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Friday’s (Dec. 16) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Yonkers Raceway, The Meadows, Cal-Expo and Plainridge Racecourse.

Pancleefandarpels overcomes trip to win co-feature at Yonkers

Yonkers, NY — Pancleefandarpels (Jim Pantaleano was back a victress in New York Friday night. She won Yonkers Raceway’s co-featured $38,000 Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace, going from first-up to first home.

Tom Berg photo

Pancleefandarpels won Friday’s co-feature in 2:01.2 at Yonkers Raceway.

Leaving from post position No. 5 as the just-over-even-money favorite, Pancleefandarpels floated in fourth as Lightning Treasure (Dan Dube) was three-wide and a bit rough early.

That one made the lead around invading Athleticlyinclined (Yannick Gingras) just after a 27-second opening quarter-mile, then rated a :56.2 half.

Pancleefandarpels challenged in and out of the 1:25.2 three-quarters, grabbing the lead early stretch. After a 1:54.1 mile, she held sway, winning by a half-length. The mile-and-one-sixteenth went in 2:01.2.

Fox Valley Sage (Cat Manzi)–last at the three-quarters–was on the scene late for second, with Bling (Tim Tetrick), Summer Snow (Jordan Stratton) and Celtic Danser (Eric Goodell) rounding out the payees.

For Pancleefandarpels, a 7-year-old homebred daughter of Noble Ability owned by Peter Pan Stables and trained by Erv Miller, she returned $4.30 for her eighth win in 34 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $43.20, with the triple returning $132.50.

Friday night’s co-featured $38,000 Open Handicap Trot saw pole-starting, pocket-sitting Four Starz Credit (Gingras) edge And Heez Perfect (Tetrick) in an added-distance 2:03.2.

The former yielded to 7-5 favorite KLM Express (Jim Marshall III), who put up early intervals of :27.4 and :57.4.

And Heez Perfect, away third from behind the eight-ball, then challenged the leader by the 1:27 three-quarters. Early in the lane, KLM Express was getting some visitors. He was about to wear out his welcome at the 1:56 mile, surrounded on both sides.

And Heez Perfect went by first, but Four Starz Credit surged past that one by a head. Wuthering Hanover (Pantaleano), KLM Express and Libra Vita (Matt Kakaley) grabbed the remainder.

For Four Starz Credit, a 7-year-old Credit Winner gelding owned by Barbara Bongiorno and trained by Keith Armer, he returned $20 (fifth choice) for his fourth win in 10 ’11 tries.

— Frank Drucker

The Meadows
Ginger And Fred danced to the lead despite post 8 and made short work of the field as she captured Friday’s $22,500 Filly & Mare Preferred Handicap Pace at The Meadows in a sharp 1:51.3. Hammered down to 3-10, Ginger And Fred passed up an early opportunity to sit behind the leader, Mud Pie Hanover, and continued on for Dave Palone. She blazed the back half in 55 to down Mud Pie Hanover by a comfortable 1-1/2 lengths. Forever Showin Off finished third. Ron Burke trains Ginger And Fred, a 5-year-old daughter of Real Artist-Graceful Motion who now boasts $1,497,935 in career earnings, for Howard Taylor, Robert Feldman, Edwin Gold and Jerry Silva. Palone drove five winners — three for trainer Ron Burke — while Eric Ledford enjoyed a driving four-bagger on the 15-race card.

Cal-Expo
Winners-Over pacers, racing for a purse of $4,500, were featured at Cal Expo on Friday night (December 16), on which Cycle Power closed from last to first. Closing in very willing fashion, the 5-year-old picked them up and laid them down to get up just to the wire. Proudly owned and trained by Nathalie Tremblay, the gelding won ($12.40) by three-quarters of one-length, in 1:54.3. Haggin Oaks tried hard, but had to settle for second, and Shamderock (Luke Plano) finished one-length farther back, in third.

Plainridge Racecourse
Plainridge Racecourse held its 13th season finale Friday (Dec. 16). The first race of the afternoon featured a rematch of the tracks two top pacers with Midnight Lawyer nipping Beauclaine Bono to claim the $5,000 purse. Another bright spot in the season’s final card came in the second race after Paydaze A Comin scored his sixth victory in the past eight starts for trainer Nancy Longobardi, who sports a sizzling (84-27-23-11) .517 mark. The victory in the $3,000 event with D T Sumner driving, gave Paydaze A Comin his 14th win this year with 21 ‘in the money’ finishes in 27 starts. The day’s biggest payoff came in the seventh race after two Worcester, Mass. reinsmen finished one-two in the New England Amateur Drivers Club race. Bill Abdelnour, the club founder some nine years ago, scored with Fantastic at 14-1 and Mario Martellotta Sr. took second with Sometimes Amigo at odds of 18-1. The 1-7 exacta returned $489.60. The Plainridge program also included a tribute to ‘Bobby Constantino who died December 4, after a long illness. Plainridge COO Gary Piontkowski remarked “He did it all. A wonderful and caring person.”