by harness publicists across North America

Wednesday’s (May 30) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Harrington Raceway, The Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park, Plainridge Racecourse and Monticello Raceway.

Allmar Surprise shatters Harrington trotting track record, sets national season mark

Harrington, DE — Christopher Giaccio’s Allmar Surprise ($3, Victor Kirby) broke the all-age track record for trotters at Harrington Raceway Wednesday with a decisive 1:54.2 win in the $16,000 Junior Open Trot and reset the season mark for trotters in North America on a half-mile racetrack.

Fotowon Photo

Allmar Surprise broke the all-age track record for trotters (1:54.2) at Harrington Raceway on Wednesday.

Trained by her driver Kirby, she was sent for the front early from post position five and set fractions of 27.4, 56.3 and 1:25.3 while Sea Raven attacked first-over and tucked in behind her rival and race favorite Allmar Surprise. In deep stretch Allmar Surprise trotted away and won by open lengths as Sea Raven held second with Second Hand News finishing third, while a new track record was in the books.

The former track record of 1:54.4 was set by Hunt M Down in 2006. Allmar Surprise, a 7-year-old daughter of Angus Hall, already held the mark for 4-year-old and aged trotting mares.
The season’s mark for trotters of all sexes was previously held by Perfect Rendition (1:54.3) on May 10 at Yonkers. Allmar Surprise now has the fastest mark of any trotter in North America on a half-mile in 2012.

Meanwhile Harrington’s two-time defending driving champ Ross Wolfenden, had four driving wins on the Wednesday program.

— Matt Sparacino

The Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park
It isn’t very often that 9-1 is a successful win ticket for anything driven by the track’s all-time leading reinsman, Bruce Ranger, but that’s what transpired in the $8,500 Isle Mile Open Handicap Trot on the Wednesday, May 30 program at The Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park. Ranger was piloting My Revenuer and worked out a perfect pocket trip behind race favorite Wildfire with Dan Clements in tow through quarter times of 28.1, 58.4, and 1:27.2. In the stretch, My Revenuer had ample clearance to emerge from the perfect journey and stop the clock in a lifetime best performance of 1:56.2. Mr Party Man with Tom Sells in the bike did the first-over road work in the final half and held third. Tom Petri of Homestead, FL is the owner and trainer of My Revenuer, a 4-year-old gelding by Revenue S from the Super Bowl mare Madam Hanover. The trotter is in the midst of his best career year with 6 wins in 18 trips in 2012 for season’s earnings of more than $22,000.

Plainridge Racecourse
Just when it looked like Paul Battis’ prized trotter Cranmeadow Express would extend his winning streak to eight, going back to last July, he was caught at the wire by Lazer Zone in Tuesday’s (May 29) racing action at Plainridge Racecourse. After qualifying a year ago at Scarborough Downs, the 4-year-old by Will Do Hanover was unbeaten in seven Maine Breeders Stakes and has upped his earnings to over $65,000 in 12 starts. Battis, a member of the Plainridge Wall of Fame and the New England Chapter of the U.S. Harness Writers’ Association Hall of Fame, seemingly had the race won, but Mike Eaton stayed on the rail with a nice move and nipped Cranmeadow Express in his 2012 debut. Both horses stopped the timer at 2:00. The winner paid $47.00. Eaton, Jim Hardy and Steve Nason, who are the current dash leaders at Plainridge, each had two winners on the afternoon. They go to post again today, Thursday, at 4 p.m., eastern.

Monticello Raceway
No jinx for Mike Merton as he approaches 2,000 career driving victories. On Wednesday afternoon, May 30 at Monticello Raceway the Monticello native reined another pair of winners and now finds himself just two away from a personal career milestone. In the second race on the card Merton won a squeaker with a come-from-behind-charge with Badlands Josh to collar the leaders and prevail in a very tight three-horse photo. When the judges proclaimed the race official, Badlands Josh was a mere nose winner over High Hopes Cruiser (Kyle DiBenedetto) and Song of the South ( Jimmy Marohn, Jr.) in a time of 2:00.3. Merton’s other triumph was with Lindwood Native, in the 10th, when he snuck up the passing lane to nail his brother Greg, who had Streetcar all but home in a 1:57.1 clocking. Badlands Josh, who was Merton’s first winner on the day is owned by J&R Class Act Stable and trained by Tony Regina. Sent off at odds of more than 10-1 Badlands Josh paid $23.50 for win. Merton’s victory with Lindwood Native was worth a $6.80 payoff. The pacer is owned by Greg Decker and trained by Greg Decker, Jr. Merton, who said there’ll be no jinx for him as he approaches 2,000 wins because he’s not thinking about it and just keeps doing what he always does. “I may not get number 2,000 on Thursday but I’m sure it’ll come next week,” Merton said, and then added, “If it doesn’t it’ll come then, it’ll come soon. I’m not worrying about it at all.”