from harness publicists across North America

Saturday’s (Oct 6) Racing Roundup features stories from Rosecroft Raceway, Yonkers Raceway, Vernon Downs, Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park and Saratoga Casino and Raceway.

Googoo Gaagaa returns

Ft. Washington, MD — World champion Googoo Gaagaa scored an easy 2:00.2 in his tune-up for the Maryland Sire Stakes action on October 20 and 27. After rating kindly to a half of 1:02.4 he cruised home in 57.2 for trainer Richard Hans who handled Googoo with usual pilot Corey Callahan in Kentucky.

Once the betting action began Eddie Davis Jr., who recently returned from an injury, worked out a second over trip and scored with Felicity Kessler and owner-trainer Richard Malone Jr’s Dee Dee King. The classy lass won her eighteenth race in a career that has seen the 11-year-old win over $100,000. Davis Jr. returned to the winner’s circle with Big Moni Baby for trainer Michael Temming after a 1:58.2 mile. Davis finished his wins with the suddenly monstrous Squeezeme Pleaseme who broke loose with a daylight score last week and returned to the winner’s circle this evening after a 1:57.1 mile. Roy Jarman owns the 3-year-old daughter of Arturo.

Veteran trainer Doug Sweigart had a big night scoring two wins with only three starters. Fairway Miss, Kim Vincent driving, broke his maiden in only her ninth start after making a 28 second third quarter brush to take command and held on late after the charging Whitesville Ted made a late break. Mr Orlando, a recent addition to the Sweigart barn, made his first start a winning one for Sweigart and driver Billy Carter who used a two- hole trip to wear down a determined Yarborough Hanover and score in a lifetime mark of 1:57.2.

— Mike Wandishin

Yonkers Raceway
Code Word (Jason Bartlett) was left to his own devices and made ’em pay Saturday night, easily winning Yonkers Raceway’s $44,000 Open Handicap Pace. Leaving from post position No. 4, Code Word had no issues getting around inside assignee McDynamite (Brent Holland) and making the lead. A pair of tepid :28.1 quarters (:56.2 half) gave Code Word the upper hoof before River Shark (Pat Lachance) tried it first-up, while even-money favorite Blatantly Good (George Brennan) was behind that one. However, Code Word threw in a :27.1 third interval (1:23.2 three-quarters), losing both the pocket-sitter and the uncovered foe at the same time. Now up 4-1/2 lengths turning for home, Code Word widened to 6 lengths at the wire, which he found in 1:51.3. P H Jackpot (Jim Pantaleano) won the scrum for second, with Blatantly Good, McDynamite and Aussie Reactor A (Jordan Stratton) grabbing the leftovers. For Code Word, a 5-year-old son of Western Terror co-owned (as Burke Racing) by trainer Ron Burke, Frank Baldachino, Weaver Bruscemi and Lawrence Karr, he returned $10.20 (third choice) for his eighth win in 24 seasonal starts.

Vernon Downs
The crowd wagering choice Western Tsunami started things off in fast fashion on Saturday night at Vernon Downs. With Jonathan Roberts doing the teaming for trainer Tracy Brainard, Western Tsunami ($3.70) went right to the front from the four post position, shrugging off a couple of minor challenges from Pacinello before posting a half-length victory over his annoying runner-up and completing a 1:51.4 mile, that proved to be the fastest of Saturday’s 13 events. Saturday’s bold-going score was the third locally, fifth this season and 45th all-time for the gritty 9-year-old gelding, who is shared in ownership by Brainard and Andrew Herzog. The bay son of Western Hanover is now a career-winner of more than $351,400. The victory was one of four during the track’s 79th program for relative newcomer Roberts, who also finished first with the trotter B Cor Janett (race 2), and pacers Mach My Word (8) and B Cor Terry (12).

Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park
A trio of wily veterans all fashioned driving doubles Saturday night at Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park. Dave Ingraham was the first to complete the feat when he won back-to-back races in the fourth and fifth. Chiselled, picked a good time to win for the first time in 23 seasonal starts by virtue of the quickest trotting mile of the night, a front-stepping 1:57 effort over a track dampened by sporadic light rain showers. Ingraham guided the Owen Eiler Jr.-owned winner to an easy 5 length tally over Nobell Prize (Miriam Toland) and Whosover (Tom Sells). In the very next race, Ingraham used a different tactic to record the quickest pacing mile of the evening, a 1:52.4 score with Monet C C. The quick winner, owned by the estate of Jean Bryar, was making his first local start in six months upon his return from a summer at Pocono Downs in Pennsylvania. Ingraham got away third in the full field then moved first-over on the outside past the half and eventually wearing down place and show finishers Maxine’s Menace (Rob Hoffman) and Spring Again (Andy Santeramo) in mid-stretch. Tom Sells got the first half of his driving double in the first race, steering Arezzo Hanover to victory despite a parked-out trip in 1:54.3. Owned by Elm Racing, it was also a first local start for this gelding who spent the first nine months of 2012 in Pennsylvania and New York. He bested Freeneasy Hanover (Ingraham) and Fox Ridge Banker (Santeramo). Sells returned to the winner’s circle following the seventh race with 13-1 upsetter Imahonkyconchman, owned by George Napolitano Sr. The triumphant trotter bested fellow longshots Tamarack Hanover (Veral Bowman) and Claim Jumper (Santeramo) in 1:58 to produce a $127.40 exacta and $649.80 trifecta return.

Saratoga Casino and Raceway
Rafferty Hanover moved his local record to two-for-two in Saturday night’s open pace at Saratoga Casino and Raceway. Brandon Simpson piloted his trainee to a first-over score in the $21,000 pacing feature. It was a condensed five horse open field after a scratch and Rafferty Hanover (Western Ideal) had no trouble overcoming a first-over journey to secure his eighth victory of the season. The 5-year-old pacer stopped the timer in 1:52.1, a win time made even more impressive by the fact that Rafferty Hanover closed in a final half of :54.2 to secure the win. Iwannarace Hanover (Dan Cappello Jr) came on for second while Malicious (Billy Dobson) held onto the third spot. Rafferty Hanover also prevailed in his only previous Saratoga score via a first-over journey, scoring this summer in 1:51.4.