Racing Roundup: JM Vangogh earns 64th career win
April 29, 2010,from Harness Publicists across North America
Wednesday’s (April 28) Racing Roundup features results stories from Harrington Raceway, Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, Monticello Raceway and Cal-Expo.
JM Vangogh earns 64th career win
Harrington, DE — Paul and Wilma Chambers’ JM Vangogh ($5.20, Tony Morgan) earned his 64th career win Wednesday in the $21,000 Open Trot at Harrington Raceway in 1:56.2.
Fotowon photo
JM Vangogh was a 1:56.2 winner in the Open Trot.
The 10-year-old Earl stallion was forced to settle in third early behind hot pace set by Chosen Voyageur who set fractions of :28, :56.4 and 1:27.1.
JM Vangogh mounted his attack first over approaching the three-quarters and drew away from the field to win by open lengths over Batalj Launcher and Gurf.
The Paul Chambers-trainee has now bankrolled nearly $1.95 million in his illustrious career.
— Matt Sparacino
Personal Ad is longshot winner in Open Handicap Pace at Pocono
Wilkes-Barre, PA — Personal Ad, driven by Jim Morrill, Jr., was a 30-1 longshot winner in the $28,000 Open Handicap Pace on Wednesday at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs.
Leaving from the four post, Personal Ad was first over on the outside of the front running No. 9 Flirtiscape (Anthony Napolitano) with the quarter clicked off in :26.2, the half in :56.1 and the three-quarters in 1:24.2.
Coming down the stretch, Personal Ad and Fox Valley Topaz (David Miller) dueled to the wire with the latter charging up the passing lane and Personal Ad on the outside. Personal Ad won by a head with Laughandbehappy (John Campbell) finishing third, 1-1/4 lengths behind.
Kent Sherman trains Personal Ad, a 4-year-old Artiscape mare now with three wins in eight starts in 2010. Prior to this race, Personal Ad was second in last week’s Open Handicap Pace for the gals.
Feeling You (Morrill), trained by George Berkner, turned in the fastest time of four divisions of the second leg of the Wilkes-Barre Pace for 3-year-old fillies. Time of the winning effort was 1:52.3.
No Bad Luck, a 3-year-old Badlands Hanover filly, remained unbeaten in her career, winning another division of the Wilkes-Barre Pace with Morrill driving. No Bad Luck, now five for five lifetime, is trained by George Teague, Jr.
— John Zimich
Konchie cops top Monticello trot
Monticello, NY — After a couple of fruitless races at Yonkers Raceway, Konchie returned home to the Mighty M on Wednesday and scored a come-from-behind, 2:01.3 victory against the best trotters on the grounds.
After Bum Soliel and Rick Harp cut the early fractions, a host of trotters took aim on the leader as he headed for the three- quarter pole. From there, the challenges came with horses racing three and four wide around the final turn but when the field straightened for home driver Bruce Aldrich, Jr. and Konchie, who were sitting in the back of the pack at the three-quarters, rallied and they rambled by the leaders to score a one length triumph over One Awesome Master, driven by Greg Merton.
The victory was the sixth of the season for the King Conch 8-year-old gelding who is owned by April Aldrich and Nick Logothetis.
“He (Konchie) really likes this track and he was especially good today. We were seventh at the half and they came a last half in 1:00.2 and I was still full of horse at the wire,” Aldrich said in the winner’s circle after the victory.
His victory with Konchie was one of three that Aldrich had on the day. He also copped the second race with Seahorse Farms’ JK Hooty in 2:00 and then won the third with Dominic Marusco’s Mattnipulator in a 1:59.4 clocking.
Zeke Parker won three more races on the Wednesday card as he continues his assault on 10,000 career driving victories. Parker won with Kermit Allen and Art Green’s Foolish Pleasure in a time of 1:57.4 in race five and then came back to win the seventh with Brian O’Neill’s Mr Thinker in 1:58.1. He capped the afternoon with a 2:01 victory with Mary Beth Beauregard’s Gold Fever.
Parker, now with 9,988 driving victories, needs just 12 more to reach the coveted 10,000 career win plateau.
— John Manzi
Cycle Power rises to the occasion at Cal-Expo
Sacramento, CA —
Conditioned-claiming pacers, racing for a purse of $3,300, were featured at Cal-Expo on Wednesday night over a sloppy track, in which Cycle Power was fastest of all.Coming away in fourth position through first half fractions of :30 and 1:00.4 set by Rude Awakening (Jim Lackey), driver Steve Wiseman wasn’t worried that he was continuously having to chase after his gelding.
“He’s kind of a lazy horse to get going, but once he gets going he’s fine, so I was just trying to keep him up on the bit pretty good. It didn’t concern me because I had to do it last week with him when he won.”
Out slightly with cover to the three-quarter pole, Wiseman, off a three-quarters timed in 1:30, knew what to expect.
“I knew it was going to come down to a dash, so I was just hoping to get a spot with good footing because the track was pretty slippery. With it I thought I had a decent shot because he can pace home pretty strongly.”
Moving four-wide into the stretch and gaining at the seven-eighths marker, the 4-year-old soon was flying with a sixteenth of a mile to go.
“He was good and strong in the stretch and inside the sixteenth pole I thought I had a shot to win with him. As it turned out we got there.”
Closing fast to the wire, the Nathalie Tremblay owned and trained pacer got up on the line to win ($6.20) by one length in 1:58.1. Rude Awakening was a game second and Got No Troubles (John Chappell) was another 2-1/2 lengths farther back in third.
“He raced good like he raced last week. It was a very good race for him,” finished Wiseman, who had four winners on the night.
— Scott Ehrlich