from Harness Publicists across North America

Thursday’s (September 24) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Yonkers Raceway, The Meadows and Saratoga Gaming and Raceway.

Baby Boy Grin sets Yonkers all-age trot record

Yonkers, NY — The pacing-bred Baby Boy Grin became Yonkers Raceway’s fastest trotter ever Thursday night, blowing away a $20,000 conditioned event in 1:54.4.

Shane Strassberg photo

Baby Boy Grin set the all-age Yonkers Raceway trotting mark with his 1:54.4 score on Thursday.

With Larry Stalbaum doing the honors, the 4-year-old Grinfromeartoear gelding took no prisoners from the pole. The 2-5 favorite threw down the gauntlet through fractions of :28.1, :57.1 and 1:25.1. He led by three lengths at the half, a half-dozen at the three-quarter pole and eight turning for home. His final margin was 8-1/4 lengths over Hurrikanebiggeorge (Jason Bartlett), with KLM Express (Jim Marshall III) third.

Baby Boy Grin, co-owned by (trainer) Kim Asher and Mike Sorentino, Jr., returned $2.80 for his seventh win (third consecutive) in 19 seasonal starts. His record-setting effort displaced American Lane and his 1:55.1 mile (June 7, 2008) from the Raceway record books.

“He was just real sharp tonight,” Stalbaum said. “He did it all by himself.

“The story I heard about him was that Erv Miller originally paid $40,000 for him, and he wouldn’t pace a lick. He wound up selling him (to Buffalo-based owners) for about $4,500.

“They turned him into a trotter, and he began making progress. I found out about him, then watched some of his races. He was trotting some big miles up there, and I liked what I saw. I bought him (in mid-June) for $55,000, because I thought he’d at least fit well in the conditioned races here.”

To say the least.

The previous record for Baby Boy Grin’s age group (4-year-old gelding) was 1:56, set by Four Starz Speed earlier this month. Ironically, Baby Boy Grin had that “old” record — 1:56.1 — for a grand total of eight days.

— Frank Drucker

Tom’s OK Lady wins Filly and Mare trot at The Meadows

Meadow Lands, PA — Tom’s OK Lady needed more than a quarter-mile to get the lead from her assigned eight post, but she was unwavering once she got there, drawing off to capture the $27,500 Filly and Mare Preferred Handicap Trot on Thursday at The Meadows.

When Doug Snyder sent Tom’s OK Lady toward the front, she encountered resistance from Whotookwhat. The 6-year-old daughter of Inquirer-This Gal’s OK persevered and put away a good field early. She scored in 1:56.2, a length better than Charged Freight, with BV’s Sister a rallying third.

Ron Burke trains Tom’s OK Lady, who has won 21 races and $338,865 over the past two seasons, for Burke Racing Stable, Bethann Palone, Weaver Bruscemi LLC and M1 Stable.

Brett Miller drove four winners while Snyder and Eric Ledford fashioned triples on the 15-race card.

— Evan Pattak

Lucasey wins again at Saratoga

Saratoga Springs, NY — Lucasey stayed razor sharp on Thursday night at Saratoga Gaming and Raceway as the claiming trotter extended his win streak to three while recording his fifth win in his last six starts.

Dave Oxford photo

Lucasey was a 2:01.1 winner for Jim Devaux.

The Kelly Clark trainee is back on top of his game after a bit of a lull to start the season but is now as sharp as any trotter at the track. Jim Devaux was at the lines for the second straight time as they recorded another first over victory.

The success streak for Lucasey goes even further back as the Yankee Glide 7-year-old has now been first or second in seven of his last eight. The Thursday night win came in 2:01.1, the fastest of his seven wins during the 2009 campaign.

— Mike Sardella