Racing Roundup: Saturday, February 7, 2009
February 7, 2009,from Harness Publicists across North America
Saturday’s (February 7) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Dover Downs, Cal-Expo and Yonkers Raceway.
First Rate wins feature, Morgan wins five at Dover Downs
Fotowon
First Rate (4) won a four-horse photo to win Saturday’s feature at Dover Downs.
Dover, DE — Tim Curtin gave First Rate a picture perfect drive on the way to a 1:51.4 victory in a $15,000 4&5-Year-Old pace. The Real Artist-Born Famous gelding flashed to his first win of 2009 for John Hurtgen, N.H., Hesslein and Ginger Tree Stable. The Sam Beegle conditioned 4-year-old won a four-horse photo, outpacing 35-1 Cookerosa (Roger Plante) and Xlb Joker (Ross Wolfenden) with The Midnight Owl N (Jon Roberts) a close-up fourth.
In a $10,000 trot, Tony Morgan won his third straight start of the night guiding M&M Harness Racing’s Tonight Aas home in 1:56.4. Richard Ringler conditions the Striking Sahbra-Tallulah 5-year-old. Myrhythmofthenight (Sizer) was second. Frank Gifford (George Dennis) was the show finisher.
Morgan won for the fifth time driving Green Racing Inc.’s Black Tower to a 1:54.2 conquest in a $10,800 Delaware 4&5-Year-Old Male pace. It was the Astreos-Diamond Heiress gelding’s second win in his last three starts. Seboomook Ryan (Davis Jr.) came on to finish second with Snooker Ball next.
Morgan drove both ends of a 5-4 daily double reining Colleen and Paul Chambers Coco Count to a 1:58.2 win in a $9,000 4&5-Year-Old trot. He then steered 6-1 shot Allys Dreamer for Arty Foster to win a $6,600 3&4-Year-Old Filly and Mare pace in 1:57 to complete the double. Morgan finished the card with five wins.
— Marv Bachrad
Split Ticket Outclasses His Foes At Cal-Expo
Sacramento, CA — His last two wins were in the Open, so it should have come as no surprise that Split Ticket would flex his muscles against easier.
A field of mostly conditioned pacers, along with two in for a tag, were featured at Cal-Expo on Saturday night (February 7) for a purse of $5,000, on which Split Ticket showed his superiority.
Leaving from post-two in the field of seven, the five year-old would have company for the front.
“I was leaving to either cut it or get a two-hole trip,” said driver Bruce Clarke. “When I saw Grandpa Stevie (Lemoyne Svendsen) and Derek Bromac (Rick Plano) leaving, I accelerated my horse into the turn to put one of them behind me.”
Racing on the lead until yielding to Derek Bromac to a :27.3 first-quarter, Clarke had good reason not to be concerned about taking some stamina out of his charge.
“I used him a little bit, but I think that was offset by him being down in class. Since I felt he laid over this field, I pulled him right back out at the quarter.”
Two-moving to make the front after 5-16ths of a mile, Split Ticket would enjoy a :30.2 second-quarter while reaching the half-mile station, timed in :58.
With the field now headed toward the final-turn, Clarke would take a look back to see an onrushing Little Walter (Steve Wiseman), thus prompting him to step on the gas for a moment.
“I popped the earplugs and urged my horse because I wanted him on the bit and in full gear to make sure no one could get around him. Then I took a hold of him to the five-eighths because I know that Little Walter is better in the straightaway.”
Now with the field midway through the final-turn, Clarke would urge his horse once again, and the pacer would again respond by opening up the lead a little.
“I simply wanted to get to the wire first,” laughed Clarke.
Pacing a :27.4 third-quarter while reaching the three-quarter mile pole, timed in 1:25.4, Split Ticket would draw clear by two-lengths with a quarter of a mile to go – – then would turn it on even more in the stretch.
“The horse went on every time I urged him in the lane and raced very well to the wire and in the race.”
Urged until late, there would be no catching of the gelding as he’d go on to win ($5.20) by 1-1/2-lengths. Owned by Richard Morita, David Yamada, David Ohara and Kaiton Wong, the Ken Kakugawa trained pacer would stop the timer at 1:53.1, a seasonal best. Little Walter was a solid second, and Grandpa Stevie finished another 2-1/4-lengths farther back, in third.
“He has been racing tough and deserved to win,” finished Clarke.
On the Saturday night card, driver Lemoyne Svendsen recorded four driving victories, all on trotters. This gave Svendsen nine winner over the last two cards and ten total victories for the three-day racing week.
— by Scott Ehrlich
Up Front Peyton to “In Front Peyton”
Yonkers, NY — Up Front Peyton progressed from check-getter to chart-topper Saturday night, winning Yonkers Raceway’s $31,000 Open Handicap with a pocket trip.
Brent Holland drove for trainer Mark Ford as “Peyton”– assigned post position No. 3– made the early lead. He then surrendered to Rare Jewel (Jason Bartlett, four winners on the 13-race card) after a :27.1 opening quarter-mile.
A :56.4 intermission and 1:24.3 three-quarters ensued, with Noble’s Grand Slam (Greg Grismore) pulling from third.
Rare Jewel owned a length-and-a-quarter lead entering the lane, but company was coming from both sides of the aisle.
Up Front Peyton ducked inside, as did pole-sitter Legacy N Diamonds (Stephane Bouchard). Bob’s Alibi (Jordan Stratton) and J P Jackpot (Ryan Anderson) converged from the back of the bus. However, “Peyton” was able to get the jump on ’em all, winning by three-quarters of a length in 1:53.4.
Rare Jewel saved second, with Legacy N Diamonds, J P Jackpot and Bob’s Alibi completing the cashers. That quintet was separated by just 2 3/4 lengths.
— Frank Drucker