from harness publicists across North America

Saturday’s (July 25) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Yonkers Raceway, The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, Buffalo Raceway and Running Aces.

All-age track record falls at Yonkers

Yonkers, NY — Yonkers Raceway had no stakes races Saturday night, but that in no way meant the card was ordinary.

Not with an all-age track record in the $48,000 Open Handicap Pace and a 49-1 bombardier in the equally-valued Open Handicap Trot.
Up first was Crombie A (Brian Sears, $5.60), who earned his place in the record book with the fastest mile ever in Westchester not involving plane, train or automobile. Leaving from post position four as the 9-5 favorite, Crombie A had no choice but to watch as Forty Five Red (George Brennan) threw down the gauntlet……as in :26.3, :54.2 and 1:21.4.

If Forty Five Red was done off those numbers, he didn’t get the memo. Texican N (Eric Carlson) was closing ranks from a loose pocket, while Crombie A, floating off the cones from fourth in an understandably gapped-out field, was hitting his best stride.
Forty Five Red had a length-and-a-quarter lead into the lane, but the fractions were finally catching up with him. He hung tough, but faltered late. Crombie A ended up out-gaming Texican N by three-quarters of a length in a life-best 1:50.1.

Forty Five Red held third, beaten a length-and-a-half, with In Commando (Eric Goodell) and McErlean (Tyler Buter) rounding out the payees.

The Crombie A effort extricated Sapphire City (2012), Fat Man’s Alley (2013) and Sunfire Blue Chip (2014) and their 1:50.2 miles out of the “all-age” box, as well as the venerable Silver Almahurst (1993) and Keystone Velocity (2014) and their 1:50.4’s from the “aged horse” section.

For Crombie A, a 9-year-old Down Under son of Life Sign co-owned (as Allard Racing) by (trainer) Rene Allard, Kapildeo Singh and Albert Abdala III, it was his fifth win in 16 seasonal starts (5-for-7 in his stateside career). The exacta paid $55, with the triple returning $194.

The week’s marquee trot saw 49-1 rank outsider Rock of Cashel (Goodell, $101.50) find himself pocketed from post two.
He watched as Dewycolorintheline (Jordan Stratton) and a first-up Boffin (Sears) dropped the imaginary gloves (:29, :58.3, 1:27.2). Dewycolorintheline owned a short lead into the lane, and was about to win the battle, but lose the war.

Rock of Cashel edged inside and by a winning margin of a length in 1:55.4. Dewycolorintheline photoed Boffin for second, with Backstreet Hanover (Larry Stalbaum) and Rossini (Jeff Gregory) settled for the small change.

For Rock of Cashel, a 5-year-old son of Majestic Son trained by Mark Harder for co-owners Jeffrey Ruch and Alan Richardson, it was his fourth win in 21 ’15 tries. The exacta paid $529, the triple returned $6,736 and the superfecta paid $23,455 (base $2 payout, 10-cent ticket worth $1,172.75).

Note that since no one took down Saturday’s Pick-5, Monday’s gimmick begins with a carryover of $4,100.44 and a $10,000 guaranteed pool (50-cent base wager, races seven through 11, with program pages available at www.yonkersraceway.com).

The Raceway’s live season continues Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday (all at 7:10 p.m.), with a “French-centric” Tuesday matinee (first post 1 p.m.).

— Frank Drucker

The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono
After adroitly avoiding an off stride Ontario Success early in the backstretch, Sparky Mark, driven by Simon Allard, went on to his second straight victory at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, taking the $24,000 featured pace at the mountain oval on Saturday in 1:50. Ontario Success had put up early numbers of 26.2 and 55.3, with Sparky Mark on his back. Driver Anthony Napolitano kicked out the horse’s earplugs coming off the second turn, but the pacer went off stride, moving to the outside as Napolitano looked for clearance and hollered out about his problem. Allard and Joe Pavia Jr., guiding first-over Blatantly Best, reacted well in concert with Napolitano, with Allard going inside the runner and Pavia going wide as Napolitano kept his off stride charge between the pair. From there, Sparky Mark had it relatively easy, storming home in 54.1-27 individually to win by 2-1/4 lengths over Blatantly Best, who was able to tuck into the pocket after the trouble. The son of Astreos, trained by Simon’s brother Rene, continues to get closer and closer to a seven-figure lifetime bankroll, with his lifetime total now at $953,556.

Buffalo Raceway
Ever since arriving from Scioto Downs in Ohio on June 28, Milliron Pete has sure made himself right at home at Buffalo Raceway. And while adjusting to his surroundings in Western New York, he’s finding the winner’s circle is a pretty good place to hang out as well. For the fourth time in five starts at the Hamburg half-mile oval, Milliron Pete (Jim McNeight) showed he’s not camera shy either by taking a half-length victory in the $10,500 Open Pace in 1:55 over the fast track Saturday night (July 25). While Milliron Pete ($9.60) has new stomping grounds, he has passed just about every test put in front of him. Starting out in a $4,800 conditioned race on June 28 at Buffalo Raceway, Milliron Pete has stepped his way up the ladder and it landed him on the top rung, the Open pace. Posting a 1-1/2 victory in 1:55.2 on July 18 in a $7,800 conditioned pace, the jump in class was well deserved. Big Bossman did much of the dirty work in the race by setting fractions of 27.4, 57.1 and 1:26.1. Milliron Pete, who was assigned the inside post, drafted along perfectly in second and scooted through in the passing lane to stun Big Bossman (Jack Flanigen). Western Alumni (Ron Beback Jr.) took the show position. Trained by McNeight and owned by the Eim Racing, Milliron Pete (American Ingot-Komoda Dragon) has now posted six victories in 26 tries in 2015. It sent the 5-year-old gelding’s earnings to $34,816 this year and $57,481 lifetime. The 2015 season comes to a close Sunday afternoon when an 11-race card goes to the post at 1:05 p.m.

Running Aces
Party Hangover Two gave owner Kathie Plested and her partners quite a thrill winning the $8000 Fillies and Mares Open Handicap Pace at Running Aces on Saturday night, her fourth consecutive score in the class. “My husband (trainer-driver Steve Wiseman) got me a nice piece of jewelry for my birthday,” Plested related, “but having your horse win an Open on your birthday is like icing on the cake!” Despite sitting out a week after her first three Open triumphs and being assigned the outside post upon her return, Party Hangover Two cruised home a 1:54.2 winner by a scant nose over Keep The Dream (Travis Bowman) and Imfasterthanu (Nick Roland). It was just the tenth career victory for the 4-year-old Party At Artsplace mare from only 37 lifetime starts. Native’s Revenge (Lemoyne Svendsen) captured a $6500 Open II for males with a gate-to-wire score in 1:53.1 over Art Genta (Steve Wiseman) and Major Hottie (Kim Pluta). Bob Johnson trains the 5-year-old son of Allamerican Native for Harold Actkinson. It was the seventh win of the year for Native’s Revenge, four at Cal-Expo and three at Running Aces. Quickest mile of the night was turned in by Mattox’s Spencer (Nick Roland) who stunned a field of conditioned pacers in 1:51.3 for lessee and trainer Patricia Minnella. A 10-year-old son of Cambest, the winner missed his entire 9-year-old season but has returned to the races in 2015 and posted six wins in 26 starts, half of those victories in Minnesota. In his distinguished career, Mattox’s Spencer has won 29 times in 179 tries and earned $235,856. A pair of Minnesota-sired 3-year-old races were also presented with Gooch’s Hod Rod (Dean Magee) upsetting the $6,600 ‘A’ division; and Relentless Spirit (Lemoyne Svendsen) copping the $4,400 ‘B’ split. Both winning miles were clocked in 1:55.4.