from harness publicists across North America

Saturday’s (Oct. 1) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, Yonkers Raceway, Vernon Downs and Cal Expo.

Stonebridge Tonic adds Open Pace victory at Pocono to winning streak

Wilkes-Barre, PA — Well-traveled pacer Stonebridge Tonic conquered the featured Open pacing group at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs for his fifth consecutive win on Saturday night. The race carried the night’s top purse of $50,000.

The 4-year-old stallion from the barn of Mark Ford came in with a four-race winning streak that included victorious pit stops at The Meadowlands, Northville and Yonkers. Leaving from post position four in a field of eight at odds of 9-2, he was sent to the front early by driver Anthony Napolitano, but sat third as Rockincam and Annieswesterncard engaged in a speed duel that produced sizzling fractions in cold, sloppy conditions.

Stonebridge Tonic moved three-wide past the tiring Rockincam on the backstretch and eventually wore down Annieswesterncard in the stretch to win going away by 3-1/4 lengths in 1:50.3. Trade Editor came on for second while Macraider N finished third.

Stonebridge Tonic, owned by Leonard Campbell and Gregg McNair of Ontario and sired by Camluck, won for the seventh time in 17 2011 races. It was his 12th career victory, and his lifetime earnings now stand at $492,370.

— Jim Beviglia

Yonkers Raceway
Real Nice (Greg Merton) sat off some wicked Saturday night speed, winning Yonkers Raceway’s $52,000 Open Handicap Pace. Leaving from post position No. 5 in what became a field of seven (lessened by one when Pangiorno was scratched-injured), Real Nice was patient early in his 100th career start. Good thing, as first Valentino (catch-driver Pat Berry), then 6-5 choice Razzle Dazzle (Cat Manzi) tickled the teletimer to the tune of a :26.2 opening quarter-mile and :53.3 half. Down the backside the second time, Silent Swing (Brent Holland) made his move, engaging a tiring leader right at the 1:21.4 three-quarters. Real Nice found himself second-up. Silent Swing owned a 1-1/4 length lead entering the lane, with Real Nice inching closer. Silent Swing hit the mile marker in 1:50.2, an all-age track record had business concluded right there. However, Real Nice had his number, going by late to prevail by three-quarters of a length in 1:57.3 for the mile and one-sixteenth. Silent Swing held second, with Clear Vision (Jim Pantaleano) closing from last to grab the bottom of the ticket. Power Of A Moment (Larry Stalbaum) and Razzle Dazzle completed the cashers. While he did not take the feature, Pantaleano was the two-legged star of the evening, with five winners. Real Nice, a 6-year-old Real Artist gelding trained by Eric Marecki for co-owners Gary and Beverly Paganelli and Anthony Scussel, returned $13.60 (fourth choice) for his 10th win in 26 seasonal starts.

Vernon Downs
Rick Plano put on a driving clinic at Vernon Downs on Saturday, winning five of the evening’s 12 races, including the fastest mile during the card with his wife’s pacer, Bigtown Hero. After scoring with Devil’s Bargain, CJ’s On Target, Hay Goodlooking, and Brilliant Thunder, Plano piloted Bigtown Hero to a convincing 1:53.2 triumph over a rain-soaked, “good” track in Saturday’s 10th event. The 59-year-old horseman urged Maryann Plano’s 3-year-old gelding into the lead after the opening quarter and the bay son of American Ideal-Art Account kept charging until he had racked up a solid 15 length victory. As the favorite, he paid $3.30 for the win, his second at the meet and fourth in nine career outings. Plano’s five wins tied him with Frank Milby and Chris Lems as the only reinsmen to have reached that plateau after 72 current programs. The win also enabled him to tie Lems at 56 victories for third place on the meet’s dash-winning chart. Lems logged a pair of first-place finishes (with the pacers he trains and drives, Gentlemen Heir and Mackenzie’s Bliss) during Saturday’s program to keep pace with the surging Plano, who recorded eight victories during the three-night weekend.

Cal Expo
The odds were against her, but the queen of the Cal Expo pacing ladies defeated her male counterparts in terrific fashion. Winners Over pacers, racing for a purse of $4,500, were featured in Northern California on Saturday night, in which a well rated Haggin Oaks (James Kennedy) refused to be denied. Never letting anyone get past her wheel, Haggin Oaks won ($24.00) by one length in 1:55.3. At Last finished in second and Ivegotwhatuneed finished just a head farther back in third. The winner is also trained by Kennedy and is owned by Shari Burns, Ferris Funk and Gerald Cimini. On the 15-race card, leading driver Steve Wiseman had six winners, while Luke Plano had a four-bagger.