friday night (Sept. 11) with post time set for 6:35 p.m.

Vernon Downs
Enjoying live cover from The Filly Princess through a :27.1 third quarter, J&M Racing’s Asset Management ($14.00) drew off at will in the featured $7,000 top-level distaff pace on Wednesday evening at Vernon Downs. Dan Daley angled the 7-year-old Western Hanover mare off the pegs near the end of a :57.4 half-mile, following the cover of The Filly Princess (Chris Lems) while in pursuit of 11-1 pacesetter Kardashian (Aaron Byron). Asset Management was towed up with the live cover of The Filly Princess on the far turn, continuing her bid after her cover took over through a 1:25 three-quarter sectional. Off the turn, Asset Management struck the front and kicked clear at will, vaulting to a four length advantage in the end of her 1:52.3 triumph. Express Jet (John MacDonald) emerged from the pocket to save second, while The Filly Princess was an engulfed third. Allie Berube trains Asset Management. Daley scored a grand slam in the bike on the first Wednesday card of the season at the Miracle Mile, teaming up as well with Summer Scent ($3.20, 1:59), Fresh Squeezed ($5.10, 1:54.1), and Cherry Crown Jewel ($5.10, 1:58). Live racing returns to Vernon Downs on Friday, with post time at 6:45 p.m. (EDT).

Running Aces
There’s no point telling 70-year-old Gerry Longo to slow down. Since his days as a track and football star on his high school teams in southern California, Longo has been running on all cylinders — and with no intention of slowing down! Of course that includes his long and storied harness racing career, now almost a half-century old, in which he has won 2,718 races as a driver and 628 since they started keeping trainers statistics in 1991. Longo scored a hat trick on the Wednesday program to bring his 2015 win total to 52 in 52 nights at Running Aces this season, moving him into fourth place in the local dash derby. All three winners were from his own ten-horse training stable bringing that total to 31 triumphs in the last three months in Minnesota — good for $115,000 in earnings. Kiss On The Lips, a 5-year-old Dontgetinmyway daughter owned by Longo, captured the featured $9,600 Fillies and Mares Open Pace with a narrow 1:54.3 score over Part Time Lady (Steve Wiseman) and Dream Roll (Nick Roland). Using a perfect pocket trip to full advantage, Longo zoomed his winning charge up the passing lane for her fourth seasonal victory and second at the top distaff level. Longo also captured a $6,600 conditioned pace with Place At The Beach, a recent private purchase of his who has now reeled off five consecutive wins and stamped herself as one of the favorites for the $11,000 Minnesota State Championship race for older state-bred mares on Saturday. The 5-year-old daughter of Place To Be topped Captiva Bounty (Brian Detgen) and High Bet Hanover (Tim Maier). Midnight Destroyer, a bottom claimer, was Longo’s other winner, topping Frankthebank (Tim Maier) and Yankee Flyer (Luke Plano). The 7-year-old gelding is approaching $100,000 in lifetime earnings for owner Peg Hoffman. More than $200,000 in purses will be awarded on the closing night program at Running Aces on Saturday, featuring eight $21,000 championship races for juveniles and a trio of $11,000 races for the best older Minnesota-breds at the meet.