Racing Roundup: Headstrong Foggy Lane K takes $31,400 Big TARP Final
March 3, 2009,from Harness Publicists across North America
Monday’s (March 2) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from The Meadows, Pompano Park, and Monticello Raceway.
Headstrong Foggy Lane K takes $31,400 Big TARP Final
Meadow Lands, PA — A headstrong Foggy Lane K opened a huge lead, then coasted home Monday at The Meadows to capture the $31,400 final of the Big TARP series for 3- and 4-year-old colt and gelding trotters.
Chris Gooden photo
Foggy Lane K rode the front end to victory in the $31,400 Big TARP series final.
Foggy Lane K got the early lead from post position seven and took them through a first half in :58.2, swift fractions in the 18-degree chill. Even then, he wasn’t ready to be rated as he widened the margin to five lengths at the three-quarter pole.
“Actually, he’s better from the back,” winning driver Brett Miller said, “but he wanted to go so badly that I felt I had to let him roll. I hoped he would get away from the field, and that’s exactly what happened.”
The 4-year-old son of Lindy Lane-American Misty tired somewhat in the stretch — his :30.2 last panel was his slowest — but he prevailed in 1:58.1, 3-1/4 lengths better than SJ’s Caliente. Must Be Psychic was third. Irresistible Mel, who swept his three series eliminations, broke stride down the backside and wasn’t a factor.
Charlie Norris trains the Bob Key homebred, who pushed his career bankroll to $156,173.
In the $12,000 series consolation, King Chip won for the second time in 21 career starts, scoring in 2:00.2 over Becket and Valentinos Peace. Brian Zendt drove King Chip, a 4-year-old gelded son of Sierra Kosmos-Pine Queen, for trainer Bill Zendt and the partnership of Sig Wolkomir, Fred Kayne and Robert Muh.
— Evan Pattak
Lanson romps in 2009 debut at Isle Pompano Park
Pompano Beach, FL — Lanson ($2.80) made a triumphant return to the races, winning his seasonal debut with a five length romp on Monday at the Isle Pompano Park in the $16,000 Open Handicap Trot.
Lap Time Photo – Skip Smith
Lanson and driver Mark O’Mara won the $16,000 Open Handicap Trot at the Isle Pompano Park in 1:56.3.
The fifth race feature saw Cicsco Hall (Dan Clements) leave from the outside in post eight and take the lead away from Keystone Empire (Richard Simard) but then Keystone Empire went off-stride, giving the two-hole trip to Diva Diva (Andy Santeramo) by the opening quarter in :27.4.
Right after the opening quarter, Lanson and driver Mark O’Mara tried to come first-over but Diva Diva left the pocket and darted out to challenge Cisco Hall and parked Lanson three-wide in the front of the grandstand. But before the half-mile pole in :57.3, Lanson had taken control of the lead with Diva Diva in second place.
As the field entered the backstretch, No Pain No Gain (Joe Pavia, Jr.) came first-over and pressed the leaders to the three-quarter marker in 1:28.3. But that effort only urged Lanson on as he then pulled away from the field in the stretch to win with ease in 1:56.3. No Pain No Gain was second with Duke Of Stormont (Walter Ross, Jr.) third.
Owned by the Royal Wire Products Stable of North Royalton, Ohio and trained by Don Swick, Lanson is a 5-year-old gelding by Self Possessed. Last year he won $118,000 with five wins on the season.
— Steve Wolf
Merton wins five at Monticello
Monticello, NY — Racing horses at Monticello Raceway on Monday was no easy task. The snow kept falling, the winds were gusting over 25 miles per hour, the temperatures hovered around 15 degrees and the race track surface was sloppy.
But for Monticello resident Mike Merton it turned out to be a “sunny” day when the veteran teamster matched the best daily output of his career when he guided five horses to the winner’s circle, albeit one in which he shared victory in a dead heat.
Merton began his assault in the second race with a 2:06, six length triumph with Rebecca Williams, Corey Greenberg and Dennis Weil’s trotter The Big Guy.
Then starting in the fifth race Merton scored three consecutive victories. He won with Richard Banca and Richard and Fred Mizzoni’s Best Brand in 2:04.4; then won the sixth with Michael D’Abbraccio’s trotter HF Gal in a 2:06.3 clocking; and ended his three race win skein by reining Ruth and Mitchell Stern’s Cannae Sandra to a 2:03 triumph in the seventh race.
Merton capped his day by scoring win number five in the 10th race when he reined Lynne Stratton’s trotter Nicki’s Sister home for a dead heat victory with Tallys Tee, who was driven by Jimmy Marohn, Jr., in a time of 2:07.2.
When asked if five wins was the most he ever had on one racing program Merton thought for a moment and then said, “I had five wins two other times in the past and they also came when the weather was bad outside,” and then he added with a laugh, “I guess I am a good mudder (good on a muddy racetrack).”
— John Manzi