by harness publicists across North America

Thursday’s (May 24) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Scioto Downs and Saratoga Casino and Raceway.

Altesse tops trotters in Scioto feature

Columbus, OH — Driver Jeremy Smith drove Altesse with complete confidence on Thursday night at Scioto and the 7-year-old mare rewarded him with her second straight win.

Hoffman Communications LLC photo

Altesse trots to the wire a comfortable winner in Thursday’s feature at Scioto.

The daughter of Monte Hall, sent off at odds of 1-9, scored in 1:57.3 over the 41-1 Ruthie Steals Home and Rose Run Molly.

Smith drove her for owner-trainer Robert Zink of Lebanon. It was her third win in her last four starts.

Altesse was parked outside Ruthie Steals Home during the first quarter, which was covered in :28.1. Then the favorite floated to the front and the pace slowed to a 31-second tempo.

Rose Run Molly and driver Chris Page mounted a challenge during the third quarter and was outside the leader at the three-quarter pole, which was reached in 1:27.3 after the pace picked up down the backstretch.

Altesse was comfortably in control around the final turn and throughout the homestretch. She won by 1-1/2 lengths over Ruthie Steals Home with Rose Run Molly fading to third, 2-1/2 lengths behind the winner.

Scioto resumes racing on Friday night with a 10-race card featuring an Open II Trot and a Open Pace for fillies and mares.

— Dean Hoffman

Saratoga Casino and Raceway
Billy Dobson has been a winning machine over the past few seasons at Saratoga Casino and Raceway and the young reinsman continued his winning ways on Thursday night. Dobson secured a driving double while hooking up with trainer Heidi Rohr for both victories on the card. Wygant Belle (Village Jolt) had no trouble making the early lead and had even less trouble in the stretch, stepping away to a dominant seven length score in 1:56.3 at odds of 1-9. The Dobson-Rohr combo’s double was completed by conditioned pacer Box Car Billie (Rambaran) who posted a career best effort of his own. Dobson pulled the 7-year-old first over on the race’s favorite at the half- mile pole and those two dueled for the whole second lap before the Rohr trainee emerged first at the wire. It was a career best-matching 1:54 for Box Car Billie. Both Wygant Belle and Box Car Billie are owned by the Curran Racing Stable of Red Hook, N.Y.