Racing Roundup: Aruba Vacation lowers track record in Tioga Saturday feature

Nichols, NY — Hometown favorite, Aruba Vacation and Fern Paquet Jr. captured Saturday night’s $18,000 open trot at Tioga Downs, and posted a new track record for 4-year-old gelding trotters.

Fred Brown Photo

Aruba Vacation cruised to victory in Saturday’s Open Trot feature at Tioga Downs.

Leaving from post position six, Paquet and Aruba Vacation quickly took control of the field through fractions of 28 and 58.1. Down the backside and headed towards three-quarters, the race favorite Winning Fireworks (Phil Fluet) posted a first-over bid but couldn’t even reach the wheel of the pacesetter. As the field struck the three-quarter mark of the race in 1:26.1, the only threat to Aruba Vacation was the 55-1 pocket sitting Howd That Feel and Jason Mac Dougall. Down the stretch Howd That Feel tipped to the outside but wasn’t much of a threat as Aruba Vacation cruised to victory in 1:55.1 stamping his name into the Tioga Downs’ record books. Guy Howard trains the 4-year-old homebred son of Dream Vacation – Dixie Hit, who scored for the fifth time in twenty one starts this season and with the win increased his seasonal bankroll to $68,000. Howd The Feel (Jason Mac Dougall) finished second, while Whybabywhy (Jim Meittinis) used a rail ride to finish third.

Due to concerns about the weather and traveling conditions along the east coast, Tioga Downs has postponed the Sunday, August 28 race card in its entirety to Monday, August 29 with a post time of 6:30 PM. The card will be moved intact, the Zweig Memorial stakes and the Drivers’ Championship will be contested as planned on Monday.

— Dustin Ross

Scioto Downs
The new kid at the track plays rough. That’s what Tuneariffic taught his seven rivals in Saturday’s Open Pace at Scioto Downs. Making his first start since March, Tuneariffic shot past the other pacers with a quarter-mile remaining to win by seven lengths in 1:53. J.D. Wengerd was in the bike for trainer-owner Johnny Yoder of Dundee, Ohio. The 7-year-old gelded son of Tune Town had made eight starts at Dover Downs in the first three months of the season, then was off until he paced through a 1:56.3 qualifier at Northfield Park recently. He won by more than 20 lengths with a final fraction in :28 seconds. In Saturday’s Open Pace at Scioto, Lis Deo was sent off as the 2-1 favorite coming off two impressive win in his last three starts. Bettors sent Tuneariffic off at 4-1. Pin Stripes, Jate’s Boy, and Gordieisanartist shot away from the gate at full tilt, reaching the first quarter-mile marker in :26.2 with Pin Stripes three wide and determined to get the lead. Once he cleared to the front, driver Jack Dailey tapped the brakes and the second quarter was covered in just :29.3. By this point, Wengerd had Tuneariffic out to launch his attack on the leader. They stalked Pin Stripes during the third quarter, then exploded with pace to put away the leader and show his heels to the field. His final quarter in :28 second left his pursuers gasping for air. Gordieisanartist held for second while Camcoder rallied from the middle of the pack to get third place.

Cal-Expo
A field of ten starter allowance pacers were featured at Cal Expo on Saturday night (August 27), on which Laredos Goose feathered his foes. Closing in willing fashion to take over the lead with a sixteenth of a mile to go, the gelding prevailed by 1-1/2 lengths. Owned by Dave & Rob Haness in partnership with trainer George Reider, Laredos Goose won for the 23rd time in his career, this time in 1:59.2. Mac’s Derrick T (Steve Wiseman) finished in second, and Devilish Donnie (Anthony Succarotte) finished 1-1/2 lengths farther back, in third.

Batavia Downs Casino
Driver Chris Page steered Nifty Prescott ($6.90) to victory in the featured $9,000 Open pace Saturday night at Batavia Downs Casino. The field paced single file in post-position order from the moment they left the gate approaching the first quarter in 28.1. Continuing the trend, everyone stayed in position all the way to the three-quarter pole in 1:24.3. Page pulled the plugs at that point and popped out of the two hole. He slowly but surely made his way next to Lake Shark (John Cummings Jr.) while banking around the turn. As the horses fanned for the stretch, Nifty Prescott took command while Michael Scores (Kevin Cummings) closed like a jet for second and Cry For Cash (Ray Fisher Jr.) got up late for third. By 1-3/4 lengths, Nifty Prescott scored the win in 1:53.4 for the second week in a row. The 7-year-old son of Million Dollar Cam is owned by Grand Sun Stable of Williamsville, NY and is trained by Gerry Sarama.

Saratoga Casino and Raceway
My Gift To You continued his dominant stretch on Saturday night. The Melissa Beckwith trained pacer won the evening’s feature in convincing fashion, his fourth consecutive victory. My Gift To You (Camluck) and driver Mark Beckwith marched right out to the lead in Saturday’s $18,000 open pace and the five year old held strong throughout fractions of :27.4, :56.4 and 1:24.3 before stopping the timer in 1:52.4. It was the first start of the season in open company for My Gift To You who has climbed the class ranks throughout the year before landing in Saturday’s feature. The red hot pacer moved his lifetime earnings to over the $400,000 with the open score. Outa My Head (Jim Devaux) was the pocket sitter behind the front-running winner and finished second while there was a dead heat for show in the open between Flexjet (Brian Cross) and the race’s lone mare Princessofdarkness (Gerry Mattison).