from harness publicists across North America

Saturday’s (Oct. 26) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, Vernon Downs, Batavia Downs and Saratoga Casino and Raceway.

Beatgoeson Hanover and Here We Go Again win Saturday features at Pocono

Wilkes-Barre, PA — Trotter Beatgoeson Hanover and pacer Here We Go Again won their respective $25,000 Preferred races on Saturday night at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs.

Beatgoeson Hanover (Andover Hall-Beat The Wheel), a 5-year-old mare from the Nifty Norman barn, was making her first start since finishing fifth a week ago in the Breeders Crown final for trotting mares.

Leaving from post position three in a field of six as the 1-2 favorite, she built a huge lead with Tyler Buter in the bike after taking the lead before the half-mile marker and coasted to the victory by 1-3/4 lengths in 1:54. Shesgotlegs rallied for second while Definitely Mamie finished third.

On the pacing side, Here We Go Again (Dragon Again-Odds On Jenna), a 6-year-old gelding from the P.J. Fraley barn, left from post position three in a field of nine as the 3-1 second choice and made the lead for driver Eric Ledford in the front stretch.

The gelding set nasty fractions from that point and faced a stiff challenge from Townslight Hanover in the stretch, holding on to win a photo finish by a nose in 1:50, his third straight win at Pocono. The 9-5 favorite Uncle Goodfellow finished third.

— Jim Beviglia

Vernon Downs
Restless Yankee was a 1:50.4 upset winner in Saturday night’s $12,000 Open pacing feature at Vernon Downs. The favorite, track record holder JK Panache, took the early lead in Saturday’s second session, while second choice Sheer Brilliance, winner in the last two Open events here, settled into the pocket. Driver and trainer Chris Lems kept Restless Yankee in fourth place past the three-quarters in 1:22.4. As the top choices wore each other down entering the stretch charge, Restless Yankee came on in a :27.1 final panel to secure the score, defeating runner-up Western Tsunami by a head. It marked the third local tally, seventh season’s score and the 47th lifetime victory for the 6-year-old son of Relentless Yankee-Towner’s Love Dove, who is owned by Robert J. and Ryan J. Lems. The gritty gelding is currently a career winner of nearly $242,000. Lems also finished first with the Ryan J. Lems-owned pacer Ding Dong Boy (1:53.2) in Saturday’s fourth event to record his meet-leading 22nd driving double. Two-win performances were also turned in by Roman Lopez, Truman Gale and Claude Huckabone, III.

Batavia Downs
A hot pace on the front end was the perfect set up for the closer What The Sheik ($13.00) in the $8,500 Open Pace at Batavia Downs Saturday night. After watching the heavily favored OK Braveheart (Shawn McDonough) put up some hot fractions of :27.3, :57.3 and 1:26.2 on the brisk, windy evening, What The Sheik (Ray Fisher, Jr.) used a perfectly timed three-wide brush down the backstretch and never looked back. The 6-year-old horse used a :28.3 final panel to put away the field and register the 4-1/2 length win over Unicorn Hanover (Greg Merton) in 1:55.2. Allamerican Improv (David McNeight III) and Racsan Steve (Jack Flanigen) finished in a dead heat for show. Owned by Mike Torcello and trained by Gerry Sarama, What The Sheik (Western Terror-Radiant Heiress) posted his eighth win of the season and upped his 2013 earnings to $58,997 and $348,846 lifetime. Ray Fisher, Jr. and Ron Beback, Jr. both had big Saturday nights, guiding home four winners apiece.

Saratoga Casino and Raceway
Arockin Hanover (Rocknroll Hanover) became the 17th different horse to win the Open Pace at Saratoga Casino and Raceway in the last 18 weeks with a hard charging victory on Saturday night. Jason Robinson trains the 5-year-old pacer who sat on the rail throughout the race after getting away third before driver Dan Cappello, Jr. found racing room late in the mile. Arockin Hanover surged in the stretch, passing several rivals before stopping the timer in 1:53.2 for his first local Open victory. Recent News (Shawn Gray) got reeled in late and wound up as the runner-up in the $15,000 Saturday feature while Money Twitch A (Jim Devaux) earned the show spot.