from harness publicists across North America

Friday’s Racing Roundup features stories from The Meadows, Yonkers Raceway, Northfield Park, Buffalo Raceway, Saratoga Harness and Vernon Downs.

Mattwestern, Doubelieveinmagic notch Meadows series wins

Washington, PA — Forced to come first-over into pedestrian fractions, Mattwestern turned on the after-burners to capture a division of Friday’s My Drag Queen Pace at The Meadows. Doubelieveinmagic took the other $12,500 third-leg split in the series for 3-year-old fillies. The $20,000 (est.) series final is set for Friday, May 3.

Things looked bleak for Mattwestern when she got away fifth and saw the front half in a leisurely 59. But Dave Palone had the daughter of Western Terror-Mattonement moving at the three-eighths and steadily gaining ground. She wore down the leader, R Marie Hanover, and prevailed in 1:55.2. Shy Dragon K rallied for second, a neck back, while R Marie Hanover saved show.

Ron Burke trains Mattwestern, who has been first or second in all seven starts this year, for Burke Racing Stable and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. It was one of three training victories for Burke on the 12-race card.

Doubelieveinmagic also needed a big rally, as she trailed by 4 lengths at the three-quarters. She brushed wide for Dick Stillings and scored her initial win in the series in 1:55.1, a neck better than JV’Z Dream. La D Da Hanover was third.

Bruce Riegle trains the daughter of Western Terror-Hawaiian Beachlady for Winchester Baye Acres.

— Evan Pattak

Yonkers Raceway
Upstate invader Up Front Billy (Brian Sears) strolled by from a loose pocket Friday night, winning Yonkers Raceway’s $38,500 Open Handicap Trot. Leaving from post position No. 3 as the 8-5 favorite, Up Front Billy left, then gave it up to double-digit proposition Perfect Rendition (Larry Stalbaum) before a :28.2 opening quarter-mile Perfect Rendition rated a :58.2 half as Political Desire (Jason Bartlett) tried it first-over. That one didn’t make much an impression in and out of the 1:26.2 three-quarters, with Perfect Rendition opening to 2-1/2 lengths entering the lane. However, Up Front Billy quickly closed ranks, ducking inside and winning by a length in 1:55.3. Perfect Rendition held second, with Imperial Count (Tyler Buter), Master Pine and Political Desire (Jason Bartlett) completing the cashers. For Up Front Billy, a 4-year-old Andover Hall gelding co-owned by (trainer) Mark Ford and Up Front Racing, he returned $5.30 for his sixth win in eight seasonal starts.

Northfield Park
Mcmerry Again paced home for her third straight win Friday (April 26) in Northfield Park’s ninth race. The 8-year old is owned by Antionette Mc Kenzie of Wellsville, Ohio. Trainer Sonia Vermilye called upon Brett Miller to pilot. Crist Hershberger was aboard for the first two wins. Mcmerry Again was fifth through an opening quarter of 27.4. Miller pulled the mare first- over through fractions of 57.2 and 1:26.2. She took the lead entering the final turn and was secured the 1:55 victory. She handily won, drawing off by 3 lengths over her closest competitor, I Love To Boggie (Robin Miller). The time represents a new lifetime mark for Mcmerry Again. Friday’s triumph increased Mcmerry Again’s (Dragon Again-Turn The Table-Abercrombie) lifetime wins tally to 17 and her career earnings to $32,209. She was the favorite and returned $4.80 to win.

Buffalo Raceway
In what was arguably the best and closest race of the night, Windsong Ingenius, a 4-year-old Kadabra gelding, won the $11,000 featured trot in 1:57.4, for owners Arrhythmic LLC, of West Seneca, NY, here at Buffalo Raceway Friday night (April 26), over a fast track. It was the second win in sixteen attempts this season for Windsong Ingenius. Driver Ray Fisher, Jr., put Windsong Ingenius ($14.20), on the lead, and he set all the fractions in the race, :29.1, 1:58.3, and 1:28.3 to the three-quarter marker. A :30 last quarter-mile put the winner a neck in front of second place finisher, Under The Stars (Jim McNeight), at the finish line. Hailstorm Volo (Ron Beback, Jr.) was just a neck back in third. Trained by John Mungillo, the $5,500 share of the winning purse put Windsong Ingenius’ season’s earnings at $23,673, and $120,656 lifetime. It was his 9th win in 47 lifetime starts.

Saratoga Harness
Bound For Fame won the Saratoga Open Trot for the third time in four weeks on Friday, surviving a scramble in the stretch and a photo finish. The David Duspiva trained 6-year-old moved first-over at the half and endured a difficult journey en route to the victory in the $20,000 trotting feature. Dan Cappello Jr piloted Bound For Fame (SJ’s Photo) to the feature score. Mama Made Me Blue (Brandon Simpson) came up just shy of the win while Mymomsablizzard (Jordan Derue) earned the show spot in the blanket finish. Bound For Fame’s Open win came in 1:57.4.

Vernon Downs
The Evictor made fast work of seven high-stepping Open rivals, while Hold On Tightly became the first three-time winner of the season at Vernon Downs on Friday night (April 26). With Marcus Miller doing the teaming for trainer John Butenschoen in race 10, The Evictor took over from Yankee Manny in the stretch drive and powered to an impressive 1:54.3 victory, fastest trotting mile of the five-program season at the central New York 7/8ths-mile harness track. The quick-striding score was the first locally, the second this season and the 14th overall for the 5-year-old son of Valley Victory, a career earner of more than $473,000 who is shared in ownership by William C. Wiswell and Jean Goehlen. Hold On Tightly continued his first-place fetish with a sparkling 1:57.1 tally for trainer and driver Roman Lopez in race nine, fourth and final qualifying division in the second leg of the new Catherine Burton Memorial Trotting Series. It was a career-best performance for the 4-year-old son of Cash Hall, who is registered to Richard Thurlow, and the swiftest series score to date. Henry Wilson began the program with a Burton Series double, scoring with Majestic Won (1:58.1) in the opener and Beautiful Babe (1:58.4) in Friday’s second session. Both square-gaiters are owned by Joan Rae Ellafrits and Lynn Wilson. Defending dash and training champ Rick Plano piloted Frisky Girl to a 1:59.1 maiden-breaking victory in Friday’s other Burton donnybrook. Peter Carney conditions the 5-year-old daughter of Frisky Fighter for Anne Wheeler and Dr. Robert Keller. In addition to driver/trainer Wilson, Plano produced his second four-win outing here in 2013 during Friday’s 13-race card, while Miller also won with the Jenny Melander-owned and trained trotter Don Dinero (1:58.4) in the evening’s 11th event. It was the first career tally for the 7-year-old son of Revenue S.