from Harness Publicists across North America

Thursday’s (September 4) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Scarborough Downs, Saratoga Gaming and Raceway, Monticello Raceway, Plainridge Racecourse, and the Billings Series.

Seaside Yankee equals track record at Scarborough

Scarborough, ME — Seaside Yankee and driver Shawn Gray trotted their way into the Scarborough Downs record books by equaling the 2:00.2 standard set for 4-year-old gelding trotters by Keystone Dallas (Jason Bartlett) during the 2007 season.

This effort marked the tenth time in 2008 that a track record has been set or equaled on Scarborough’s lightening quick seaside oval.

Derek Davis photo

Seaside Yankee and driver Shawn Gray clear to the lead at the midway point in their track record equaling performance.

Owned by Bruce Inch, Seaside Yankee overtook the lead near the half after tracking the early speed of Four Starz Nuts. The tandem of teamster and trotter then sprinted away through an unhurried back-half to claim the track record equaling benchmark.

It was the fourth career victory from only eight lifetime starts for the precocious Conway Hall gelding who sports a 1:58.1 speed standard recorded just two starts prior at Rockingham’s big mile track.

In other action at the Downs, Jason MacDougall held the hot hand on Thursday evening by claiming four driving wins on the 12-race program, working out the winning strategies for Nipas One (1:59.2), You Little Tart (2:02.1) and My Buddy Two (1:59.1) before claiming the grand slam by driving My Ding A Ling (2:00.2) to a dead-head victory with Tyron Trouble N.

— Michael Sweeney

Hidden Touch back in Saratoga winner’s circle

Saratoga Springs, NY — Hidden Touch rebounded from a lackluster fifth-place performance in last week’s female pacing feature when powering to victory in Thursday’s $15,000 Filly and Mare Open Pace at Saratoga Gaming and Raceway, covering the mile in 1:55.2.

Dave Oxford photo

Hidden Touch held off Dance In The Wind to capture the $15,000 Fillies and Mares Open Pace in 1:55.2.

Starting from post one with Brian Cross at the controls, Hidden Touch briefly yielded the top spot to Midsummer Delight (Brian Mattison) through an opening quarter-mile in :27.4, before quickly claiming the top spot with one aggressive move to the front, reaching the half-mile marker in :57.2.

After a three-quarter split in 1:26.4, Hidden Touch opened up on the field through the final turn, entering the stretch with a 1-1/2 length advantage before holding his rivals at bay through the final yards to prevail by three-quarters of a length.

Hidden Touch returned $4.50, $3.20, and $2.50 for the victory. Dance In The Wind (Frank Coppola, Jr.) paid $8.00 and $8.90 for second, while Midsummer Delight brought in $2.20 for third.

Owned by Michael Riggi, Michael Lotano, Perry Lotano, and Claude Bourgeois, and trained by John Mongeon, Hidden Touch has visited the winner’s circle four times during her 5-year-old campaign. The daughter of Cambest is a 20-time winner from 87 lifetime starts, with career earnings just under the $200,000 mark.

— Michael Costanzo

Match That sets Monticello mark

Monticello, NY — When Joe Moeykens called in sick off his drive on Match That at Monticello Raceway on Thursday afternoon, little did he realize that the 8-year-old mare would trot to a track record victory that day.

Geri Schwarz photo

Match That and Jordan Stratton en route to a 1:57.1 track record victory.

Because of Moeyken’s absence the track’s leading driver Jordan Stratton got the call and reined the Yankee Glide mare to a wire- to-wire, 1:57.1 victory, which established a new track record for older trotting mares. Her triumph was two-fifths of a second faster than the old record set by Miss Gibbons and driver Dr. Howard Gill on September 14, 2005.

It wasn’t that Match That hadn’t performed admirably for Moeykens, it was just unfortunate that he wasn’t able to be in the sulky when the mare trotted to her fastest victory on a half-mile track. She had raced well for him earlier this year, especially when they combined for a 1:58.3 victory here on August 13.

However, with Stratton at the controls, Match That was sent to the front from the pole position and she trotted though fractions of :28.4, :58.1 and 1:27.4 before they had to hold off a stubborn Witch And Famous (Stephane Bouchard), who had a two-hole journey and kept the pressure on in the stretch drive. Under strong urging from Stratton, Match That held on for a 1-1/4 length victory in the featured $11,000 winners over trot. East Creek Huck (Mike Forte) finished third some six lengths behind the winner.

Brian O’Neill trains Match That for the Catch A Break Stable. Sent off as second choice behind Witch And Famous, Match That paid $8.80 for win.

— John Manzi

Eaton wins four at Plainridge

Marlborough, MA — Horseman Mike Eaton dominated the season’s first Thursday afternoon card at Plainridge Racecourse on Thursday, with four trips to the winner’s circle.

The driver-owner-trainer, who ranks second among the track’s winningest drivers, posted wins in the first three races, and closed out his ‘four bagger’ with a win aboard All American Orbit in the fifth race.

— Jack Ginnetti

Wrenn and Williams are Billings winners in Michigan

Monticello, NY — On Thursday the Fowlerville Family Fair in Fowlerville, Michigan hosted two Midwest region divisions of the C.K.G. Billings Amateur Driving Series. When the events were over, “Rockin’ Ronnie” Wrenn and “Tar Heel Tom” Williams each emerged victorious.

Wrenn, up behind Norena, hustled his trotter to the lead and then kept Flight In Time and Richard “Big High” Wheeler on the limb. When they passed the half, Wrenn couldn’t hold the lead as Wheeler and Flight In Time trotted around Norena and opened up three lengths at the three-quarters.

However, Norena didn’t chuck it and Wrenn kept after his mare and at the top of the lane she closed the gap a bit but was still two lengths behind Flight In Time. In the stretch Flight In Time faltered and Norena came and picked up all the marbles and scored a 2:05.2 victory for owners Richard and Madelon Spike. Junior “Old King” King took home the show dough with Edon Road Ruby.

The other split pitted last year’s Billings point champ Tom Williams against former two-time National Amateur Driver of the Year, Dein “the Jupiter Gem” Spriggs, and together they controlled the pace.

Throughout the mile Williams had Callico Cat on the lead while Spriggs was second with his German-bred trotter De Niro G, which made it hard for the trailing horses to improve their positions. The aforementioned raced one-two by the half in 1:06.2 before they picked up speed and trotted a final half in :59.3 with both trotters racing head to head.

At the wire Callico Cat was a head better than De Niro G in a mile clocked in 2:06. Zorgwijk Fatal finished third for Dale “the Big Boss” Zahn.

Elaine, Michael and Paul Gabriel own the race winner.

— John Manzi