from harness publicists across North America

Thursday’s (January 31) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Dover Downs and Monticello Raceway.

Shopping With Art’s streak now at six

Dover, DE — Shopping With Art is a winner, at least in his last six races, while Versado returned with a 1:50.1 front-pacing victory in the $35,000 Preferred Handicap and Catchmecullen A closed strongly to win the $30,000 Delaware Special at Dover Downs on a windy Thursday (Jan. 31).

Owner-trainer-driver Daryl Bier acquired Shopping With Art after an odds-on win at Woodbine and since has been a prohibitive favorite in each of his five consecutive wins since including the latest, a 1:52.1 breeze in a $15,500 male pace, Chief Cruiser (Allan Davis) was second with Johnangelo (Brad Hanners) third.

The lightly raced 5-year-old gelding by Art Major-Precious Shopper has won six of 10 lifetime starts with two seconds and a third, and has won $24,300 of his career earnings of $51,769 in January.

Bier completed a double, steering One More Miracle home in 1:55 in a $13,500 male pace.

Versado, fourth last Saturday in the $103,500 Presidential final at the Meadowlands, returned to the winner’s circle for the fifth time this meet, annexing a 1:50.1 score in the $35,000 Preferred/Open Pace with Pat Berry in the bike. Dancin Yankee closed from far back for Corey Callahan to finish a close second. Adventure Bound and Jim Morand were third.

Versado raced six times this month, winning three and earning $65,580. Nick Surick conditions the Dragon Again-Beach Jenny gelding for KDN Stables.

Catchmecullen A came on in the stretch to notch a 1:51 victory in the $30,000 Delaware Special Handicap. Eric Cantor drove the veteran Christian Cullen-Kimrena gelding to his second win in five starts this year. Trainer Josh Parker and Nanticoke Racing own the 10-year-old. Dead-heating for second were Mustang Art (Ron Pierce) and Rusty’s All In (Corey Callahan).

— Marv Bachrad

Monticello Raceway
Jimmy Devaux is no stranger to winning races, especially at Monticello where he won the driving title in 2002 and where he amassed the majority of his 3,077 career wins since the turn of the 21st century. On Thursday, Devaux capped a very productive week by scoring five wins on the 13-race card. Those victories followed three on Wednesday and two on Tuesday and he is now positioned securely in second place behind Jimmy Marohn, Jr. on the local leaderboard, trailing Marohn by only three wins (29-26). Devaux began his assault on Thursday with a 2:01.1 victory with Paul Welsher’s pacer Multiple Choice ($3.20) in the first race on the card. Victory number two didn’t come until the sixth race and then Devaux reeled off three in a row. He copped the sixth with Dragon Tales Farm’s Delightful Caitlin ($13.20) in 2:01.3 and then came right back to score with Jack and Rose Deluca’s Smooth Eric N ($16.80) in the seventh. Devaux then won the eighth with Durazzano Stables’ Artemus Blue Chip ($16.80) in 2:01.2. Win number five came in the 11th race behind Delightfuldanielle ($21.60), another a pacer owned by Dragon Tales Farm.