Driver Leon Bailey capped off a great season by driving seven winners on closing night 2024 at Vernon Downs on Saturday (November 16).
Author: by John Horne, for Vernon Downs
Quality features throughout Saturday Pocono card
On a cool fall afternoon at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania where the spotlight races were very competitive (four of the five features were decided by a length or less), De La Hoya Hanover took a 1:51 decision over Seen Here in the pacing section of three $17,000 top-purse contests.
World recordholder Ruthless Hanover fired up for Potomac Pace
John Cancelliere’s Ruthless Hanover will take on seven of harness racing’s fastest pacers in Sunday’s (Nov. 16) $125,000 Potomac Pace Invitational at Rosecroft Raceway with the distinction of being the fastest pacer in history over a five-eighths of a mile racetrack.
Sweet Gal impressive at Philly as Liberty Bell Stakes conclude
The Liberty Bell stakes series for Pennsylvania-sited two- and three-year-olds concluded its 2024 run on Sunday (Nov. 3) at Harrah’s Philadelphia, with sophomore fillies racing on both gaits, two $30,000 divisions for each.
Slendorn, Sheridan score in AHDC trots at Freehold
James Slendorn went pillar to post and Lionhead led practically pillar to post to both blow away their rivals and deliver as the chalks in the $7,500 American Harness Drivers Club (AHDC) Trots at Freehold Raceway on Saturday (Nov. 2).
Team Ryder stays in the spotlight at Philly
On Saturday (Oct. 26) night, trainer Chris Ryder, newly-elected to the Hall Of Fame, won a Breeders Crown race with the sensational mare Twin B Joe Fresh, who may have clinched the Horse of the Year title with the win. But no resting on laurels – on Sunday (Oct. 27) afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia, Ryder sent out the Cattlewash – Lispatty freshman colt Master Of The House, who won the $11,250 featured pace at the southeast Pennsylvania oval in 1:54.
Always Ek impressive winner of the Gran Premio dele Nazioni
Italian trotting has a new international star in 8-year-old Always Ek, trained by Alessandro Gocciadoro. A fortnight ago, Always Ek surprisingly won the Gran Premio Gaetano Turilli on the Italian Derby Day program.
Liberty Bell stakes action continues at Harrah’s Philadelphia
The Liberty Bell stakes series for Pennsylvania-sired youngsters continued on Sunday afternoon (Oct. 20) at Harrah’s Philadelphia, with three-year-old trotting colts and two-year-old pacing fillies providing the action.
Beltrami sweeps AHDC trots at Pocono
Tony Beltrami delivered a pair of chalks to notch tallies in the two $10,000 divisions for the American Harness Drivers Club (AHDC) Trot at Pocono Downs on Saturday (Oct. 19).
Win streak ends for Gorgeous Big Guy at Hawthorne
The old adage “all good things must come to an end” held true as the Mike Brink trained Fox Valley Julian, nicely handled by driver Casey Leonard, handed the 1-5 prohibitive favorite Gorgeous Big Guy his first loss in a division of the Robert F. Carey Memorial series at Hawthorne Saturday (Oct. 19) night after 16 consecutive victories.