Weather plays no favorites in harness racing and while torrential rain pummeled the Northfield Park half-mile oval on Sunday (May 26), Magical Journey (Kadabra), guided by 19-year-old Braiden Rhoades, pummeled his seven foes in winning the Great Lakes Amateur Driving feature.
Author: by John Berry, for GLADA
Two straight wins for Robbie Pev at Pocono
All five of the entrants in Sunday evening’s (May 26) $14,500 fast-class trot at Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania had faced each other in their last start, and for the second straight encounter Robbie Pev proved the best, here in 1:53.4.
Lyons Stealth wins Ocean Open
Lyons Stealth unleashed a first-over attack and powered to a 7-1 upset in Sunday’s (May 26) $12,000 Open 1 Handicap Pace at Ocean Downs, the first of the track’s 2024 meet.
Sovalla draws 17,029 fans Sunday
It was a great party Sunday afternoon (May 26) as in previous years at Solvalla, but every year it tends to be fewer and fewer fans taking the trip to Europe’s biggest mile race, Elitloppet at Solvalla, Stockholm, Sweden.
Iowa season opener held at What Cheer
Iowa harness racing held the season opener Sunday (May 26) at What Cheer. Excitement coursed throughout the barn area all the way to the grandstand as Iowa freshmen made their track debut and sophomores returned for their second season.
Boyd bags five at Tioga
Braxten Boyd drove five winners at Tioga Downs on Sunday (May 26).
Harrah’s Philadelphia hosts Sire Stakes and Stallion Series races
In addition to the Invitational races on Super Sunday (May 26) at Harrah’s Philadelphia, there were Sire Stakes and Stallion Series races as the 3-year-old Pennsylvania-sired male pacers raced their third of four preliminary legs.
Ruthless Hanover repeats in Auger; Twin B Joe Fresh impressive in Betsy Ross at Philly
After winning the inaugural Joseph Auger Memorial Invitational for older male pacers last year with a world-record 1:46.3 effort, Ruthless Hanover returned to Harrah’s Philadelphia on Sunday to capture the event again, this time with a 1:47.2 score as he held off Ken Hanover by a half-length. Two races earlier, 4-year-old female pacer Twin B Joe Fresh put in a dominant performance to win the $100,000 Betsy Ross Invitational by nearly seven lengths in a stakes- and track-record 1:48.2.
Venerate sets stakes and track record in Maxie Lee Memorial
Scott Zeron kept Venerate reserved off a blistering pace, went wide in the lane and trotted the fastest mile in the history of Harrah’s Philadelphia, 1:50.1, in winning the $100,000 Maxie Lee Memorial Invitational Trot Sunday afternoon.
Scioto wraps up third week
Hungry Lizzo and Spitfire Oversees started the weekend off right at Eldorado Scioto Downs with Little Rocket Man capping off a great third weekend in the open events at the south Columbus oval.