from harness publicists across North America

Saturday’s (Jan. 29) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Yonkers Raceway, Dover Downs, Buffalo Raceway and Cal Expo.

Southwind Tabor wins $32,500 Yonkers feature

Yonkers, NY — Southwind Tabor (Jim Pantaleano) proved best from the pocket on Saturday night, winning Yonkers Raceway’s $32,500 Open Handicap Pace.

Tom Berg photo

Southwind Tabor was a 1:53.3 winner in the Open Handicap Pace at Yonkers.

Leaving from post position No. 2, Southwind Tabor tracked Smellthecolornine (Jason Bartlett) around the oval. The latter put up intervals of :27.2, :56.3 and 1:25. Lahaye (Eric Goodell) moved first-up from fifth, with reformed claimer — and slight 2-1 choice — Dymond Joe Mindale (Brett Miller) second-over.

Smellthecolornine owned a 1-1/4 length lead into the lane, but company was coming. Southwind Tabor ducked inside, getting the jump on a speeding Dragon Island (George Brennan). The trip won out, as Southwind Tabor prevailed by a couple of lengths in 1:53.3. Forensic Z Tam (Pat Lachance), Smellthecolornine and Lahaye completed the cashers.

Southwind Tabor, an 8-year-old Bettor’s Delight gelding owned by Mario D’Abruzzo and trained by Dennis Laterza, returned $31.80 (seventh choice) for his first win in three seasonal starts. The exacta paid $257.50, with the triple returning $1,078.

Pantaleano has been a longshot player’s best buddy of late, winning Friday night’s finale with Shortest Distance ($110.50) and Saturday night’s second race with Smart Blazer N ($60.50).

— Frank Drucker

Dover Downs
In his first local start since arriving from Canada, Arriba Amigo pulled away from eight rivals in 1:56.2 to win the $14,500 featured trot, one of six wins for driver Matt Kakaley on Saturday at Dover Downs. Arriba Amigo easily beat fast-finishing CC’s Fred (Sean Bier) and Iron Will (Roger Plante). Purchased after the Amigo Hall-Fidanzata gelding’s Ontario stakes program ended, Arriba Amigo took command early for Kakaley and breezed to victory in his first U.S. contest for owners David Rovine, VIP Internet Stable and trainer Josh Green. Kakaley came right back to drive Lightning Lane Stable’s Play Of The Day to a 1:52 victory in the first start under trainer Johnny Waite since being claimed for $20,000. Commander Turk N (Corey Callahan) was runner-up with Lobo Billy (Jim Morand) third.

Buffalo Raceway
A jump up in class and new surroundings didn’t seem to bother Nifty Prescott on Saturday at Buffalo Raceway. The 7-year old Million Dollar Cam gelding, out of the Jenna’s Beach Boy mare Shannon Déjà Vu, won the $10,000 Open Pace in 1:57.3, a season’s best and the fastest mile of the meet so far this year, for the Grand Sun Stables of Williamsville N.Y. It was the second win this season for Nifty Prescott, who was claimed last week for $17,500. Nifty Prescott ($11.40) with John Cummings, Jr. in the sulky, settled in third after leaving from post three, as eventual third place finisher Compass Connection (Ron Beback, Jr.) cut the early fractions, :29.2 to the quarter and :59.2 to the half. A strong backside brush by Nifty Prescott put him in front at the three-quarter pole in 1:28.2. With a :29.1 last quarter-mile, Nifty Prescott finished 4-3/4 lengths in front of Sand Forever (Ken Holliday) at the wire. Trained by Gerry Sarama, the $5,000 share of the purse put Nifty Prescott’s season’s bankroll at $9,150 and $217,976 lifetime. Kevin Cummings was the hot driver on this cold chilly night, steering home five winners, Cheyenne James ($20.20), Mako Sica ($3.80), S F Midas ($8.20), Classy Fun ($2.70), and Full Of Elegance ($2.20).

Cal Expo
A half-dozen pacers, five in on a condition, one in for a $20,000 claiming tag, were featured at Cal Expo on Saturday night for a purse of $4,500 over a track listed as ‘sloppy,’ in which Ivegotwhatuneed repeated. Urged a bit by driver Lemoyne Svendsen to leave from the pole and yielding into the first turn, the 8-year-old found himself in the garden spot to Grandpa Stevie (Scott Cisco) through first half fractions of :29.1 and :59.1. Flushed first-over to the midway point of the final bend, Svendsen merely had to hold on. Ivegotwhatuneed paced with authority and took a parked-out lead at the three-quarter marker, timed in 1:28.1. Drawing clear into the stretch and gradually expanding his lead until the final sixteenth when Grandpa Stevie narrowed the margin, Ivegotwhatuneed scored ($5.60) in a no-doubter by 2-1/4 lengths. Owned by Marty Garey in partnership with trainer Bob Johnson, the gelding stopped the timer at 1:56.3, thus recording his 27th career triumph. Grandpa Stevie was a solid second while Cycle Power finished two lengths farther back in third.