Racing Roundup: Fly Emily Fly is flat and fast in Meadows Series
February 20, 2009,from Harness Publicists across North America
Thursday’s (February 19) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from The Meadows, Dover Downs, Cal-Expo and Maywood Park.
Fly Emily Fly is flat and fast in Meadows Series
Meadow Lands, PA — Fly Emily Fly, who needed three qualifiers in the past month due to persistent gaiting problems, was flat and fast on Thursday at The Meadows, winning the swiftest division of the Closing Bell series for 3- and 4-year-old trotting fillies and mares.
Coyote Lara, Elizabeth Lane and Graceful Sister captured the other $12,000 divisions in the series’ second leg.
A 4-year-old daughter of Pegasus Spur-Butter Fly, Fly Emily Fly broke stride in her three most recent pari-mutuel events, but she was all trot when Brian Zendt guided her to the pocket, then to the lead with a decisive quarter-pole move. She scored in 2:00.3, three lengths better than Sweet Mademoiselle. LA’s Blue Sky was a distant third. Pat Medors trains Fly Emily Fly for Robert and Paulann Sidley.
In the $25,000 Filly and Mare Preferred Handicap Pace, Jans Luck made it six victories in her last eight starts, scoring wire-to-wire in 1:55.1. Spring Break was second by a neck with Niabunny third. Dave Palone drove Jans Luck, a 5-year-old daughter of Camluck-Jans Scooter, for trainer Ron Burke and the partnership of Sylvia Burke, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, JJK Stables and M1 Stable.
Mike Wilder drove four winners on the 15-race card.
— Evan Pattak
Wholeftthegateopen, Deborah And Barak win Dover features
Dover, DE — A pair of first time 2009 winners, Wholeftthegateopen and Deborah And Barak, won the co-featured paces at Dover Downs on Thursday.
Fotowon photo
Wholeftthegateopen held off Ruffled Tux by a half-length in the Dover feature.
Mike Cole and Jason Cribbs’ Wholeftthegateopen had just enough to hold off Ruffled Tux (Tony Morgan) at the wire in 1:54.3 to win the $14,00 male pace feature.
An altered son of Mattuity-Pier Twenty One, the 6-year old had a half-length advantage in posting his first win of 2009 for trainer Mike Hall. Costalot NZ (Tim Curtin) was third.
Deborah And Barak gave Tony Morgan his second win. The Blissfull Hall-Just Jodi 4-year-old won her first of the year in 1:57 in a $10,500 4- and 5-year-old filly and mare pace. Fire The Dragon (Roger Plante) finished second in front of GE’s Alex (George Dennis).
— Marv Bachrad
Reno Rose defeats top mares at Cal-Expo
Sacramento, CA — Filly & Mare Open 1 pacers, racing for a $6,500 purse, were featured at Cal-Expo on Thursday night, in which Reno Rose never looked back.
Firing out for the lead while four-wide to the first turn, Reno Rose and driver Jim Lackey would clear to the lead an eighth of a mile past the start while on her way to a :29 first quarter. Being rated to a soft :30 second quarter, Lackey knew the pace was in his favor.
“The easy second quarter and first-half was helpful enough to win because she can come a pretty good last half off of a slow first-half,” he said.
With the field now less than three-eighths of a mile from home, Lackey would call on his charge when Sintillating (Tim Maier) began to move up on the rim. Responding to her pilot’s request on the final turn, Lackey would request even more when he popped the earplugs at the three-quarter marker, timed in 1:28.1.
“She responded nicely when I popped the plugs, but I know that Don’t Tempt Me (James Kennedy) has a vicious last quarter. As a result, I figured sooner or later that she’d be a threat to me.”
Now under urging to the top of the stretch and drawing clear by 1-1/2 lengths into the stretch, Reno Rose was holding firm, but then Don’t Tempt Me started surging late.
“My mare was going her best and as fast as she could go, but I heard Don’t Tempt Me coming up the inside and I knew she was going faster than my horse was. I knew it was going to be close, but the wire got there just in time.”
Owned by Ron and Charles Mansfield in partnership with Joshua Schoeneman, the Jim Wilkinson, Jr. trained 5-year-old would pace a :27.3 final quarter while on her way to a win ($19.60) by a diminishing nose in 1:55.4. Don’t Tempt Me just missed and had to settle for second, while the pocket sitting Amber Delight (Rick Plano) was just a neck farther back in third.
“She got her share of luck tonight, but Rosey is going good right now and raced terrific,” finished Lackey.
— Scott Ehrlich
Dylan Rocks and Who Am I take Ideal Society openers
Melrose Park, IL — With a total of 17 colt and gelding pacers dropped into the entry box for the opening leg of the Ideal Society Series racing secretary Doc Narotsky was forced to split Thursday’s first leg into a pair of $6,500 tussles.
In the first division Rock & Roll Stable’s Dylan Rocks took advantage of his inside starting spot as he made every call a winning one in a snappy 1:56.2 on a chilly night.
Making his first start for trainer Kimberly Roth after being plucked out of a conditioned-claiming event on Jan. 31 at Balmoral Park, the altered son of Cole Muffler was confidently whisked through fractions of :28.1, :58.2 and 1:27.2 by driver Rick Dane, Jr.
With Newcomers Series champion American Interlude (Lavern Hostetler) and the pocket sitting favorite Ram It In (Sam Widger) both nipping at his heels through the stretch drive, Dylan Rocks gamely staved off the challenges of both rivals to win by a hard fought nose. Ram It In was forced to settle for the runner-up role while American Interlude was just 1-1/2 lengths back in third. The win was the first of the season for Dylan Rocks who returned $7.20, $2.80 and $2.60.
The second division produced a big upset as 12-1 outsider Who I Am took advantage of a miscue by the 3-5 favorite Sign The Prenup and came flying through the lane to win by a half-length in 1:58.
Despite being impeded when the heavy favorite went off stride after the half-mile mark, driver-trainer Gary Rath still had the son of Art’s Conquest in striking position as the field made its way around the final turn.
With early pacesetter Rebel Gator (Rick Dane, Jr.) and a first over Gordo’s Z Tam (Sam Widger) beginning to fade after splits of :28, :57.4 and 1:27, Who I Am swung to the outside of horses and managed to reel in the leaders in the closing strides. Gordo’s Z Tam held on for second while Rebel Gator wound up third. The victory was the second in four starts this season for the Dean Alexander owned gelding who returned mutuels of $26.40, $12.40 and $8.20.
Fans of Maywood Park could be in for some nice paydays on Friday night as the Pick 5 ($2,572.03) and the High 5 wager ($7,453.41) will both have carryovers. The 14-race card gets underway at 7:20 p.m. (central).
— Tom Kelley