from Harness Publicists across North America

Thursday’s (Jan. 7) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Dover Downs and Cal-Expo.

Bud, Cedar Hall Master win Thursday features at Dover

Dover, DE — Bud recorded his third straight and fifth win of the meet while Cedar Hall Master made his first trip to the winner’s circle this meet in the double feature races at Dover Downs on Thursday, Jan. 7.

Fotowon photo

Bud defeated Ty’s A Big Star by a half length on Thursday at Dover.

Joyce Keeler’s Bud joined trotter Rollaway Zak as the second horse to win five races this meet as Tony Morgan drove the Matt’s Scooter-Sody’s Memory gelding to his third win in a row, scoring a 1:53.4 victory in the Delaware $20,000 claiming pace.

Morgan left from post seven smartly and took command at the quarter and led the rest of the way. Ty’s A Big Star (Eddie Davis, Jr.) came alongside after the half and the pair raced as a team until the finish line with Bud winning the photo by a half length. The game Ty’s A Big Star was second with Village Blast (Corey Callahan) coming on for third.

Bud now has five wins and a second in his six races this meet and has won six of his last seven starts.

Cedar Hall Master enjoyed a perfect two hole trip in the $14,000 4- and 5-year-old pace. Kim Vincent pulled the Masterman-Angel Of Grace gelding, owned by Willard Hall, to the outside approaching the last turn and quickly stepped to the front. There was no contest in the lane with Cedar Hall Master winning by four lengths. Jetty (Brad Hanners) was an easy second with Dawnza Albrit (Ross Wolfenden) the third place finisher.

Ross Wolfenden and Mike Cole had three wins apiece. Tony Morgan had a double.

— Marv Bachrad

Calzone gets all the dough at Cal-Expo

Sacramento, CA — Open handicap trotters, racing for a $6,800 purse, were featured at Cal-Expo on Thursday night, in which Calzone was fastest of all.

Before starting from his assigned post five in the field of seven, driver Rich Wojcio knew where he was going to start, he was just hoping for a little help.

“I figured I was going to get away last and I thought it would eventually sit Claudius Augustus (Steve Wiseman) and Cherry Tree Luke (Rick Plano),” stated Wojcio. “I was just hoping it would take a while to do it and if it did it would definitely increase my chances.”

Coming away last as expected, but with action up front for the lead, Wojcio was liking it.

“I thought at the quarter that Claudius Augustus was getting used a little more than last week and that, like I thought, improved my chances.”

With Claudius Augustus taking three-eighths of a mile to get a tough lead, Calzone caught live second-over cover past the 7-16ths and was moving up at the half-mile pole, timed in :58.2.

“My position at the half (seventh by 7-3/4 lengths) was good. I was just hoping my cover would take me through the turn.”

With a first-over Iverman (James Kennedy) getting Calzone to within 3-1/2 lengths of the lead at the three-quarter station, timed in 1:28.3, Wojcio knew what the final quarter was going to be.

“My cover basically got me as close as it could and I knew it was going to be a sprint between me, Claudius Augustus and Cherry Tree Luke (pocket). I thought it would be very close.”

Wasting no time and moving three-wide late in the final turn, Wojcio had good reason to be in a rush.

“He was running over Iverman and I had to flip him or I was going to hit his wheel.”

In full gear at the top of the lane at the same time Claudius Augustus drew clear, Calzone was gaining while asked, but was also drifting out.

“Ever since I’ve been driving him he finishes his miles, but he runs out finishing. My horse, however, and Claudius Augustus were trotting very fast and I was hoping that we’d be the winner.”

Continuing to drift farther out, the 6-year-old still was able to take over the lead with a sixteenth of a mile to go.

“It was probably the fastest last quarter (:27.3) he has trotted in his career and he showed real true grit to get by a horse of the caliber of Claudius Augustus.”

Closing to win ($10.80) by a half-length, the Gordie Graham bred, owned, and trained gelding stopped the timer at 1:56.4, a lifetime best. Claudius Augustus had to settle for the place honors and the early pace pushing TV Mom (Lemoyne Svendsen) finished 3-1/4 lengths farther back in third.

“I thought it was a great effort. As for Gordie (Graham), who had his mom and bred this horse, I can remember when he couldn’t get him to trot in three minutes about two years ago. Gordie deserves the utmost credit for all his patience and his horsemanship. Words can’t express how I feel about the job he has done. He has made the horse! I’m going to go out on the limb and say that anywhere else there would have been a 95 percent chance that this horse wouldn’t have made it because people would have given up on him as I don’t think they would have had the patience. To this day I’m amazed,” concluded Wojcio.

— Scott Ehrlich