by harness racing publicists across North America

The Saturday (Aug. 4) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from The Meadows, Vernon Downs, Tioga Downs and Batavia Downs.

Vague Traces wears down Dapper Dude; Pantaleano wins five at Meadows

Washington, PA —Vague Traces dueled with Dapper Dude the entire final quarter before edging him at the wire to capture Saturday’s (Aug. 4) feature at The Meadows, a $13,000 conditioned pace.

Chris Gooden photo

Vague Traces holds off Dapper Dude at The Meadows.

Dapper Dude needed a :26.4 opening panel to make the point and gamely retook the lead when passed shortly thereafter. Vague Traces also was hard used, finding a seat fourth from post nine before moving first-over for Jim Pantaleano. Vague Traces was a neck better than Dapper Dude, scoring in 1:50.4, with the rallying Lincolnjames third.

Sarah Andrews trains Vague Traces, a 6-year-old Always A Virgin-Village Junior gelding who now boasts $295,406 in career earnings, for Michael Jurczykowski. It was one of five wins for Pantaleano — including four consecutively spanning races 5-8 — on the 13-race card.

Live racing at The Meadows resumes Monday, when the program features a $100,000 Pennsylvania Stallion Series stake for freshman filly trotters. First post is 1:05 p.m.

— by Evan Pattak

Vernon Downs

Oh My Joepa (John MacDonald) captured win number 50 during the Vernon Downs featured pace ($6,000) on Saturday. Oh My Joepa ($6.10) took the lead just before the first quarter and put down all the fractions (:27.2, :56.3, 1:24.3, 1:52.1). Owned and trained by MacDonald, he got pressured in the stretch from Gypsy Leather (Claude Huckabone Jr.). Gypsy Leather looked prime to go by but Oh My Joepa dug down deep and as he has done in many of his victories, he gutted it out in deep stretch and finished first. Gypsy Leather settled for second money with Serious Major (Jimmy Whittemore) finishing third. Oh My Joepa is a 10-year-old gelding by Rocknroll Hanover. It was his fourth win in a row and his fifth win this season. MacDonald had two more winners on the night. He added wins with Wish Granted ($6.90) and Lucid Thoughts ($4.80). Bloodstockshalltab (Jimmy Whittemore) charges late to capture featured trot ($6,000). Bloodstockshalltab ($3.90) led to the first quarter in :27.2. Walk The Floor (Angus MacDonald) took over and hit the half first in :56.4 and three-quarters in 1:25.2. Walk The Floor seemed to have the race in hand but Bloodstockshalltab kept coming in the stretch and finally went by just before the wire, winning in 1:54.3. Walk The Floor settled for second with Sweet Ashley T (Homer Hochstetler) finishing third. Bloodstockshalltab is an 8-year-old gelding by Cantab Hall. Owned by Diane WHittemore and trained by Jimmy Whittemore, he won for the sixth time this season and the 34th time in his career. Vernon Downs returns to live racing on Thursday (Aug. 9) with a post time of 6:10 p.m. For more information go to www.vernondowns.com.

Tioga Downs

Truth And Liberty (Mike Simons) wins the Fillies and Mares Open Handicap ($11,000) at Tioga Downs on Saturday (Aug. 4). Gigi From Fiji (Jim Meittinis) led the group to a first quarter of :28.1 and the half of :57.4. Truth And Liberty ($3.50) went first over down the backstretch and took the lead just before hitting three-quarters in 1:25.1. Owned by Fairy Horsemother Stables and trained by Simons, she would hold off a late rush by second place finisher Milky Way Rae (Aaron Byron) to win in 1:53.1. Gigi From Fiji was third best. Truth And Liberty is a 6-year-old mare by Total Truth. It was her fourth win in 2018 and it was career victory number 32. Barrys Gift ($3.80) went gate-to-wire in capturing her fifth consecutive victory putting up all the numbers (:27.2, :56.4, 1:25.1, 1:55.3). Lexus Rocky (Andy Santeramo) finished second with Legend Field (Corey Braden) taking third. Barrys Gift is 5-year-old mare by Northern Kid. She is owned by Exceed Stables LLC. and trained by Tony Dinges. It was her fifth win of the season and of her career Aaron Byron and Mike Merton each drove three winners on the night. Byron’s other wins came with Bashful Strike ($8.30) and Rose Run Rudi ($8.90). Merton went to the winner’s circle with KJ’s Caroline ($2.70), Commentary ($4.20), and Freddie Mac ($7.40). Live racing returns to Tioga Downs on Sunday (August 5) with a 13-race card starting at 1 p.m. For more information go to www.tiogadowns.com,

Batavia Downs

In Runaway Bay made his 2018 Batavia Downs debut a winning one after moving up in class and tripping out the mile to win the $10,500 Open Handicap pace on Saturday night (Aug. 4). Bugatti (Ron Beback Jr.) got away sharp off the gate and went right for the lead. But Lucan Hanover (John Cummings Jr.) wanted to command the race as well and the fight for the front was on. Going hoof to hoof through quarters of :27.3, :56.1 and 1:25 flat, Bugatti and Lucan Hanover duked it out while In Runaway Bay (Kevin Cummings) laid-in-wait third on the pegs.Halfway around the final bend, Lucan Hanover succumbed to the pace, making room for In Runaway Bay to pull and advance in the stretch. Bugatti was still live but In Runaway Bay had fresh legs and ran him down at the wire to win in 1:54.1 by a half-length. In Runaway Bay ($17.20) has now earned $34,795 on the strength of four 2018 wins for owner Mark Jakubik and trainer Angelo Nappo. In the $9,000 Open II pacing sub-feature, Validus Deo (Kevin Cummings) sat a perfect pocket trip behind Tioga Downs invader Believe This Bob (Mike Caprio) from the start of the race until just past the three-quarters when Cummings pulled right-line and drew next to the leader. They paced around the final bend together, but then Validus Deo accelerated past Believe This Bob in mid-stretch under strong urging to win by two lengths in 1:54. Looking very sharp off the sick scratch in his last start, Validus Deo ($15.80) now has six wins this year and $35,376 in earnings for owners Matthew Rosiek, Robert Johnson and Kevin Cummings, who also trains the winner. Cummings completed the natural driving hat trick with Rock Fame ($11.20) who paced a season’s best 1:54.1 for owner Mike Torcello and trainer Gerry Sarama. There is a $328 carryover pool for the early Pick-5 wager on Sunday afternoon (Aug. 5) which runs from race one through race five. Post time for Sunday’s card is 1:15 p.m.