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Friday’s (Feb. 21) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from The Meadows and Miami Valley Raceway.

Automatic Slims wins fourth straight in Meadows pace

Washington, PA — Automatic Slims, who last week pulled the pocket early en route to victory, used the same move with the same result Friday as he captured his fourth straight in the $18,000 Preferred Handicap Pace at The Meadows.

Automatic Slims was sitting comfortably behind Visible Gold when Brett Miller sent him after the lead before the three-quarters. The 8-year-old son of Bettor’s Delight-Natchitoches made short work of Visible Gold and held off Eddie Sweat to defeat him by 1-1/4 lengths in 1:56 on a “good” surface. I’m Banksy rallied for show.

Brewer Adams trains Automatic Slims, a $20,000 claimer when he arrived at The Meadows, for Laurie Patistas.

Aaron Merriman and Dave Palone each drove four winners on the 15-race card.

— Evan Pattak

Miami Valley Raceway
Despite the outside post position in a scratch-shortened field of seven, Itzaziam trotted to an impressive 1:57.4 score in a $7,000 conditioned event at Miami Valley Raceway on Friday night. The 6-year-old gelded son of Harrys Star Ranger put in two stellar qualifiers at his new home track before notching his first Ohio pari-mutuel win over Cashahallic (Jim Pantaleano) and Mama Made Me Blue (Dan Noble). Co-owned by James Craparotta and driver Pat Berry, it was the 15th career win for Itzaziam who is trained in Ohio by Conor Flynn. Hunchie (Noble) garnered the lion’s share of a $6,500 purse offered for conditioned claimers who were non-winners of 10 races and carried $15,000 tags. Gerrie Tucker owns the winner who races out of the Virgil Morgan, Jr. stable. Hunchie’s 1:56 clocking bested Bullwinkle (Jason Brewer) and T M Valley Storm (Tyler Smith).