from Harness Publicists across North America

Sunday’s (Jan. 3) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Dover Downs and Cal-Expo.

Fox Valley Patina, Real Magician win Sunday Dover features

Dover, DE — Fox Valley Patina and Real Magician used similar strategies on a cold and windy Sunday to win the double-feature races at Dover Downs.

Fotowon photo

Fox Valley Patina crossed the finish line in 1:55.4 on Sunday at Dover.

Wilma Chambers and Colleen Chambers Racing’s Fox Valley Patina dashed into the lead after the half and then held off a fast finishing Teika Rose (Roger Plante) down the lane to score her second win in three starts, taking the $14,500 4- and 5-year-old pace in 1:55.4 to give Tony Morgan his fourth winner on the card. If Only You Knew (Ross Wolfenden) was the show finisher.

Real Magician came to the outside heading around the clubhouse turn and then went three wide heading to the far turn before getting the lead and finishing strongly to score a 1:54.3 victory in a $13,000 male pace. Tony Morgan guided the Real Artist-Brookie B gelding for Niel Gargiulo and Wayne Givens to his second win of the meet. Stuart Brown N (Ross Wolfenden) came on to finish second in front of Wingandaprayer N (Mike Cole).

Trotter Rollaway Zak, owned by Elizabeth Brittingham, became the winningest horse at the meet when Bret Brittingham drove the 11-year-old Rompaway Butch-Perfectly Sassy gelding to his fifth consecutive victory in a $12,500 Delaware claiming trot. Mr Beau Windswept (Corey Callahan) and Redington Shores (Ross Wolfenden) were second and third, respectively.

— Marv Bachrad

Dynamite Express proves best at Cal-Expo

Sacramento, CA — Claiming handicap pacers, racing for a purse of $3,900, were featured at Cal-Expo on Sunday night, in which Dynamite Express was a pocket winner.

Before starting from post position two in the field of six, was driver Luke Plano intimidated by Shock And Awe (Gilbert Herrera), who was not only gunning for his fourth in a row, but who had beaten Dynamite Express in four straight starts?

“I thought my horse was vastly improved last week and I thought he had a solid chance,” stated Plano. “I knew, however, that Shock And Awe had been awfully good.”

Leaving, but getting pushed a little by the pole sitting Check Raisin (Jim Lackey), Dynamite Express cleared the lead just after an eighth of a mile into a :28 opening quarter. Did Plano have to use his charge?

“I used him a little bit leaving, but he’s pretty handy off the gate, so it wasn’t too demanding.”

Now with Shock And Awe moving up for the lead and Plano trying to yield while his gelding was on the muscle, Shock And Awe wouldn’t clear a testy lead until after the quarter. Again, did Plano use his horse?

“I didn’t use him to stretch Shock And Awe because he’s fairly aggressive leaving the gate — so he does it on his own. I, however, did want to make sure we were at the quarter on time because I didn’t expect much action after that.”

Content to sit in the pocket while Shock And Awe got a second quarter breather through a :58.2 first half, Plano would eventually pop the earplugs of his pacer to the three-quarter pole, but found himself locked in the box at the three-quarters, timed in 1:27.2.

“I popped the earplugs because I just wanted to keep him on the bit because I knew it was going to be a sprint. As far as racing room, I assumed Shock And Awe had a lot of pace and I wasn’t real concerned with being locked in at that point.”

Out for the drive with just less than 3-16ths of a mile to go, Plano had reason to be confident.

“When I shook loose I was fairly positive I had Shock And Awe because my horse still had pace.”

Under urging at the seven-eighths marker and closing willingly, the 8-year-old took a slim lead with just less than a sixteenth of a mile to go, but now had to deal with a flying Dugout Andee (Scott Cisco).

“I wasn’t sure how much Dugout Andee had, but as it turns out my horse paced through the wire and we were able to hold him off.”

Owned by KC Carvalho and now being trained by Jill Wine, Dynamite Express won ($8.00) by a half-length in 1:55.1 for his 26th career triumph. Dugout Andee closed nicely to be second and Shock And Awe finished another 1-1/4 lengths back in third.

“The horse has gotten in better form and has been very good in his last couple of starts,” finished the young Plano.

— Scott Ehrlich