The second leg of the Octoberfest Claiming Series was held at Batavia Downs on Wednesday (Oct. 14) with seven divisions of claiming pacers competing for $10,000 each.
Author: by Tim Bojarski, for Batavia Downs
Southwind Frank-Sired Trotters Win Harrington DSBF Finals
Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund (DSBF) final action for 2-year-old trotters headlined the Wednesday (Oct. 14) program at Harrington Raceway, as finals for colts/geldings and fillies were contested to wrap up a week of stakes action as the track’s 80th anniversary season winds down.
Hawaiian Warfare Wins DSBF 2-year-old Pacing Final
Forrest Bartlett’s Hawaiian Warfare ($6.40, Mike Cole) was a 1:56.1 winner in the $110,000 Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund (DSBF) final for 2-year-old pacing colts and geldings Monday (Oct. 12) at Harrington Raceway.
Breezy Hall climbs further up the class ladder at Pocono
The Cantab Hall gelding Breezy Hall, still showing a victory for a $15,000 tag at the bottom of his lines, stepped all the way up to $40,000 claiming country in the $18,500 featured fast-class trot at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania Monday (Oct. 12) afternoon, and he made every pole a winning one with a 1:53.4 mile, just two fifths off his lifetime best.
Granny’s Watching wins distaff Open at Batavia Downs
The featured race at Batavia Downs on Monday (Oct. 12) was the $13,500 Open Handicapped pace for fillies and mares and for the second time in as many starts, Granny’s Watching won with a solid performance.
Records set in W. N. Reynolds Stakes at Plainridge Park
The $112,800 W. N. Reynolds Stakes for 3-year-old pacers was featured at Plainridge Park on Monday (Oct. 12) afternoon and contested in two divisions separated by gender. The races were outstanding and both divisions produced a record event.
Robert “Bob” D. Black, 79, dies
Robert D. Black, 79, passed away on September 23, 2026, in Ft. Wayne, IN. Born on August 8, 1947, in Milton, Iowa, “Bob” lived a life marked by devotion to his work, pride in his country, and deep affection for his family and friends. A high school graduate, he grew up in a harness racing family and trained Standardbreds throughout his life. He retired in 2000 after many years working, training and caring for horses in Ohio, Indiana, and especially on the Chicago circuit.
Meadows Monday Memo
Hollywood Casino at The Meadows returns to its regular fall schedule this week, with racing on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday afternoons at 12:45pm. This schedule will be in effect for the remainder of October.
Sangria Summer sparkles in Courageous Lady
Sangria Summer and driver Matt Kakaley took the lead on the first turn, fended off pressure from a parked-out Savage Cindy through three-quarters, and drew off from there to win Saturday’s (Oct. 10) $150,000 Grade 3 Courageous Lady Invitational, for 3-year-old female pacers, at Northfield Park.
The Djuse Brothers’ Big Day
Within 50 minutes, 28-year-old driver Mats E. Djuse won Swedish harness racing’s two biggest races for 3-year-olds—first the Svenskt Trav-Oaks with Zeebreeze, a daughter of Gimpanzee trained by Daniel Wäjersten, and then the Svenskt Trav-Kriterium with Nanda Devi Cut, a son of Maharajah trained by his brother, Mattias Djuse.