from Harness Publicists across North America

Sunday’s (September 14) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Saratoga Gaming and Raceway and the Gratz, Pa. Fair.

Rambling Chaos continues winning ways at Saratoga

Saratoga Springs, NY — Rambling Chaos continued a strong 2-year-old season on Sunday when scoring his seventh win from nine starts with a 2:03.2 victory in a $10,600 division of the New York Sire Stakes Late Closer series for juvenile trotters at Saratoga Gaming and Raceway.

Dave Oxford photo

Rambling Chaos took his $10,600 division of the New York Sire Stakes Late Closer series for juvenile trotters in 2:03.2.

Driven confidently from post one by trainer John Cross, Rambling Chaos was never made to work through the early stages of the trot, marching unchallenged on the lead through opening fractions of :30.3 and 1:02.

After reaching the three-quarter marker in a relatively modest 1:32.4, Rambling Chaos sprinted clear of his overmatched rivals, entering the stretch with a two length lead before holding sway through the final yards to prevail by that same margin.

Owned by Paul and Karen Bishop, Rambling Chaos returned $2.10 and $2.10 for the victory. Tip The Tide (Dan Cappello, Jr.) paid $3.50 for second. There was no show wagering available on the race.

Big Z Raider took the day’s opening Sire Stakes Late Closer series event in 2:03.2 for Big Z Stables, trainer Rickey Maher, Jr., and driver Jim Devaux, while Midnight Jammin trotted a winning mile of 2:02 to take his split for Purple Haze Stables LLC, conditioner Jessica Okusko, and driver Brian Allen.

— Michael Costanzo

PA Fair racing returns to Gratz

Gratz, PA — Harness racing returned to the Gratz Fairgrounds in Dauphin County, northeast of the state capitol in Harrisburg, to being a two-day meet. The 2-year-olds were in action on Sunday, with 13 stake races highlighting the card, which featured several track record-equaling performances.

Roger Hammer started the speed parade as Bell On Wheels tied her own track record for freshman filly pacers in a PA Sire Stake event, pacing in 1:59.3. Hammer owns and trains the Western Hanover-Bellys Up filly, who won for the 10th time in 18 starts on the year and pushed her bankroll over $30,000 on the season. In the second filly division, Mud Pie Hanover was a 2:00.4 winner for trainer/driver Steve Schoeffel. The Allamerican Native-Mud Hen filly has now won eight times in 13 starts for owners Virginia and Kathy Schoeffel and Marian Schilling. Hammer returned to win the final split, guiding Real Espresso to a wire-to-wire victory in 2:00.3. Hammer also owns and trains the winner, a daughter of Real Artist-Cafeuccino.

Three divisions of PA-sired 2-year-old filly trotters were up next, with victories recorded by BS Genny (Malabar Millennium-Super Generation), RT’s SJ (SJ’s Caviar-Cold Shoulder) and Lady B Pearl (Topgun Hall-Lady B Worthy). BS Genny, owned by Dean and Sue Brickell, was a winner in a life-best 2:04.2 for driver Dave Brickell. The filly has now won 10 of 13 starts for trainer Sue Brickell. RT’s SJ won for the first time in her career for trainer/driver Robert Rougeaux. The Harold Brocious Estate owns RT’s SJ, a 2:05.2 winner. Lady B Pearl, owned, trained and reined by Kim Good, trotted home in 2:04.1, a lifetime mark.

In PASS 2-year-old colt trotting action, Pine Hill Bling lowered his own track record, winning in 2:00.4 in the first division. Owned by Tom and Michele Young, the Yankee McCoy-Hidden Victory homebred was driven to victory by Michele Albaugh-Young. In the second division, Rebel Justice was an upset winner for driver Brad Provost. The Yankee Douglas-Sabatoge Kosmos colt, owned by the Provost family, won in 2:04.2. The third division brought the return of KT Dixie Player to the fair circuit for the first time since the gelding was sold to the Mickey Burke Stable six weeks earlier. Driver Ed McNeight, Jr., was reunited with the son of Sierra Kosmos-KT Troublein Dixie, and guided KT Dixie Player to a 2:00.4 victory, equaling the mark of Pine Hill Bling.

The day’s richest events were the 2-year-old colt pace divisions, each for a purse right around $5,300. Stately Art (Arturo-Stately) owned by Bob and Barbara Krenitsky, equaled the track standard for frosh pacing colts, winning the first division in 1:58.4 for driver Dave Brickell. In the second division, Bruce Kav held off a determined group of pacers for driver Randy Neal. After cutting the three-quarters in a blistering 1:26.4, Bruce Kav (Blissfull Hall-Bruce’s Other Lady) held on for a 1:59.1 victory, his third in a row on the circuit. Bruce Kav is owned by Cliff and Randy Neal.

— Pennsylvania Harness Racing Commission