by Matt Sparacino

Wednesday’s (Aug. 21) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Harrington Raceway, Running Aces and Saratoga Casino and Raceway.

Awesome Valley scores third straight win

Harrington, DE — Rev Trust of Barbara Boese’s Awsome Valley ($2.40, Tony Morgan) earned his third straight win Wednesday at Harrington Raceway with a 1:55.2 triumph in the featured $19,000 Open Trot.

Trained by Ryan McInnis, the 4-year-old Valley Victor assumed command from early leader Spunky Jack approaching the quarter mile and never looked back in his open length win over Skyway Priss and Gurf.

It was seventh win of the year for Awsome Valley, whose seasonal earnings surpassed $71,000.

Driver Victor Kirby had four winners on the program. Jon Roberts and Ross Wolfenden each had a double.

— Matt Sparacino

Running Aces
Two-year-old Delco Voracious stamped herself as the filly to beat when her division lines up on Aug. 31 for a $20,000 Minnesota State Championship race at Running Aces. Following a strong brush to the front before the halfway point on Wednesday night, she cruised to a 1:56 score by a widening margin over Flick A Fly (Rick Magee) and Chilly Breez (Jason Ryan) in the final $6,750 tune-up. Already the winner of a Hanover Filly Stake at Balmoral, the precocious lass owned by Jesse De Long has five wins in seven starts and more than $30,000 in seasonal earnings. A pair of 2-year-old pacing colt divisions were also contested with Wounded Warrior (Ryan Lems) capturing the Class A split in 1:57.2 and V Mack (Adam Hauser) just getting up in 1:59 to triumph in the Class B event. The $8,925 Open Trot was also presented with Silence Son (Craig Banks) repeating his front-stepping dominance — this time in 1:56. Silence Son, who is owned by Hinshaw Homestead Farm, held off Salutation Hanover (Nick Roland) and Franky Provolone (Steve Wiseman). With just five nights remaining in the 53-night season at Running Aces a pair of former driving champions are deadlocked for the dash title lead with 54 victories apiece. Rick Magee and Nick Roland are close friends, but neither is giving an inch in this down-to-the-wire competition to be named this year’s champion driver.

Saratoga Casino and Raceway
Fox Valley Christo (Yankee Skyscaper) scored a convincing victory in the $6,420 featured race on Wednesday at Saratoga Casino and Raceway. The Brandon Simpson trained pacer, who was piloted by leading driver Billy Dobson, wasted no time moving out to the early lead. Fox Valley Christo saw his lead grow with every stride late in the mile before opening up in the stretch to win in 1:55.4. It was the fourth victory in 12 tries on the season for the sophomore pacer who followed up a second place finish in his local debut last week with the Wednesday romp. Here And Now (Stephane Bouchard) closed sharply for second behind the favored winner while longshot Bad As Bart (Mark Beckwith) earned the show spot.