Leading driver John MacDonald swept the features with Dewey Arnold and Primo Uomo in route to a grand slam on Saturday (November 11) at Vernon Downs.

Prior to the start of racing on Saturday night (Nov. 11) at Batavia Downs, members of the the local driver, trainer, groom and owner colony gathered trackside for a moment of silence to remember and honor their peers at Tioga Downs who lost their horses and their livelihoods as a result of a despicable act of arson that befell that track this past week. Many of them, and many of their horses who perished, raced at Batavia Downs and the impact of that horrendous event was felt among everyone at the Downs as well as the racing community all across North America.

The $9,500 Open Pace highlighted the Saturday night program at The Ville with Lyons Friends (Western Ideal – Artistic Vision) and driver Kody Massey going coast-to-coast to win by one and a quarter lengths in 1:54.4.

John Calabrese coasted down the road and Mike Polansky vaulted from off the speed to take their respective $9,000 divisions for the American Harness Drivers Club (AHDC) Trot at Freehold Raceway on Saturday afternoon (Nov. 11).

The 30 horses that perished in Thursday’s barn fire have been given a proper burial near the backstretch of Tioga Downs.

It’s leg two of three rounds of Hawthorne’s Pop-Up Series for ICF two-year-olds after last weekend’s first leg turned out to be the Travis Seekman show.

Jody is a 5-year-old mare who earlier this year was facing open handicap-caliber horses at Dover Downs and Yonkers Raceway who slumped a bit at the start of the fall.

Some More Prince (Rosemont Principal–S’more) and driver Matt Kakaley captured the first ever $8,000 Barb Kakaley Memorial Trot at Northville Downs Friday night in 1:57.3.