from harness publicists around North America

Thursday’s (Sept. 13) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Harrington Raceway, Scioto Downs and Vernon Downs.

Fashion Astral sets track record at Harrington

Harrington, DE — Barbara Boese’s Fashion Astral ($2.80, Carlo Poliseno) broke the track record for 3-year-old trotters Thursday at Harrington Raceway with a 1:56.1 victory in a conditioned event.

Fotowon photo

Fashion Astral’s 1:56.1 mile on Thursday broke the track record for 3-year-old trotters at Harrington.

Trained and driven by Poliseno, the Broadway Hall colt left the gate from post four and immediately seized the front end where he would set fractions of 28.2, 57.2, and 1:27 before drawing away by open lengths from second place finisher Miss Accomack. Fashion Astral scored an impressive 1:58 win on September 6 in his Harrington debut. Fashion Astral, who was purchased in July, notched his third win of the year and boosted his lifetime bankroll to nearly $125,000.

The previous track record for 3-year-old trotters was held by Tough Challenger (1:57.1).

Eddie Davis Jr. had three winners on the program.

— Matt Sparacino

Scioto Downs
Caris True paced away from her rivals to win the $12,000 Fillies & Mares Open II at Scioto Downs on Thursday evening. She stopped the timer in 1:53.2 for driver Greg Grismore to defeat Gale Storm and Jl’s Red Star. Caris True rewarded her backers with a $32.60 payoff as she won at odds of 15-1 from post eight in the field of nine. Virgil Morgan, Jr., the perennial leading trainer at Scioto, trains Caris True for the Smiling Pace Stable of Pennsylvania. It was the third win in 26 starts for the 4-year-old daughter of Yankee Cruiser. Favored Mi Amada and Jl’s Red Star battled for the early lead with brisk opening panel in :26.3. Jl’s Red Star took control, but when the pace slowed in the second quarter, Ocean Pearl went to the front. Grismore and Caris True had been outside all the way but she attacked Ocean Pearl during the third quarter and took control by the three-quarter pole in 1:25. Caris True was the strongest in the final quarter and drew off to win by three lengths.

Vernon Downs
The pacer Steuben Ruthless extended her scoring streak to four in Thursday night’s $7,000 featured seventh session and became the winningest equine performer of the season at Vernon Downs. Rick Plano did the teaming for trainer Mary Fisher as Steuben Ruthless ($4.70), the crowd’s wagering choice, drafted along in fourth to the half, then began an overland journey from third in the far turn that enabled her to overtake the pacesetting Glam Can in the final furlong and post a 2-1/4 length tally in a career-best time of 1:52. While picking up his 16th win at the meet, and giving Fisher her ninth training tally, Plano piloted the 3-year-old daughter of Dragon Again-Ruthless Jen to her seventh local triumph of 2012, one more than the pacer Mia’s Star, and the trotters My Buddy Hall Lee and Whispur. Still owned by her breeder, the Steuben Farms, the bay filly’s four consecutive wins is tops among proponents of the lateral gait at the Downs after 68 programs, but two shy of the season’s high, established by the trotter My Buddy Hall Lee on July 4. She’s now a career winner of more than $27,300. Defending dash champ Jimmy Whittemore chalked up four wins during Thursday’s 12-race program, including first-place finishes in races two-four, while driver Frank Davis secured his 11th double of the meet after capturing the evening’s last two events.