Author: by Michael Carter, for MGM Northfield Park

After exchanging punches with Winning Shadow and world champion Mission Accepted in recent weeks, Killer Instinct was the star of the show on Sunday (March 19) at MGM Northfield Park, launching a three-wide bid off the final turn on his way to an 8-1 upset in the co-featured $19,000 Open Handicap Trot.

P L Leeroy, the only double winner in the first two preliminaries in his sector of the Game Of Claims Pacing Series at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania, couldn’t complete a sweep of his prelims on Sunday afternoon in one of 10 $12,500 divisions for horses priced at $20,000. Instead, he was joined by his conqueror Mister Daytona N and four other horses as two-time victors as their group’s preliminaries ended a week before their $25,000 final.

Inaminute Hanover had raced well in three straight starts at the Meadowlands heading into Saturday’s (March 18) featured $45,000 Open 2/Open 1 Handicap for trotters, and according to his driver, Andy McCarthy, it was his time to visit the winner’s circle.

Northfield, OH — While several leavers and a torrid pace severely affected the favorites, long shot gate-to-wire winner Dudes Sweet Bet took advantage of the elements and scored a big victory against…

Both $9,000 divisions of the American Harness Drivers Club (AHDC) Trot at Freehold Raceway on Saturday (March 18) were taken in down-the-road speed jobs by both Tony Ciuffetelli and Newton “Yogi” Sheridan.

Alan made the journey from Northfield Park to Buffalo Raceway well worth it as he trounced the field in Saturday night’s (March 18) featured $17,500 Open Trot.

Park Official and Caviart Val both swept their respective sets of three $20,000 preliminaries in the Game Of Claims Pacing Series with wins on the Saturday afternoon (March 18) card at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania. Both of them were also claimed for the third straight week — this time for $30,000 each in the progressively-growing tag series — and trainer Jason Brewer, who had gotten both after $27,500 claims the week before, thus lost both streaking horses coming up to the $40,000 championship next Saturday.

Give Me This Dance and Divine Art, who are in the middle of a great rivalry at the current Cal Expo meet, will get another chance to settle the score in Sunday night’s (March 19) $12,500 Alan Kirschenbaum Memorial, for pacing mares.

Freehold Raceway hosted its annual St. Patrick’s Day race Friday (March 17), with every horse in the afternoon’s third race, a $4,000 TrackMaster event for pacing mares, driven by a driver of Irish descent.

The TrackMaster Series for horses with figures of 74.25 or less is an event designed to give horses of modest talent a chance to race for some bigger purses than they might ordinarily compete for. But the winner of Friday night’s (March 17) $15,000 series final for trotters at the Meadowlands looks like a horse who could prove to be far better than modest.