by harness publicists across North America

Saturday’s (Oct. 30) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Vernon Downs, Yonkers Raceway, Northfield Park, Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, Colonial Downs and Saratoga Gaming and Raceway.

Sheer Brilliance captures feature at Vernon Downs

Vernon, NY — Sheer Brilliance repulsed last week’s top pacing class winner, Daley Deposit Only, in the final stride to capture Saturday night’s $12,000 featured eighth event at Vernon Downs.

After having a three-race Vernon win skein snapped at Pocono Downs last Saturday, Sheer Brilliance ($3.30) returned to this week’s Miracle Mile-1 handicap and wired five fleet-footed rivals in 1:53.1. The 5-year-old bay son of Blissful Hall-High Roller Ash cut fractions of :27.2, :57.2 and 1:26.1, and had enough left in the tank to hold off Daley Deposit Only by a nose.

It was the fourth win in five local starts; the eighth season’s score and the 23rd lifetime win for the career winner of nearly $245,000. Trainer Jeffrey Long shares ownership of the homebred gelding along with J. Paul Long.

Claude Huckabone, III completed a driving triple with the victory, increasing his all-time win total to 1,998.

— Jim Moran

Yonkers Raceway
Favored Aliveandwell N (Ryan Anderson) conquered the cavalry Saturday night, winning Yonkers Raceway’s $38,000 Open Handicap Pace. Aliveandwell N was a neck in from at the wire in a life-best 1:53.2. Forensic Z Tam couldn’t get there from the pocket, while a late-arriving 46-1 Steuben N (Brent Holland), J A’s Outlaw (George Brennan) and Lahaye completing the cashers. The quintet of payees was separated by just a length at the line. For Aliveandwell N, a 6-year-old Down Under Live or Die gelding co-owned by (trainer) Joe Anderson (as part of Anderson Racing), Gerrie Tucker and RBH Ventures, he returned $5.60 for his fourth win 15 seasonal starts.

Northfield Park
Ron Fuller and Dee Hotton’s Buckeye Man ($3.60) won Northfield’s $5,500 Open Trot Saturday with an impressive 1:57.2 effort. Dan Charlino pulled the pocket to challenge leader That Fly’n Angel past the half and won the battle, as That Fly’n Angel finished second, while Master Wheels closed for third. Hotton trains Buckeye Man, a 3-year-old gelded son of Jailhouse Jesse from the Final Score mare China Score. The win was his 12 in 21 seasonal starts and pushed his 2010 bankroll to $67,296.

Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs
Drop Red broke his own track record for 4-year-old pacing stallions in winning the featured Open Handicap pace on Saturday night at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. The race carried the night’s top purse of $24,000. Leaving from post position 5 in a field of eight, Drop Red, a 6-1 choice, was sent to the front end early by driver George Napolitano Jr., but he then allowed race favorite Vlos to take the lead around the first turn. The 4-year-old stallion from the barn of Robert Horowitz then sat in the pocket while Vlos set nasty fractions. In the stretch, Drop Red easily blew by the leader to win by 2-3/4 lengths in 1:50, a fifth of a second better than the track mark he set in May of this year. Amillionpennies rallied for 2nd while Vlos faded to 3rd. Drop Red, sired by Red River Hanover, won for the fourth time in 20 tries this year. It was his 14th career win and his lifetime earnings now top $420,000.

Colonial Downs
Itrustyou overcame a rough gaited moment at the third fraction and rebounded in time to capture the $4,000 Virginia-bred 2-year-old colt/gelding pace Saturday evening at Colonial Downs. Four Virginia-bred freshman prep races were contested Saturday, though three were non-betting events that took place before the first pari-mutuel race. Sophomore preps take place Sunday and both age groups will compete in next Saturday’s $300,000 (est.) Day of Champions. After going off stride, Trainer/driver Dean Collins directed Itrustyou passed Blueridge Foolin, Lookout Josh and Fast Heat in the stretch and crossed the wire in 1:55.3. Blueridge Dragon captured the colt/gelding trot for trainer/owner Michael Gillock by 3-1/2 lengths in 2:02.3. Wayne Long directed the victor to his fourth win of the year. The Donerail gelding has bankrolled $17,800 in his two year old campaign.Though Twincreeks Jazz faced only three other foes in the filly pace, she triggered an impressive 1:56.2 effort with leading reinsman Corey Braden aboard. It was the second lifetime win for trainer Jason Skinner’s pacer. The final prep saw Blueridge Lataglia win her racing debut in the filly trot. Winsome Moni cut early fractions of :30.4, 1:02 and 1:32 before driver Chuck Perry directed Blueridge Lataglia off the rail and to the lead. The winner finished in 2:02.2 for trainer Vickielynn Lake and owner Darlene Conway of Abingdon, Virginia.

Saratoga Gaming and Raceway
For the third consecutive week, Kelly’s Noah prevailed in the Saturday night Open Pace at Saratoga Gaming and Raceway. The task was a daunting one for the talented 4-year-old who is owned and trained by James Harvery of Waterbury, VT as he was assigned the outside post in the $16,500 featured pace. Getting away last, driver Frank Coppola Jr had his work cut out for him to navigate a trip for the track’s top pacer but when it was all said and done, the Dream Away horse had enough to range up in the final stride to capture his tenth win in twenty tries on the season, stopping the timer in 1:55. Saturday was the 50th lifetime start for Kelly’s Noah and the 22nd victory for a horse well on his way to becoming Saratoga’s Horse of the Year. Tarver Hanover (Billy Dobson) finished second while Mighty Cullen N (Mike Signore) earned the show spot.