from Harness Publicists across North America

Saturday’s (Oct. 10) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Yonkers Raceway, Pompano Park, Vernon Downs, Colonial Downs and Saratoga Gaming and Raceway.

Fox Valley Tribal upsets in Open Handicap Pace at Yonkers

Yonkers, NY — Fox Valley Tribal (Eric Goodell) slipped off the cones entering the stretch Saturday night, winning Yonkers Raceway’s $40,000 Open Handicap Pace.

Leaving from post position two as the 21-1 rank outsider, Fox Valley Tribal sat a three-hole while 3-5 favorite Lucky Man (Cat Manzi) won the early scramble for command. He found the lead just before a :27 opening quarter-mile, with Bullville Powerful (Stephane Bouchard) pocketed and Jeremy’s Successor (Billy Dobson) parked. King Cat Anvil N (Jordan Stratton) also tried to leave, but didn’t offer a bid and retreated.

Lucky Man and Jeremy’s Successor threw it down through a :55.2 intermission and 1:23.4 three-quarters, after which Runover Feeling (Brent Holland) launched a wide challenge.

The people’s preference owned a 1-1/4 length lead into the lane. He held Bullvillle Powerful at bay, but could not do the same with Fox Valley Tribal. That one closed down the center to prevail by a half-length in 1:52.2. Bullville Powerful, Runover Feeling and McCedes (Yannick Gingras) rounded out the payees.

Fox Valley Tribal, a 6-year-old Sportsmaster gelding trained by Karen Williams for SBK and VIP Internet Stables and Joseph Innamorato, returned $45.40 for his fifth win in 29 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $102, with the triple returning $519.

— Frank Drucker

Santeramo wins four at Pompano

Pompano Beach, FL — A red-hot performance by trainer-driver Andy Santeramo overshadowed all talk of the week long record heat wave blanketing South Florida on the Saturday evening program at The Isle Pompano Park.

With another spectacular weather setting and race time temperature in the upper 80s, Santeramo amassed four wins in the bike with a pair of those from his own training operation.

His big night started in the conclusion of the daily double with trotting gelding Peacelovenjoy, a popular $2.60 winner for owner Bart Pope. In the next race Santeramo was right back in the winner’s circle following a pocket trip conversion with Raider’s Jirah for a $47.80 win mutuel. That victory provided owner Odell Thompson with his first training tally of the meet.

In the fifth race Santeramo made two handy moves to win with Lewie’s Lulu from an outside start in the field of seven claiming trotters. He hustled the 7-year-old Armbro Rotary-Rompaway Ocala mare away from the gate and patiently sat just behind the front end action as Guy Gets Girl with Bruce Ranger and Dee Day Fame with Wally Hennessey took turns on the lead. A three wide brush in mid-stretch was enough to bag the mare’s seventh win in 19 starts this year for the J.L. Benson Stables in 1:56.3.

Santeramo’s final pose in the winner’s circle followed a pocket trip score in the eighth race with Rick’s Sign as he upset hot favorite Spiritual King N with Richard Simard. Rick’s Sign is a 4-year-old Life Sign-Lasting Flower gelding racing under lease to trainer David Mogan.

The Saturday night feature was the $13,000 Open Pace and this week’s tilt for the top class provided another cliff hanger. Cape Karuna with Fern Paquet, Jr. shut down the fractions of :27.3, :57.3 and 1:25.4 and braced for the two hole challenge of Power Park with Walter Ross, Jr. At the end of the stretch long sprint for the top prize in :27.2 it was Power Park that was just over a neck better than the pacemaker in 1:53.1. Power Park races for the Quebec connections of trainer Jean Beaulieu and co-owners Gilbert Sauve and Jean Mondoux.

— Frank Salive

Western Tsunami keeps rolling at Vernon

Vernon, NY — Western Tsunami continued his strong late-season showing with a 1:52 victory in Saturday night’s $10,000 Open Handicap Pace at Vernon Downs.

Fotowon photo

Western Tsunami held off Daley Deposit Only in the Vernon feature.

With Greg Merton doing the driving for trainer Tracy Brainard, Western Tsunami ($4.30), favored in the seven-horse eighth race field, advanced from fifth at the quarter, fourth at the half and second entering Vernon’s lengthy lane. The 6-year-old son of Western Hanover-Ron’s Girl powered home in a :26.4 final quarter to defeat the on-rushing Daley Deposit Only (Dan Daley driving) by a neck.

It marked the third Open victory since Sept. 7 and the fourth score at the meet for the gritty gelding, who is registered to the Just Luck Stable. He now sports 25 career wins and more than $146,000 in lifetime earnings.

Merton and Jimmy Whittemore were the evening’s sulky standouts, the former posting a pair of first-place finishes during the nine-race card, while the latter recorded his fourth four-win outing at the meet.

Merton also won with the pacer Rodeo Man, who turned in a 1:56.3 effort for trainer Anthony Gugliotta, Jr. and owner Todd Santoro in Saturday’s second race.

Whittemore, the meet’s top dash-winning reinsman, captured the fourth (Mobile, 1:53), fifth (Turbo Torque A, 1:55.3), sixth (Outlaw Blues, 1:53) and ninth (Townie Guy, 1:57) events to increase his total tallies through 79 programs to 108.

— Jim Moran

Rompaway Beau captures Massie Memorial leg

New Kent, VA — Despite the presence of Cashmere and Koala Kat, a pair of standout horses that are a combined 7-for-10 this fall, Rompaway Beau scored a deserving victory in the Roy Massie Memorial’s $7,000 second leg on Saturday evening at Colonial Downs.

Colonial Downs photo

Rompaway Beau was a 1:54.4 winner on Saturday.

Don Harmon’s Rompaway Beau got beat by Cashmere in a tight half-length defeat in last week’s first leg, but the 3-year-old Chip Chip Hooray gelding was not a surprising winner Saturday. With a 2009 bankroll of over $62,000, Rompaway Beau figured to be a force in the series.

Koala Kat, who missed the first leg, cut the early fractions as expected while her stablemate, Cashmere, trotted alongside for three-quarters of the race. After clockings of :27.1, :56.1 and 1:25.4, Koala Kat led as the field turned for home, but Harmon’s trotter loomed a threat courtesy of a perfect pocket journey.

Rompaway Beau did come outside in the stretch and prevailed by 1-1/4 lengths over Koala Kat in 1:54.4, a seasonal mark. Harmon’s trotter, who returned $9.80, now has 17 in the money finishes in 20 starts this year. Canaco Orville finished third.

— Darrell Wood

Skipper Jove wins Open Pace at Saratoga

Saratoga Springs, NY — Skipper Jove won his first Open Pace at Saratoga Gaming and Raceway on Saturday night.

In his 6-year-old season, Skipper Jove has been a consistent Open competitor but while finishing close several times in the Saturday night features, he had yet to come up with a victory in the Open. At least until Saturday night.

While the early fractions were set by a speed duel between Capote and Cactus Creek, the $16,000 Open become a closers’ race. After a first half of :54.2, Skipper Jove followed the move of rival Lennox Blue Chip (Barry Segel) and tracked him down in the stretch. The time of 1:53.3 was a career best for Skipper Jove who easily eclipsed his mark set at Tioga Downs in his 3-year-old season.

Winning driver Dan Cappello, Jr. won the Open for the second consecutive night as he took the Open Trot with Pablo Angus on Friday night.

— Mike Sardella