from Harness Publicists across North America
Wednesday’s (April 21) Racing Roundup features results stories from Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, Balmoral Park and Cal-Expo.
Feeling You is fastest winner in Wilkes-Barre Pace
Wilkes-Barre, PA — Feeling You, driven by Jim Morrill, Jr. and trained by George Berkner, turned in the fastest time of the five divisions of the Wilkes-Barre Pace for 3-year-old fillies on Wednesday at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs.
In the fourth division of the first leg, Morrill left quickly from the six hole and grabbed the lead with Feeling You, a Cambest-Ripreza Hanover filly who had three wins in four 2010 starts coming into this race. The opening quarter went in :27.4, the half in :56.4, and the three-quarters in 1:25 before the winner stopped the timer in 1:54.2.
Other divisional victors and times of the races were Fox Valley Dazzle (Morrill Jr., 1:55.2); Naughtytilltheend (Morrill Jr., 1:54.4); Budgirls Hanover (Matt Kakaley, 1:55.4), and RB’s Luck (Pat Berry, 1:56.2).
Purses for the divisions were $12,500 each.
The Fillies and Mares Open Pace was won by Flirtiscape (George Napolitano, Jr.), who took the lead past the three-eighths pole and won the race in 1:51.3. Fox Valley Topaz (David Miller) closed hard for second with Elusive Prey (Larry Stalbaum) third.
Flirtiscape came into the race 0-11 in the win column and was a beaten favorite in the $28,000 Open Handicap Pace the previous week to Omen Hanover.
— John Zimich
Merry High cruises in Trotting Tilly Stake Crete, IL — The 3-year-old state-bred trotting set was showcased on Wednesday night at Balmoral Park as a field of seven diagonally gaited fillies met in the $9,000 Trotting Tilly Stake.
![](http://ustrottingnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/36559-merryhigh.jpg)
Balmoral Park photo
Merry High and driver Mike Oosting unleashed a furious rally to win Wednesday’s Trotting Tilly Stake.
After a pair of so-so efforts to open her second season, Trenton and Brenda Watson’s Merry High certainly enjoyed the move back into the Illinois conceived and foaled ranks as she uncorked a wicked :26.4 final quarter to blow by her rivals for a 1-1/4 length triumph in 2:00.2.
Perfectly handled by catch-driver Mike Oosting, the daughter of High Falls-Merry Game sat near the back of the pack as the heavy favorite, Fox Valley Click (Dale Hiteman), led the field through leisurely splits of :31.1, 1:01.4 and 1:32.4.
With a five length deficit to make up as the field turned for home, Oosting maneuvered the Trenton Watson trained miss to the outside and the bay filly responded beautifully as she picked off one rival after another en route to her seventh victory in 19 career starts. Fox Valley Click held on for second while Aunt Ginny (Brian Carpenter) survived a late miscue to finish third, some five lengths behind the winner.
Sent off as the second choice in the wagering as part of a Watson owned entry, Merry High returned $4.60, $2.10 and $2.10 while pushing her career bankroll up to $33,063.
— Tom Kelley
Coal Younger rebounds at Cal-Expo Sacramento, CA — Conditioned-claiming pacers were featured at Cal-Expo on a special Wednesday night card, in which Coal Younger got back on the winning track. Coming away in fourth position through first half fractions of :29.3 and :58.3, driver Luke Plano moved his gelding to third-over position midway through the final turn, but soon moved three-wide to the three-quarter pole, timed in 1:28.3. “My cover was having trouble keeping up and I had quite a handful at that point so I felt I could make my move at any time and be tough from there,” said Plano. Now charging late in the final turn, Plano asked for a little more just into the stretch. “I popped the earplugs and he responded smartly and forged to the lead. I thought I was in pretty good shape at that point.” Flying into the lead at the seven-eighths marker, the 4-year-old looked gone, but things got a little interesting late. “Once he got to the front he seemed to wait for Got No Troubles (John Chappell) to get to maybe his throatlatch before he would get going again. But once Got No Troubles got to his throatlatch my horse seemed to start digging, plus we were at the wire.” Lasting to hold on, but while only urged some, Coal Younger won ($5.20) by a head. Bred by owner Jan Crowell, the Rick Plano- trained junior stopped the timer at 1:58. Got No Troubles finished in second and Above Timberline (Troy Thomas) finished 1-1/4 lengths farther back in third. “I thought the horse bounced back nicely and raced fine,” finished Plano. — Scott Ehrlich