from harness publicists across North America

Thursday’s (September 16) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Vernon Downs and Cal-Expo.

Slimsplace takes top female test at Vernon

Vernon, NY — Slimsplace came within three-fifths of a second of the track record for 3-year-old filly pacers with her 1:52 victory in Thursday night’s $11,000 sixth race at Vernon Downs.

Competing with five female rivals during a rainy, windy night, and on a “sloppy” track, in the week’s top Miracle Mile test for female side-wheelers, Slimsplace moved from third at the quarter into the lead before the half, reached in :57.4. She continued on to an 8-1/2 length triumph, which lowered her personal record by one tick of the timer.

While logging her second win in succession, seventh this season and ninth all-time, the bay daughter of Artsplace-She’s Beachy nudged her career winnings over the $120,000 mark. Leading driver Josh Marks did the teaming for top trainer Tracy Brainard and owners Jeffrey Gillis and Ellen Ott.

Marks, the track’s 2008 dash-winning champ, increased his victory total for the meet to 117 with four first-place finishes during Thursday’s 12-race card, while Brainard, that same year’s training titleist, carded a pair of victories that raised her leading win total to 50 after 64 programs.

Divisional wins in Thursday’s $53,400 New York late-closing contest for sophomore filly trotters went to Wolf’s Jann (Claude Huckabone, III driving for trainer Jeffrey Morris and the Leo Wolf & Son stable) in 1:59.2; Neon Dream (Marks teaming for trainer Tony Mondi and owners Dr. Frank Mondi and John Zegarelli) in 1:59.1; South Jersey Honey (owner and trainer Steven Reisenweaver steering) in 1:58.2; and Final Time (Jimmy Whittemore sitting in for trainer Joseph Flynn and his ownership partner Edward Flynn) in 1:59.4.

Defending champ Jimmy Whittemore also chalked up a pair of driving tallies during the program, as did Chris Lems.

— Jim Moran

Cal-Expo
Open 2 handicap trotters, racing for a purse of $5,200, were featured at Cal-Expo on Thursday night, in which Berkshire won his third race in the last four. Coming away in fourth position into a :29.1 opening quarter and a :58.2 first-half, driver Steve Wiseman knew he had some time. With the field three-eighths of a mile from home, Wiseman knew it was time to pull — especially when Sheila’s Dream (Gene Vallandingham) made a break in front of him. Moving first-over at the five-eighths-mile marker, then back to the inside just before the midway point of the final turn, Wiseman and his charge found themselves three lengths off the pacesetting Easter Call (James Kennedy) and the pocket sitting Jam And Jelly (Luke Plano). Now quickly making up ground at the three-quarter pole, timed in a speedy 1:26.4, Berkshire soon caught the top two to the top of the stretch. Moving three-wide for the drive and gaining at the seven-eighths station, Berkshire started to drift out at the same time a game battling Jam And Jelly had taken over the lead. Drifting way out in deep-stretch, the 4-year-old still surged to the wire to get up ($11.60) by a neck. Owned by Ron Lingle and trained by Earl Kennedy, the gelding stopped the timer in a very nice 1:56.1, a lifetime best. Jam And Jelly went down fighting and had to settle for the place honors, while Easter Call tried hard and finished 1-1/2 lengths farther back in third.