Racing Roundup: Bad Rusty, Melvin’s Dream and I’m Outtahair victorious in Dover features
March 11, 2010,by harness publicists across North America
Thursday’s (March 11) Racing Roundup features results stories from Dover Downs, Monticello Raceway and Cal-Expo.
Bad Rusty, Melvin’s Dream and I’m Outtahair victorious in Dover features
Dover, DE — Bad Rusty, Melvin’s Dream and I’m Outtahair came through with impressive victories in the tri-feature at Dover Downs as heavy fog crept in early in the Thursday, March 11 card before lifting for the last two races.
In the $16,500 male pace Rodney Long’s Bad Rusty, one of four Ross Wolfenden wins, set a lifetime mark of 1:52. Fresco Blue (Mike Cole) was next. Music Man NZ (Corey Callahan) picked up third-place money.
The $12,500 preliminary legs of the Delaware-sired 4-5-year-old events featured two divisions for male pacers. Melvin’s Dream, acquired by Ian Fromowitz early this year, added his sixth victory in seven starts for his new owner. Tony Morgan took the Gamblers Dream-KG Starlet gelding to the front, chased off With A Twist (Jim Morand) on the backstretch, and waltzed home in 1:52.4. With A Twist was next best while Jolt (Frank Milby) came on for third.
In the other $12,500 division, I’m Outtahair emerged from the overcast to score a 1:54.1 wire-to-wire victory. Montrell Teague drove the Badlands Hanover-Hair She Goes 4-year-old to his fifth win of the year for breeders Gary and Barbara Iles. Royal Camelot (Bret Brittingham) came on for second in front of Freedom Soldier (George Dennis).
Two $12,500 four-and-five-year-old mare pace first leg prelims are set for Saturday. The second male leg is next Thursday. After the two prelims, the top eight point-getters in each series race for a $40,000 final.
— Marv Bachrad
Bruce Aldrich, Jr. wins four on Monticello card
Monticello, NY — When you’re hot, you’re hot — and Bruce Aldrich, Jr. is and has been hot. The former New Englander reined four more winners on the March 11 card at Monticello Raceway and now has 78 for the meeting.
He began the afternoon with a one win lead over Billy Dobson and after he reined the four horses to victory on the matinee card today Aldrich opened some breathing room between him and Dobson, who got skunked. Aldrich now has command of the leader board, 78-73.
Another event of note on Thursday’s card was that Greg Merton, currently third in driving victories with 52, reined two more winners as he closes in on 3,000 career wins. At day’s end Merton needs just 15 more to reach that personal milestone.
— John Manzi
Sharp drive gets Castle Oaks home at Cal-Expo
Sacramento, CA — Six distaffers were featured at Cal-Expo on Thursday night, in which Castle Oaks took advantage of a class drop out of the Open.
Leaving just slightly in a race that showed no speed on paper, Castle Oaks’ driver Tim Maier found himself with no seat to drop in. Forced to move forward 3-16ths of a mile past the start, Maier and his charge didn’t clear to the front until well past the quarter-mile pole, timed in :28.3. Hitting the brakes big time past 5-16ths and thus prompting a pocket pull from Giveittoemstaight, a happy Maier yielded for the all important two hole past the 7-16ths marker into a :58.1 first half.
More than content to remain in the garden spot with the field now at three-quarter station, timed in 1:26.3, Maier was respectful of his front-end foe. Drafting in the stretch until popping out with a little more than an eighth of a mile to go, the 4-year-old gained quickly.
Wearing down Giveittoemstaight with a sixteenth of a mile to go, Castle Oaks edged forward the rest of the way under some urging to win ($11.40) by 1-3/4 lengths. Owned by Denise Maier and Farrell York in partnership with breeder Alan Kirschenbaum, Castle Oaks stopped the timer at 1:54.3, a lifetime best. Giveittoemstaight had to settle for the place honors, and Scooter Babe (Steve Wiseman) finished two lengths farther back in third.
“It was a win that she needed in that it bravened her up,” said Maier, who had a training double and a driving triple on the card.
— Scott Ehrlich