While driver Kevin Switzer Jr. may have had the hot hands on the Friday (May 12) program at Cumberland Raceway with three wins, all eyes were on Bruce Ranger after the seventh race as over 40 of his fellow drivers, trainers, family, friends and local horsepeople surrounded the hometown hero in recognition of his recent 10,000-win milestone.
Category: News Headlines on Home Page
Unusual Clarity steals feature at Vernon
Unusual Clarity and trainer-driver Ron Harp slipped by pacesetting favorite Special Olivia late to capture the $6,500 distaff pacing feature at Vernon Downs on Friday (May 12).
Fortunes changing for Alan at Buffalo
After a pair of excruciating losses in late April, a flip of the calendar to May has changed the fortunes of Alan. For the second straight week, Alan ($9.60) went gate-to-wire and blitzed the field in the $15,500 Open Trot at Buffalo Raceway on Friday afternoon (May 12). He put away Megabank K by 3-1/4 lengths in 1:57.2.
South Beach Star shines in Philly feature
South Beach Star was parked most of a :53.3 first half en route to a 1:48.2 win at Pocono last week; on Friday (May 12) at Harrah’s Philadelphia, the Somebeachsomewhere gelding saved the :53.3 half for the back of the mile, holding off favorite Lou’s Pearlman by a halflength in 1:49.1 to take the $20,000 Open Handicap Pace.
Special Way has got ‘it’ for Svanstedt
Special Way gives Ake Svanstedt a special feeling. A returning Dan Patch Award winner, Special Way needed two starts last year before everything clicked, but once it did, she was unbeatable. She finished her campaign with seven consecutive victories, capped by a Canadian-record 1:52 mile in the Breeders Crown final for 2-year-old female trotters at Woodbine Mohawk Park. For the season, the daughter of Walner-Special Hill earned just shy of $700,000, tops among freshman filly trotters. On Saturday, Special Way will make her seasonal debut in the second of two $30,000 first-round divisions of the New Jersey Sire Stakes for 3-year-old female trotters at The Meadowlands.
Refined takes Open Trot on Scioto’s Opening Night
Refined made her first start back in four months an impressive one, leaving from the eight hole to win by two lengths in 1:52 on Eldorado Scioto Downs’ opening night. Driven by Tyler Smith for trainer Virgil Morgan Jr., Refined went off at 5-2 and paid $7.60 to win in the $30,000 Filly & Mare Open Trot.
Carpenito going full steam ahead at Running Aces
Steve Carpenito is now in his third year as the top man on the racing side of things at Minnesota’s five-eighths-mile harness racing oval, Running Aces, and he is well settled into the role.
Brennan joins $200 million club
George Brennan became only the seventh driver to crack $200 million in career North American purse earnings, doing so on Thursday (May 11) at MGM Yonkers Raceway when he drove Peter Tritton trainee Pace N Pride N to a 1:53.2 victory in a conditioned pace.
Battle of Bunker Hill, Arthur J. Cutler Memorial on Grand Circuit schedule
Grand Circuit action begins next week on Monday (May 15) at Plainridge Park with the $100,000 Battle of Bunker Hill for 3-year-old trotting males. The field is led by recent Dexter Cup winner Khaosan Road.
Perfect Sting available in New Zealand this fall
The owners of Macca Lodge in New Zealand, along with Brittany Stallion Management and the Perfect Sting Syndicate, announced today that Perfect Sting will be available to New Zealand breeders for the upcoming season.