Shady Sabrina wins fourth straight

Harrington, DE — Golden Hour Stables and Kdk Standardbreds’ Shady Sabrina ($4.80, Corey Callahan) earned her fourth win in a row Tuesday with a 1:53.4 triumph in the $23,000 Mares Open at Harrington Raceway.

Fotowon photo

Shady Sabrina extended her winning streak to four on Tuesday at Harrington.

The 8-year-old Cams Dignity mare set all the fractions for trainer Dale Elliott and held off a late charge by Cruzinforalivin N for the victory. Alpine Gold N finished third.

For Shady Sabrina it was her 58th career win as her seasonal earnings climbed to more than $95,000.

Three Point Acres’ Dill And Grace ($9.20, Sean Bier) won the sub-featured $18,000 Mares Junior Open in 1:54.4.

Driver Jim Morand had four wins.

— Matt Sparacino

Scorpion Moon wins Open Handicap Trot at Pocono

Wilkes-Barre, PA — Jim Morrill, Jr. worked out a pocket trip with Scorpion Moon to win the $28,000 Open Handicap Trot at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs on Tuesday night.

Trained and owned by Tracy Brainard, the 9-year-old Armbro Scorpion gelding followed No. 4 Grain Of Truth (Ray Schnittker) from the three post in the eight horse field.

Grain Of Truth, who was looking for his third win in four Open Handicap Trots in 2010 at the Northeastern Pennsylvania racetrack, took the field to the first split in :27.3, the half in :57.3 and the three-quarters in 1:26 with Scorpion Moon sitting a close second. The two 9-year-old gelding trotters battled down the lane with Scorpion Moon pulling out the victory by a neck. Badboy Paparazzi A (Mike Simons) finished third, 2-1/2 lengths behind.

Scorpion Moon, also owned by Andrew M. Herzog, was winning for the fourth time in 10 starts this season with more than $87,000 in earnings.

Lima Apollo, a 3-year-old Jailhouse Jesse gelding trained by Kent Sherman, made it two straight in the Wyoming Valley Trot, posting a 1:56.4 time. Yannick Gingras was in the sulky and sat second or third throughout the race before winning a division of the second leg of the series for 3-year-old trotting colts and geldings.

Schnittker drove Homerun Hitter, a 3-year-old Muscles Yankee colt, to a 1:57.4 win in the second division of the Wyoming Valley Trot. He went wire-to-wire from the six post in the six-horse field. Schnittker also trains Homerun Hitter and his other trained horse in the field, Eggipus Complex (David Miller), finished second with third place going to Stanchion Hanover (Matt Kakaley).

— John Zimich

Dream Gem cruises to Monticello triumph

Monticello, NY — Monticello Raceway’s 2008 driving champion Jordan Stratton returned home and reined three winners on the April 27 card, including a stunning 1:56.4 romp with Dream Gem in an overnight pace.

In what was billed as a non-winners of $3,000 per start, the field actually included five horses that have previously raced in the winners over pace, which features the best horses on the grounds.

In that one Stratton sat a two-hole behind Alexanderthegreat N, driven by his uncle Peter Stratton, until the halfway point where he zipped Dream Gem to the outside and they took command of the field.

From there Dream Gem just kept opening daylight between himself and the rest of the trailing horses and the farther he went the bigger the led became. At the wire Dream Gem was 10 lengths in front of runner-up Dominus N and driver Greg Merton.

Dream Gem is trained by Brian Horlacher for owner Michael Peters.

It was the first of three consecutive driving victories for Stratton. He won the following race with Dawn Anderson’s Sparks A Cracking in 2:00.4 and completed his hat trick with a 1:57.4 victory behind Mark Ford’s Way Of Life N.

The Billy Parker, Jr. watch continues with the local 14-time driving champ reining one winner and inching ever closer to the 10,000 win plateau. With his 1:59.4 victory behind Tony Mazzeo and James Tumia’s Big Reuben, the bearded one now needs just 15 more to reach that coveted milestone.

— John Manzi