Racing Roundup: Thursday, December 18, 2008
December 19, 2008,from Harness Publicists across North America
Thursday’s (December 18) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Dover Downs, Maywood Park, Monticello Raceway, and Cal-Expo.
Motoring Astreos N wins Dover feature
Dover, DE — Motoring Astreos N won a $16,500 conditioned pace on Thursday at Dover Downs.
Fotowon photo
Motoring Astreos N was a half-length winner over Tuneariffic in the Dover feature.
Brandon Givens piloted Motoring Astreos N from off the pace to score a 1:53.4 victory in the featured pace. Sired by the late Astreos, from the dam Withjulie, the gelding is owned by Vicki Givens, Sharon White and Niel Gargiulo. He wore down Tuneariffic (Eddie Davis, Jr.) in the closing strides to score his fifth win of the season. Dees Last Man (Frank Milby) finished third.
In a $15,000 trot, Letmetellusumthin stormed down the lane to notch a 1:56.1 triumph with Eddie Davis, Jr. at the controls. A Jeanne McInnis-homebred co-owned with Ron Ralph, the Enjoy Lavec-Carioca Kosmos 4-year-old, the only female in the field, won for the sixth time this year. She has earned $42,538 in purse money. Go Sassy Go (George Dennis) was second with Jon Win (Vic Kirby) the show finisher.
Dover Downs will be dark until Dec. 27, during its annual Christmas break from live racing. Racing resumes on Saturday, Dec. 27, at 5:30 p.m.
— Marv Bachrad
Danny Noonan tees off on foes at Maywood
Melrose Park, IL — Sent off at just 20 cents on the dollar, along with his entrymate, Danny Noonan took advantage of the coveted one slot and parlayed it with his excellent gate speed and current sharpness into a very easy 1:57.2 front stepping victory in Thursday night’s $7,000 Incredible Finale Series final for Illinois bred pacing colts and geldings at Maywood Park.
Maywood Park photo
It was all Danny Noonan from start to finish in Thursday night’s Incredible Finale final for ICF freshman colts and geldings.
With Tyler Buter at his lines, Danny Noonan ($2.40) shot out to a quick lead while his stablemate Avalon’s Z Tam (Sam Widger) left alongside of him and took the pocket, and after a comfortable :29.2 first quarter, the issue wasn’t in doubt.
The winner kept the 59-1 longshot Three On The Floor (Marc Miller) parked out to a :58.4 half and when the 4-1 second choice Sweet As Rain (Dan Noble) made a three-wide bid on the backside, Buter asked Danny Noonan to sprint out and he did, hitting the three-quarter pole in 1:28.1 with a 2-1/2 length lead.
He was well in hand to the wire, finishing 1-3/4 lengths ahead of Sweet As Rain. It was another half-length back to the show horse, Suchamuch (Joshua Sutton).
“He really raced well,” said winning driver Tyler Buter. “We were fortunate to draw the rail and have our entrymate right there with the two hole; nevertheless Dave (trainer McCaffrey) had him sharp for this series.”
“I’ve had a lot entries race through the years but I never had an entry draw one-two like I did for this race. That was really nice,” chimed in McCaffrey who also shares ownership of the sophomore son of Sportsmaster out of the Incredible Finale broodmare Incredible Seven.
Danny Noonan’s next start will be in the Friday, December 26, series showdown at Maywood Park between both the 2- and 3-year-old male series money earners. His trainer likes his chances in that event as well.
“I like this horse on a half,” continued McCaffrey. “He was awesome tonight. He has shown some good last quarters and last halves and has turned out to be just a really good little horse.
“The horse is named after a character in the 1980 comedy Caddyshack, which is one of my all-time favorite movies,” said the Iowa native. “The caddy in the movie is called Danny Noonan and I thought it would be a great name for a horse.”
Danny Noonan sold under the name of Fox Valley Paragon when he was purchased for $20,000 at the 2006 Walker Standardbred Sale by McCaffrey and Z Tam Racing (Bill Matz).
— Mike Paradise
Parker wins number 9,500
Monticello, NY — William “Zeke” Parker, Jr. recorded another in a long list of milestone achievements during the Thursday afternoon card at Monticello Raceway.
Parker entered the matinee card needing just two wins to reach number 9,500 in his career which has spanned almost four decades.
He started things off in race number four with P H Sixtyfive in a time of 2:04. He returned victorious for the 9,500th time in race number eight aboard Redeemable, who returned a winner in 2:04.2.
— Patrick Eastwood
Cherry Tree Luke outclasses his foes at Cal-Expo
Sacramento, CA — Open ll handicap trotters, racing for a $5,500 purse, were featured at Cal-Expo on a very windy Thursday night, in which Cherry Tree Luke won as expected.
Starting from his assigned post five in the field of the same number, Cherry Tree Luke would slightly force the hand of driver Jim Lackey early, as the pair floated out off the gate. Tucking in fourth just after the field had traveled an eighth of a mile into a :29.1 opening quarter, Cherry Tree Luke would gap two lengths in the second quarter while Luke Plano pocket pulled Jam And Jelly midway through that panel in a quest for the top, which they made at the half-mile marker, timed in :58.
Remaining fourth on the final turn while continuing to gap a couple lengths, all while Plano gassed his trotter, Cherry Tree Luke would close the gap at the three-quarter pole, timed in 1:27.2, while now second-over, but still 5-3/4 lengths from the lead.
“I knew that Jam And Jelly had been used pretty good in the third quarter, plus Luke had been chasing after her. It was now up to my horse to see what he could do in the last quarter,” said Lackey.
Moving three-wide late in the final turn and now four lengths from the front, Lackey would urge his charge on and the 8-year-old would now start gaining even more with an eighth of a mile to go. Now creeping closer and closer with every stride, Cherry Tree Luke would wear down a nice trying Jam And Jelly to win ($2.80) by 1-1/2 lengths. K D Shenanigans (Steve Wiseman) finished a distant third, some 8-3/4 lengths farther back.
Owned by Clint Lugar and trained by Lou Pena, Cherry Tree Luke would stop the timer at 1:59.2, thus recording his tenth win of the year and his 34th career triumph.
“He was a heavy favorite because he had been facing Fox Harbor and them. He didn’t blow past Jam And Jelly tonight, but he kept to his task down the stretch and was able to reach and do what he had to do,” concluded Lackey.
— Scott Ehrlich