from harness publicists across North America

Friday’s (Jan. 28) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Yonkers Raceway, Buffalo Raceway and Cal Expo.

Jasperthat A, Victor’s Vicky win Yonkers co-features

Yonkers, NY — Jasperthat A (Cat Manzi) upset the Friday night apple cart, winning Yonkers Raceway’s co-featured $32,500 Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace.

Tom Berg photo

Jasperthat A was a 1:55.1 winner in the $32,500 Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace.

Bling (Eric Goodell) garnered all the early attention, taking over from inside assignee Celtic Danser (Jordan Stratton) just after a :27.3 opening quarter-mile. After a :57.2 intermission, Breakheart Pass (Daniel Dube) — who left into fourth from her ordered eight hole — made her play for the lead. She and Bling dueled in and out of the 1:25.3 three-quarters. Second-up was Gottogetoutmore (Tyler Buter), but she wasn’t the problem. Jasperthat A, third-over from post position No. 4, and Up Front Cruiser, the 2-1 favorite on that one’s back, were going to decide the issue.

Jasperthat A was able to get first “run,” winning by 1-1/4 lengths in 1:55.1. Up Front Cruiser chased home the winner, with Gottogetoutmore, Celtic Danser and Symphony In Motion (Jeff Gregory) grabbing the small change.

Jasperthat A, a 7-year-old Down Under Village Jasper lass co-owned (as Anderson Racing) by trainer Joe Anderson along with Gerrie Tucker, returned $28.40 (sixth choice) for her first win in a pair of seasonal starts. The exacta paid $102.50, with the triple returning $693.

Friday night’s co-featured $32,500 Open ‘Cap Trot turned into an unscheduled distaff derby, with the lone lasses — 30-1 Victor’s Vicky (Stratton) snapping 24-1 Friendly Amigo (Jason Bartlett) on the money.

Hurrikanebiggeorge (Dube) and 4-5 fave Summertime Yankee (Brent Holland) slugged it out past a :27.4 opening quarter, with Hurrikanebiggeorge gaining the lead after that interval. He led through subsequent subsections of :57.2 and 1:27.4. Trottin’ Troy (Jim Pantaleano) challenged, with Friendly Amigo towed and Victor’s Vicky off the cones to race third-over.

The front end folded in the early stretch and it became Ladies Night and Longshot Night all rolled into one. Victor’s Vicky — who started from post No. 7 — earned the nod, whipping Friendly Amigo by a head in 1:58. Hurrikanebiggeorge, Trottin’ Troy and Shoeless White Sox (Gregory) earned the minor moolah.

Victor’s Vicky, an 8-year-old daughter of Valley Victor owned by Fabulous Farms and trained by Richard Johnson, returned $63 as the rank outsider for her first win in three ’11 tries. The exacta paid $527, with the triple returning $2,438.

— Frank Drucker

Buffalo Raceway
The Grey Filly, a 5-year-old Northern Luck mare, won the $10,000 Filly and Mares Open Pace in 1:58 for owner Sandra Beback at Buffalo Raceway on Friday night. It was the first win this season for The Grey Filly, who earned $61,712 last year. The Grey Filly ($5.60), leaving from post four and driven by trainer Ron Beback, Jr., made the lead just past the quarter pole, which was hit by second place finisher Artistry In Rhythm (Ken Holliday) in :29.2. Now with the lead, The Grey Filly hit the half in :58.3 and the three-quarters in 1:28.4. A good stretch battle had The Grey Filly prevailing by a head at the finish line. Mud Pie Hanover (Kevin Cummings) came in third. In the $10,000 co-featured Open Trot, Shoe In, with Ken Holliday in the sulky, made it two Open wins in a row, going wire-to-wire in 2:00.4, a season’s best, for owner Betty Tauber. Leaving from the pylons in the field of eight, Shoe In ($2.90), the prohibitive favorite in the race, made every pole a winning one, setting fractions of :30, 1:00 and 1:31.4. Gelato Man (Kevin Hough) was four lengths behind in second, while Bankers Dream (Kevin Cummings) came in the show spot.

Cal Expo
A mixture of conditioned and claiming trotters, racing for a purse of $4,500, were featured at Cal Expo on Friday night, in which Big Baller won for the fifth time in the last seven. Holding pretty firm while only urged twice in the last sixteenth of the mile, Big Baller scored ($7.00) by three-quarters of a length. Bred and owned by the Desomer Stables, trained by Vickie Desomer, and driven by Lemoyne Svendsen, the 4-year-old gelding stopped the timer at 1:58.4. Alpine Hawk had his three race win streak snapped and had to settle for second and Berkshire finished just a neck farther back in third.