from harness publicists across North America

Saturday’s (July 20) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, Saratoga Casino and Raceway, Running Aces, Vernon Downs, Pompano Park and Scioto Downs.

Abelard Hanover rolls in feature at Pocono

Wilkes-Barre, PA — Abelard Hanover got back to his winning ways with a victory in Saturday night’s featured $25,000 Preferred Pace at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs.

Abelard Hanover, a 5-year-old gelding from the Marvin Callahan barn who had a seven-race winning streak snapped at the Meadowlands in his previous start, left from the outside post as the 1-2 favorite in a field of six.

He got an excellent rate job from driver Frank Milby on the front end and had little trouble holding off his pursuers in the stretch by 1-3/4 lengths in 1:49.3. Visible Gold finished second while Musselsfrombrussels picked up the show.

Abelard Hanover, owned by Alvin Callahan, Suzanne Waskey and Pamela Price, won for the 13th time in 20 2013 races. It was his 27th career victory as he pushed his lifetime earnings to $415,997.

— Jim Beviglia

Saratoga Casino and Raceway
Del Rio Seelster captured Saturday night’s featured Open Pace with a purse of $12,400. Owned and trained by Al Annunziata and driven by Jim DeVaux, Del Rio Seelster posted a winning time of 1:52.3. The win was the fourth in as many weeks for the 5-year-old Western Maverick gelding who has steadily climbed through the ranks to the Open Pace level.

Running Aces
Drivers Lemoyne “Moonie” Svendsen and Ridge Warren both scored hat tricks on the Saturday night program at Running Aces. Svendsen won a $7,250 race for Minnesota-sired 3-year-old colts with Reds Place in 1:55.4. The colt, owned by Ron Emerson and Mark Holtan and trained by Bob Lems, now has seven wins and two place finishes in nine seasonal starts. The green and gold clad reinsman’s other two triumphs were behind the trotter Flameon and the pacer A Stitch In Time, both owned and trained by Mark Anderson. Warren won a pair of races for trainer Joe Mapes when he scored behind Taffy Towne and Allusive Annie. Between those two races he guided Love My Terror to an impressive maiden victory for trainer Scott Banitt.

Vernon Downs
Generally speaking, monkeys aren’t allowed in the winner’s circle at Vernon Downs, but Saturday night was the exception. After a text-book journey in Saturday’s $6,200 featured seventh race, No Monkeys Allowed earned the right to enter that charmed circle after a splendid 1:51.2 pacing performance. Brian Connor did the teaming for trainer Edgar Clarke as No Monkeys Allowed followed the pace-setting Oh My Joepa off the gate and dropped into the two spot. Even though the on-rushing Vroom Hanover became the chief threat on the outside for a bit in the far turn, the patient 6-year-old gelding remained in the garden spot until the stretch drive, and then accelerated in the final strides to defeat Oh My Joepa by a half-length at the finish. Saturday’s slick score was the first in seven season’s starts and the 18th overall for the bay son of Rocknroll Hanover-Weeping Wanabe. The career-winner of $214,209 is shared in ownership by Robert J. Orr and Gary J. Jonas. The first-place finish was one of two during Saturday’s 12-race program for Connor, while it gave Clarke his third training credit of the weekend.

Pompano Park
Neptune Blue Chip, handled by Bruce Ranger, used wire-to-wire tactics on Saturday night at Pompano Park to capture the $8,800 winners over pace in 1:51.4. Off as the second betting choice at 6-5, the 5-year-old gelded son of American Ideal, trained by Jim McDonald for Ciro Gentile and Twenty Four Carrot Racing, bested the 7-10 favorite, Hyperion Hanover (Stephane Lareau), also trained by McDonald. The winning margin was a length at the wire with Avantage (Tom Sells) third, four lengths away. Freeneasy Hanover and Dots Big Boy rounded out the quintette of starters. Neptune Blue Chip now has 18 lifetime wins in 70 starts and the win was worth $4,400 to the owners and $4.40 to all who plunked $2 on his nose to win. In other action, the free-legged Six Of Diamonds filly Tashia won her fourth straight for owners Jay and Kim Sears with a hard-fought 1:56.2 win for Stephane Lareau over the late charging Seven Arias (Mel Turcotte). Dandee Diamond (Tom Sells) finished third in a tune-up event for Florida Sunshine Stake eligibles.

Scioto Downs
A short and concise racing program, with 10 races, was held Saturday at Scioto Downs Racino. The fastest race on the evening, on a track deemed sloppy, was won by Lucky Lime and Kyle Ater in 1:52. The 4-year-old took the $20,000 Open by a half-length over Carol’s Comet (Jeff Nisonger). The gelding by Rocknroll Hanover out of Cupcakesnwhipcream won for the fourth time this year for owner Kirk Nichols. Lucky Lime is trained by Dean Gilispie, who had three wins in four starts on the night. His other wins were with Most Happy Keene (Nisonger) and Intrigued Royally (Jeremy Smith). Most Happy Keene won the $10,000 claimer in 1:55 and Intrigued Royally took the nightcap, a $5,000 claimer, in 1:55.3. Gilispie also had a fourth, in the first race with another $5,000 claimer, Duck Hook. Driver Jeremy Smith also had three wins on the evening, taking his picture with not only Intrigued Royally, but also Dial A Dragon and Chip Of Art.