from harness publicists across North America

Friday’s (July 15) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Yonkers Raceway, Scioto Downs, Vernon Downs, Saratog Casino and Raceway and Buffalo Raceway.

Delightful Diva, Grain Of Truth win Open Handicaps at Yonkers

Yonkers, NY — Delightful Diva (George Brennan) completed the three-peat Friday night, winning Yonkers Raceway’s $52,000 co-featured Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace

Tom Berg photo

Delightful Diva captured the Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace Friday night at Yonkers Raceway.

Ordered outside her seven rivals–then undaunted by a tough time getting the lead–the 3-5 Delightful Diva made the lead around Lightning Dragon (Cat Manzi) after a :26.3 opening quarter-mile.

Delightful Diva then found a :55.3 half before Symphony in Motion (Jeff Gregory) moved from sixth. That one offered mild pressure past the 1:24.2 three-quarters, with Delightful Diva owning a length-and-a-half lead turning for home.

The people’s choice hit the mile marker in 1:53.1 before holding off a zigzagging Breakheart Pass (Jim Pantaleano) by a half-length. Delightful Diva negotiated the mile-and-one-sixteenth in 2:00.1, with Symphony in Motion, Bet on Luck (Eric Goodell) and Ramona Disomma (Jordan Stratton) grabbing the remainder.

For Delightful Diva, a 6-year-old Bettor’s Delight lass owned by KDM Stables and trained by Lou Pena, she returned $3.20 for her eighth win in 22 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $36.60, the triple returned $128.50 and the superfecta paid $1,090.

Friday night’s co-featured $52,000 Open Handicap Trot found millionaire Grain of Truth (Gregory) pocketed, then passing, 2-1 favorite, T J’s Mr. Lavec (Manzi). The former, leaving from post position No. 3, watched T J’s Mr. Lavec lead through early intervals of :28 and :58.1. Wuthering Hanover (Stratton) was a weak first-over before the 1:27 three-quarters, with Looking Hanover (Goodell) on that one’s back.

T J’s Mr. Lavec, with a length-and-a-half lead entering the lane, could not stave off his closest pursuer as Grain of Truth ducked inside. He closed ranks by the 1:56 mile, before winning by a half-length in an added-distance 2:03. Calchips Brute (Dan Dube), Looking Hanover and a fumbly-starting Don’ttellmywife (Brennan) completing the cashers

For Grain of Truth, a 10-year-old Self Possessed gelding trained by Ray Schnittker for co-owners Charles and Giorgan Iannazzo, he returned $9.80 (second choice) for his sixth win in 16 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $34, with the triple returning $209.50.

The weekly featured trot was also Leg C of the United States Trotting Association’s Back to the Track Pick 4 (total pool $30,069, winning numbers 5 [Meadowlands]/2 [Northfield]/3 [Yonkers]/6 [Maywood] returned a $1 payout of $196.50).

— Frank Drucker

Scioto Downs
For the third straight week, C R Hope came from off the pace to win the Fillies and Mares Open at Scioto Downs in dramatic fashion on Friday night. As usual, Kyle Ater was in the bike for winning trainer Harley Jolliff, who co-owns the 6-year-old mare with Willie Hale. Driver Jack Dailey shot No Sugar Needed away from the gate like a rocket, and she reached the opening quarter in :26.4 with the five followers being Noble Zena, Shell I Attack, TT’s Little Lass, C R Hope, and Carnivalocity. Dailey backed the tempo down in the second quarter, and nearing the half-mile marker driver J.D. Wengerd tipped Shell I Attack out from third to launch her attack. TT’s Little Lass picked up Shell I Attack’s cover and Kyle Ater put C R Hope on the back of TT’s Little Lass. The half was paced in :56 seconds. The pace quickened in the third quarter as they reached the third station in 1:24.3 and No Sugar Needed still controlled the race, but was under assault from Shell I Attack. Ater tipped C R Hope three-wide in the final turn to move her into contention. As the field turned into the homestretch, No Sugar Needed suddenly broke stride and Shell I Attack inherited the lead. Ater had C R Hope in high gear and she quickly put Shell I Attack away and coasted to an easy victory in 1:54.2. Shell I Attack finished second while Carnivalocity rallied for Shawn Barker to grab third place. With three straight victories, C R Hope now has six wins in 24 starts in 2011.

Vernon Downs
The favorite Vacation Day overcame a parked-out journey to record a 1:55.4 victory in Friday night’s $10,000 featured eighth event at Vernon Downs. Leaving from post five in a field of six, Vacation Day ($3.60) took the overland route from fourth at the quarter, closed from third in the stretch and overcame the pace-setting Scorpion Moon by a head in the week’s Open-1 trotting contest. The hard-fought score was the third locally this season, the fourth on the campaign and the 12th all-time for the 5-year-old son of Dream Vacation-Shutter Hanover, who is closing in on $130,000 in lifetime earnings. Rick Plano did the steering for trainer Jamie Paquet, who owns the black gelding along with the In Front Racing stable. The winner missed his career win mark by two-ticks of the timer.

Saratoga Casino and Raceway
For the second consecutive Friday night, Russ N Us (Like A Prayer) prevailed in the open trot at Saratoga Casino and Raceway. The $18,000 feature marked the return of local trotting star Prime Interest, who after dominating throughout the first couple months of the season, has only raced sparingly of late. On Friday, Prime Interest and driver Billy Dobson were content to sit the pocket to Russ N Us (Mark Beckwith) who has done most of his damage on the front-end this season. The Melissa Beckwith trained Russ N Us posted matching halves of :58.2 en route to stopping the timer in 1:56.4 for the second consecutive week. The victory for the 5-year-old was the tenth in twenty tries on the season and the 25th in just 57 lifetime starts. Prime Interest finished strong in the stretch to be second while Jack’s Reef (Jay Randall) held third. Live racing continues on Saturday at Saratoga when we take part in “Back To The Track” night. Join us for all kinds of fan friendly activities including a handicapping contest, t-shirt and hat giveaways and $1 hot dogs and sodas. First post time is set for 7:05 pm.

Buffalo Raceway
For the second week in a row, Mach Ten, a 5-year-old International Chip gelding out of the Valley Victory mare Meadowbranch Mary, won the $10,000 Open Handicap Trot, this week in 1:59.1, for owner Dianne Mahiques, of Angola NY. It was the fifth win this season for Mach Ten. Mach Ten ($4.90) the favorite in the race, leaving from post seven, and driven by reinsman Kevin Cummings, settled in fifth as eventual second place finisher Perfect Man (Dave McNeight III) cut all the fractions in the race, :28.3, :59.4, and 1:29.3. At the top of the stretch, Mach Ten put an explosive :29.3 last quarter-mile to win by 5-1/4 lengths. Crown Prince Volo (Jim McNeight) came in third. Trained by Michelle Gramza, the $5,000 share of the winning purse put Mach Ten’s season’s bankroll at $38,355 and $78,536 lifetime. Racing will resume on Saturday July 16, with first post scheduled for 6:40 pm. Just a reminder that Saturday is Back To The Track day here at Buffalo Raceway.