by harness publicists across North America

Saturday’s (May 16) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Yonkers Raceway, Pompano Park, Tioga Downs, Buffalo Raceway and Saratoga Casino and Raceway.

Luminosity, Big N Bad take co-features at Yonkers

Yonkers, NY — A repeating Luminosity (George Brennan, $7.40) and Big N Bad (Eric Carlson, $26.20) shared the Saturday (May 16) night glory, winning Yonkers Raceway’s co-featured $42,000 Open Handicaps.

Luminosity, from outside post position seven in the weekly marquee trot, dropped into a pocket behind Dewycolorintheline (Jordan Stratton). That one threw down early intervals of :27.3 and :56.4 before Stan the Man (Jason Bartlett) moved from fourth.

Stan the Man didn’t do much for the cause, including 3-4 favorite Obrigado (Mark MacDonald), who was operating from third-over. Meanwhile, Dewycolorintheline found a 1:25.3 three-quarters, taking a length-and-a-half lead into the lane. However, Luminosity edged out and by, winning by a length-and-a-quarter in 1:54.2.

Obrigado and Il Mago (Dan Dube), both compromised by a stagnant tow, rallied for second and third, respectively. Dewycolorintheline and Tweet Me (Tyler Buter) rounded out the payees.

For Luminosity , a 5-year-old Cash Hal gelding co-owned (as Burke Racing) by (trainer) Ron Burke and Weaver Bruscemi, it was his sixth win in 15 seasonal starts.

The week’s featured pace had Big N Bad, from post three, have no such issues hitchin’ a ride. He wound up second-up behind 7-5 choice Fool Me One (Brennan) as that one put the heat upon Sapphire City (MacDonald).

Sapphire City, at 13-1, had led through sub-sections of :27.1, :56.4 and 1:24.2. He dispatched former New York Sire Stakes champ Fool Me Once and owned a 1-1/2 length lead in and out of the final turn.

Unfortunately for Sapphire City and his legions, unwanted company was coming in the form of a pocketed The Real One (Pat Lachance) and Big N Bad. The latter whipped the former by a half-length in 1:52.4, with P H Supercam (Bartlett), Sapphire City and Casimir Jitterbug (Buter) settling for the minor money.

The five check-getters were separated by 1-3/4 lengths at the wire.

For fifth choice Big N Bad, a 5-year-old Badlands Hanover gelding owned by Vincent Laurenzo and trained by Jennifer Sabot, it was his fifth win in 11 ’15 tries.

— Frank Drucker

Pompano Park
No Bad Dreams, driven by Wally Hennessey, proved to be a nightmare for his competition on Saturday (May 16) night at Pompano Park as the 4-year-old son of Dream Away led at every pole in scoring a lifetime equaling best 1:50.3. Johnny Grippa, in the garden spot all the way, finished second for Bruce Ranger while Who’s Your Maddy, teaming up with Robbie Hoffman, finished third. Hillybilly was fourth in the mile while Canadian Touch finished fifth, only to be disqualified after causing interference to Cartoonist, eventually awarded the minor award in the sextet. Carding fractions :26.4; :54.4 and 1:22.4 along the way, No Bad Dreams sealed the issue with a :27.4 finale prompting driver Wally Hennessey to say, upon reaching the winner’s circle, “Marc (trainer Aubin) has this horse razor sharp right now…I mean RAZOR sharp!” He’s very handy, you know, like last week, when he won from off the pace and, this week, on the motor. I decided to leave with him because I didn’t want to spot the field six lengths as the start. You never want to do that with a talented field like this. So, I thought I’d go looking for a spot…and I found one…on the lead! He raced giant.” Trained by 81 year-young Marc Aubin for Jacalyn and Dan Boddie, No Bad Dreams won for the fifth time in only seven starts this semester, good for $19,050, soundly surpassing his earnings for all of the 2014 season consisting of 20 starts. As second choice in the wagering, No Bad Dreams paid $5.80 to his faithful. Pompano Park’s mandatory Super Hi-5 payout is all set for Wednesday night as the 2-5-3-4-7 combo on Saturday night returned $377.58 for a .20 cent investment sending the carryover to $202,965 and setting up a mid-week pool that could grow to $400,000 or more. Post time is 7:30 p.m. for the Wednesday program and features an 11 horse field going post-ward in the Super Hi-5 10th race.

Tioga Downs
A little racing luck and a strong closing kick propelled Brenda Messenger and Scott Woogen’s I’m Fabulous ($12.40) past odds-on favorite Detroit Rapper to take Saturday (May 16) evening’s $14,000 Open Trot at Tioga Downs. Kyle DiBenedetto put the 10-year-old Andover Hall mare into play immediately, securing the pocket behind B L Class Act (John Cummings, Jr.) before Detroit Rapper (Jim Meittinis) brushed from third to take charge after a :27.4 initial quarter. Relegated now to third, I’m Fabulous saved ground through the race’s middle stages, closing the pocket behind Detroit Rapper on the approach to the far turn as B L Class Act angled second-over behind Its Payday Friday (Dan Clements). While Detroit Rapper was able to turn aside the stout first-over challenge from Its Payday Friday after being pushed to a 1:25.4 three-quarter sectional, I’m Fabulous kept the pocket closed to reclaim second from her tiring outside rivals. Once clear, she moved off the pegs, collaring the softened I’m Fabulous in the final yards to prevail by a half-length in 1:55.1. Oh No Three O (Jeffrey Long) saved ground throughout, advancing up the pegs late to take third. Gary Messenger trains I’m Fabulous, who has proven victorious in both her Tioga efforts this season in addition to 36 other triumphs through her career. Driver Tom Jackson recorded a hat trick on the evening’s 11-race program, partnering with Kerin Warner trainees Moon Lake ($5.60, 1:57.4) and Stormunn ($7.20, 1:55.2) as well as Shawn Simons trainee Ashcroft ($3.40, 1:58.4).
Sunday (May 17) afternoon’s card features a quartet of New York Sire Stakes events for 3-year-old pacing colts and geldings, with an assortment of Excelsior races comprising the undercard. Post time is 1:30 p.m. Eastern time.

Buffalo Raceway
Driver Drew Monti let Rockstar Temper and Thisoneandonemore watched their competition do the dirty work but they each reaped the benefits in the end to highlight the featured events at Buffalo Raceway on Saturday night (May 16). Rockstar Temper took the $10,500 Open Pace with a 3/4-length win over Jokerman in a seasonal best 1:54.4 while in the $9,500 Open II Pace, Thisoneandonemore got up in the shadow of the wire to notch the victory in 1:55.2. The victories by Rockstar Temper and Thisoneandonemore allowed Monti to sweep the early daily double, which returned $22.60. Monti finished the night with four trips to the winner’s circle. It was the third win in 12 starts this season for Rockstar Temper (Rocknroll Hanover-Dragon Temper). The 7-year-old is owned by James Carll Caradon and trained by Darrin Monti. The gelding has earned $32,600 this year and $321,913 lifetime. It was almost an instant replay of the first race in the back half of the early double as Thisoneandonemore ($11.80) sat in the garden spot behind the front-stepping Lucky Nadotremblay Shawn McDonough). This time, instead of tipping to the outside, Monti used the passing lane with Thisoneandonemore to win by a neck. Lucky Nadotrembley was a ‘tough luck’ second while Charliesandjimmys (Kevin Cummings) rallied for third place.Thisoneandonemore is owned by David Miller and is conditioned by Ryan Shafer. The 6-year-old gelding, fresh off two wins and a second at Northfield, has now won four times in 2015 tries, earning $21,013. McNeight, Cummings, Shawn Gray and Ron Beback Jr. all had driving doubles on the program.

Saratoga Casino and Raceway
RU Ready To Rock (Rocknroll Hanover) emerged from a scramble in the stretch in Saturday’s Open Pace at Saratoga with a victory. The Jose Godinez-trainee won the pacing feature back in late March and after a nearly two month stint at Yonkers, returned to the Spa to compete in Saturday’s $18,000 Open. RU Ready To Rock left quickly and after making an easy lead yielded to last week’s Open winner Memory Game (Frank Coppola Jr). The 7-year-old pacer surged up the passing lane to reel in Memory Game in the final strides while longshot rival Malak Uswaad N (John Stark Jr) was closing in. RU Ready To Rock, who was driven to victory by Bruce Aldrich Jr, stopped the timer in 1:52.3 for his fifth win of the year. Malak Uswaad N was the feature’s runner-up while Memory Game had to settle for third. The exacta returned $116.50 while the triple paid $468.50 as RU Ready To Rock went off at odds of 9-2.