from harness publicists across North America

Friday’s (April 13) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Hoosier Park, Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, The Meadows and Saratoga Casino and Raceway.

Aqua Artist on top in Hoosier Mares Invitational

Anderson, IN — Aqua Artist and driver Tyler Smith made it a gate to wire effort to win the featured $24,000 Fillies and Mares Invitational Friday (Apr 13) at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino. The duo tripped the timer in 1:53.1 for the win.

Linscott Photography

Driver Tyler Smith and Aqua Artist were wire-to-wire winners Friday at Hoosier Park (#6 on the inside).</TD

A late scratch reduced the field to eight starters behind the starting gate as Tyler Smith gave the 5-year-old mare the go ahead to leave. Aqua Artist left alertly from post five just as quickly as Josh Sutton and Hoponit left from post seven in an opening panel of :28. The duo yielded the lead to Hoponit and Sutton but weren’t content to sit long as they retook the lead just after the first quarter to reach the half in :56.1. Go On BB, Indiana’s first millionaire mare, and driver Ricky Macomber were fourth along the rail. The field finally began to shift through the three-quarters in 1:23.3 as Smith asked the Artsplace-Aquatic Yankee for more. She responded with a final quarter in :29.3 to hold off hard charging Go On BB and driver Ricky Macomber who finished second by a head. Hoponit held on for the third place finish.

Trained by Steve Bauder, Aqua Artist now has 14 career wins and four wins on the season. She has now bankrolled over $170,000 for her connections of Harold Lee Bauder, Michael Dixon, and Harold L Bauder. Aqua Artist now has over $30,000 in earnings for 2012 as she spent the early part of the season racing in the open mare ranks on the Chicago circuit.

The win for Smith was one of two on the card. Smith is currently in fifth place in the driver stands with 9 wins through the first two weeks of racing. The native of Ohio is in his second season at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino.

— Emily Gaskin

Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs
The Bobby Weiss Late Closing Series had the trotters on center stage on Friday at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs with three divisions on the card. In the first division, Upfrontstrikesgold found pay dirt with a three-wide move at the top of the stretch overtaking a tired Pilgrims All In and withstanding a late rally from All Munky Business. Finishing third was Opinion Hanover in the 1:55 mile. It was a new lifetime mark for the Mark Ford trained 4-year-old, who has now won four out of six starts for the season. Outlaw, with Corey Callahan in the bike, had to work hard to clear for the lead past the half (:58.1) in the second division. Once on the lead, he was joined by favorite Quantum Confident as the pair went head-to-head past the three-quarters. Outlaw was able to withstand a determined stretch drive to win his sixth race of the year for owners Dolly Callahan and Erica Hanley. Quantum Confident was a game second and New York Attitude was good for show. Time of the mile was 1:56.1. Jim Morrill, Jr. had Blazin Benny blasting out at the start of the third division. The pair rattled off quarters of :27, :55.3, and 1:25.2 with open lengths between them and the rest of the field. At the top of the stretch, however, they had company. House On Fire shot up on the inside to hit the wire for the victory. Overandovervictory got up for second, while Blazin Benny faded to third. The 1:55.4 time was a new lifetime mark for the winner. It was a double win for the evening for trainer Judy Welty, who won with Shady Breeze, who won his first start of the year as a 3-year-old in 1:51.2. The $30,000 Weiss Final for the trotters goes next Friday (April 20).

The Meadows
Fresh off her sweep in one series, Winning It began her assault on another Friday at The Meadows with an effortless victory in the opening leg of the Tremor Hanover Pace. Tykesa Moon and Sharkist Breeze also took $15,000 divisions of the event for 3-year-old fillies. Dave Palone and trainer Ron Burke teamed for a Tremor Hanover double with Winning It and Tykesa Moon. Winning It marched through the Donna Dunn Pace for 3- and 4-year-old fillies and mares and, following a week off, was loaded for bear again. She allowed the field to settle, powered to the lead before the quarter and jogged home in 1:53.1. Belluga Babe was second, with American Grace a distant third. Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi LLC and Panhellenic Stable own the daughter of Dragon Again-Day After Day. The card also featured a pair of $22,500 events — the Preferred Trot and the Filly & Mare Not Listed Preferred/Preferred Pace. In the trot, Sir Caviar, the 2011 Horse of the Year at The Meadows, showed no ill effects from a four-month layoff, cruising to a facile front-end victory in 1:54 for Brian Zendt. Rembrandt Spur finished second, 3/4 lengths back, while SJ’s Super Star rallied for show. Leslie Zendt trains Sir Caviar, a 6-year-old SJ’s Caviar-Sierra Flower K gelding who now boasts $375,694 in career earnings, and owns with Bill Zendt. The distaff contest was much more competitive as Cams Van Go, who got every call, held off the late brush of Spring Break to score by a head in 1:52.1 for Greg Grismore. In a rarity — a horse performing on the same card as a series named for her — Tremor Hanover was third. Kent Sherman trains the 6-year-old daughter of Real Artist-Cam’s Valentine, who notched her fifth victory in the last six starts, for Chris Arold, Kenneth Kohut and Michael Drury.

Saratoga Casino and Raceway
Lorenzo Dream picked up right where he left off on Friday night at Saratoga Casino and Raceway. The defending Horse of the Year at the Spa won in the final trotting feature in March before the track’s three week layoff. While Saratoga was shut down, Lorenzo Dream (Taurus Dream) went to Yonkers and followed up a third place finish with a front-running victory last week. In Friday’s $17,500 open trot, Billy Dobson put Lorenzo Dream on the lead heading to the opening quarter and they survived a stretch run from rival Mymomsablizzard (Jay Randall) before hanging on by a head. Lorenzo Dream held on to win in 1:56, a seasonal best for the 5-year-old Jackie Rousse trainee. It was the third win in five starts in 2012 for the Spa’s defending champ. Mymomsablizzard was a close second while Cold Winner (Stephane Bouchard) earned the show spot.