from harness publicists across North America

Saturday’s (Oct. 8) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Pompano Park, Colonial Downs, Vernon Downs and Saratoga Casino and Raceway

Dragon’s Blood persists at Pompano

Pompano Beach, FL — After a pair of near misses from the front-end to start the meet, Dragon’s Blood finally persisted for the top prize in the $12,000 purse feature event on the Saturday night card at The Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park.

Skip Smith/Lap Time photo

Dragon’s Blood (1A-Mike Micallef) finally held on to win the top pace at Pompano on October 8 after a pair of front-end near misses to start the meet.

Leaving from an assigned outside post over a track dulled by day long rain, Dragon’s Blood backed down the early fractions of to 28.2 and 58. Coming to call in the third quarter was Michigan shipper Rick’s Sign in rein to Fern Paquet Jr. and the duel intensified to the final turn in 1:25.4. Dragon’s Blood used a 28 second final quarter to stop the clock in 1:53.4. Card Dealer with Bruce Ranger in the bike was part of an entry and followed in third under the wire.

Dragon’s Blood, a Dragon Again-Canaco Model 7-year-old gelding, is trained and driven by Mike Micallef for Anita Micallef and Lewis Whitaker of Boynton Beach, FL. The life’s earnings now stand at more than $318,000 after this 33rd career win for Dragon’s Blood.

In the Florida Amateur Driving Club (FADC) trot, Jamie Marra was in the bike to squeeze a front-end win out of 7-year-old gelding Genesisjerseyspeed in 1:59.1 for owner Denis Goyette of Laval, Quebec and trainer Marc Major. The FADC is comprised of licensed amateur drivers who sacrifice their driving fees, and following the race they made a charitable donation to the Broward County F.R.I.E.N.D.S., a non-profit horse rescue organization.

— Frank Salive

Colonial Downs
Over the first three weeks of the Colonial Downs fall harness racing season, numerous different drivers have had standout days where they collected three wins or more. On Saturday, reinsman Chris Page took his turn, collecting five wins over the twelve race program. The 27-year-old reinsman scored his fastest win with Whythehellnot N in the fifth race, as the 7-year-old Christian Cullen horse came from behind to nip Western Tower by one-half length in 1:52.3. The winner is a Mary Dawson, Herman Hagerman trained/owned pacer, who gained his fifth triumph of 2011.

Vernon Downs
The favorite Mata Harry rewarded his backers with a 1:54 victory in Saturday night’s $10,000 Open-1 pacing feature at Vernon Downs. With leading driver Jimmy Whittemore doing the urging in the evening’s ninth event, Mata Harry ($3.90) raced on the lead through splits of :26, :55.4 and 1:25.1 en route to a neck decision over the fast-closing Mackenzie’s Bliss. Saturday’s score was the sixth at the 75-program meeting for the bay son of Armbro Operative-Down East Lady, one less that the current equine race-winning pacesetter Rosa Villa. It was the 37th lifetime triumph for the career-winner of $439,220, who is trained by Dennis Whittemore (Jimmy’s father) and owned by Elliot Misshula.

Saratoga Casino and Raceway
Invader Stonebridge Tonic won his local debut on Saturday night in Saratoga Casino and Raceway’s featured open pace. The Mark Ford trained pacer came to town for the first time after prevailing in five consecutive races out of town, the most recent of which being the Pocono Downs open. The public’s 3-5 favorite in the $18,000 Saturday feature, Stonebridge Tonic (Camluck) moved out to the lead heading to the opening quarter as Kelly’s Noah (Kim Crawford) yielded for the two-hole trip behind the betting favorite. The 4-year-old pacer felt only mild pressure before stopping the timer in 1:52.3 to record his sixth straight win with leading driver Billy Dobson at the lines. Kelly’s Noah came up a length shy of the win and was a strong second while Flexjet (Dan Cappello Jr) earned the show spot. The victory propelled Stonebridge Tonic to half-millionaire status as the Spa invader’s win bumped his seasonal earnings up to over $100,000 and moved his lifetime bankroll to over $500,000.