from Harness Publicists across North America

Friday’s (September 4) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Yonkers Raceway, Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, Tioga Downs, Northfield Park, Saratoga Gaming and Raceway, Vernon Downs and Scioto Downs.

Bartlett sweeps co-features at Yonkers

Yonkers, NY — Yonkers Raceway rolled into summer’s last go-round with Friday night’s usual pair of $50,000 Open Handicaps.

The week’s marquee trot was enlivened by the first local appearance of double millionaire Arch Madness (Brian Sears, three winners on the 13-race card), who was making a rare small-track sojourn. The public romanced the resume, sending the eight hole assignee off as the 2-5 favorite. However, like many summer flings, this one had a short shelf life as Arch Madness jumped it off in the first turn.

Shane Strassberg photo

Batalj Launcher won the Open Handicap Trot in a lifetime best 1:56.

Meanwhile, Stonebridge Diablo (Stephane Bouchard) was left to his own devices on the lead, rolling through weigh stations of :28, :57.4 and 1:26.2. Green Day (Cat Manzi) pulled from third, with pole-sitter Winnin’ Image (Greg Grismore) trying to stay close from the pocket.

Stonebridge Diablo had a couple of lengths to play with turning for home, but he was beginning to labor this Labor Day weekend. Beach Nut Brand (Jeff Gregory) and Batalj Launcher (Jason Bartlett) — sitting sixth and seventh, respectively, early — were making the biggest noise late.

Beach Nut Brand, last week’s winner, closed down the center, while Batalj Launcher — who left from post position seven — kept improving position on the cones. In the end, the short way was the right way, with Batalj Launcher getting a nostril decision in a life-best 1:56. Shutter Boy (Yannick Gingras), Winnin’ Image and Stonebridge Diablo grabbed the final pay envelopes. Arch Madness did beat a couple of rivals to wind up sixth.

Batalj Launcher, a 7-year-old Tap In gelding co-owned by (trainer) Josh Green and Meadowbranch Racing, returned $45.80 (seventh choice) for his eighth win in two dozen ’09 tries. The exacta paid $534, with the triple returning $3,070.

The weekly Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace saw odds-on Still Electric (Bartlett, three winners Friday) prevail after a second-over trip.

Leaving from post six as the 3-4 choice, Still Electric watched early as Twin B Tiara (Jim Pantaleano) led through fractions of :27.4, :57.1 and 1:25. She dealt with a first-up Hannah Isabel (Pat Lachance), while Quicksilvercandy A (Larry Stalbaum) was pocketed.

Twin B Tiara owned a 1-1/4 length lead into the lane, but the favorite was coming. Still Electric went wide and went by, widening to a 1-1/2 length margin in 1:53.3. Quicksilvercandy A photoed Twin B Tiara for second, with Eagle Hilarious (Gregory) and Ramona Disomma (Jordan Stratton) completing the cashers.

Sill Electric, a 5-year-old daughter of Mr Electric trained by Kevin Lare for co-owners Thomas Lazzaro, Howard Taylor and Jerry Silva, returned $3.50 for her 11th win in 24 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $28.40, with the triple returning $131.50.

— Frank Drucker

Sheer Brilliance wins Friday night feature at Pocono

Wilkes-Barre, PA — Sheer Brilliance parlayed a career-best mile into a win in the featured $20,000 Open Handicap Pace on Friday night at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs.

Sheer Brilliance, driven by Sean Bier for trainer Jeffrey Long, left from post position six in an eight-horse field at odds of 5-1. Bier immediately sent him to the outside, and he finally made the lead just shy of the three-eighths-mile marker.

Despite covering the extra ground early and setting imposing fractions, the 4-year-old gelding built his lead and stayed clear all the way to the wire, winning by 2-1/4 lengths in 1:50.2. Andreoli Hanover finished second while John Adams rallied for third.

Sheer Brilliance, sired by Blissful Hall and owned by Jeffrey and J. Paul Long, won for the third time in his last four starts. He now stands at five victories this year and 13 lifetime, and his career earnings now top $156,000.

— James Beviglia

Clearly Possessed takes Tioga trot

Nichols, NY — Clearly Possessed and Jack Rice captured the featured $9,400 trot on Friday night at Tioga Downs.

Fred Brown Photography

Clearly Possessed got up in the final strides to win the Tioga feature.

The duo used an off the pace strategy to come from sixth at the three-quarter pole and circle the field in 1:58.4. It was the fourth win of the year for the 7-year-old son of Self Possessed-Clearly A Flirt who is trained by Maria Rice for Sam Rice.

Early pacesetter Carolina Raider cut through fractions of :28.1, :58, and 1:28 before fading in the stretch as Corey Braden and Henrytheeighthiam struck the front at the top of the stretch. Henrytheeighthiam and Clearly Possessed battled it out through the stretch, with Clearly Possessed getting up by a head. Heart Of Shovey (Mike Micallef) got up for third.

Team Rice also captured the third race of the night with Worldly Possession giving Jack Rice a driving double, Maria Rice a training double, and Sam Rice an owning double.

Jimmy Marohn, Jr. and Phil Fluet each posted driving doubles on the night’s ten race card.

— Dustin Ross

Northfield Mares Open to ICU Roller

Northfield, OH — Brent Hillabrand’s ICU Roller won Northfield’s $5,500 Mares Open Pace Friday night, going gate-wire in 1:55.4.

A :56.4 first lap bottomed out the competition, although there was a cavalry charge to the finish. The Dennis Cheesebrew-trainee, a 6-year-old Intrepid Seelster mare, has now posted three wins and a second since being purchased by Hillabrand. Towner’s Big Sadie closed well to finish second and Sweet Ashtin flew from far back early to get show money.

— Keith Gisser

Pablo Angus is back in the winner’s circle at Saratoga

Saratoga Springs, NY — Pablo Angus made his return to the Saratoga winner’s circle on Friday night after a bit of a hiatus heading into the evening. The top trotter is following up a year in which he won ten races to go with ten seconds and is having another big season for owner Mario Bourgea and trainer Bert Belanger.

Dave Oxford photo

Pablo Angus posted his sixth win of the season on Friday at Saratoga.

Pablo Angus’ regular driver, Dan Cappello, Jr., was in the sulky on another picturesque summer night for harness racing in the Spa city. After two months of finishing second and third, Pablo Angus was coming off a fourth-place finish in last week’s Open after starting from post eight.

The story would play out differently on Friday as Prime Interest, the winner of the previous two Opens, was not in to go and Pablo Angus moved in to post five. Cappello moved the favorite to the lead and yielded to the public’s chief challenger, Strong Hall, coming to the half. Pablo Angus rode Strong Hall’s coat tails until the home stretch when he pounced on him and drew away by 3-3/4 lengths while clocking the win in 1:57.4.

While not having the kind of year he had in 2008, Pablo Angus is still enjoying another solid year in his 7-year-old campaign. He is now the owner of six wins and a total of 17 board spots out of the 25 times he has raced.

— Mike Sardella

Sky High breaks her maiden at Vernon

Vernon, NY — The young trotters Sky High and Tip The Tide turned in tiptop performances during Friday night’s 10-race program at Vernon Downs.

Fotowon photo

Sky High broke her maiden with a 1:58.3 score on Friday at Vernon.

Sky High, a 2-year-old filly owned by Calvin Lasher, earned her maiden victory after a 1:58.3 effort in Friday’s second session, while Tip The Tide, who holds the distinction of having the most consecutive tallies by a diagonally-gaited equine at the meet (four), equaled her win record with a 1:56.2 showing for Wanda Polisseni’s Purple Haze Stables in the featured sixth event.

Chris Lems, the second-leading dash-winning driver after 63 local programs, did the steering for trainer Gary Gibson as Sky High, a bay daughter of Muscles Yankee-She’s The Limit, raced on the lead throughout her contest and drew off in the stretch to win by nine lengths. The crowd favorite paid $3.00 to win and gave Gibson, son of the late Vernon fan favorite horseman of the same name, his first training credit in his initial start as a Standardbred conditioner.

Sky High’s time was just one tick of the timer off the meet’s fastest mile by a frosh distaff high-stepper, which was established by Nicole on July 10. The 1:58.1 track record for 2-year-old filly trotters was set by Armbro Prowess in 1996.

Lems also did the catch-driving for Jessica Okusko, the meet’s top race-winning trainer, keeping Tip The Tide ($14.80) in the pocket until the stretch drive and then urging the bay son of Conway Hall-Olympics to a two length score, his sixth at the meet and seventh all-time.

Lems, who won the last three races during Thursday night’s card, posted another triple, his sixth of the season, and trails only Jimmy Whittemore, 86-74, in the meet’s dash-winning derby.

Last season’s dash king Josh Marks also posted a hat trick during the program, his seventh of the meet, while Whittemore, Okusko and defending training champ Tracy Brainard each chalked up a pair of first-place finishes during the card.

— Jim Moran

Yndra Hanover prevails in wild finish at Scioto

Columbus, OH — Yndra Hanover prevailed in a thrilling blanket finish to win the featured Fillies & Mares Open Pace at Scioto Downs on Friday evening. The 5-year-old daughter of The Panderosa nosed out What’s The Hurry in 1:55 with favored Cat Burglar a neck back in third. Forever Showing Off finished fourth, also just a neck behind Yndra Hanover.

Niabunny left alertly from post seven to grab the early lead with Yndra Hanover sitting in the pocket. What’s The Hurry challenged Niabunny on the outside and pressured her into the stretch. Yndra Hanover thrust her nose in front and led the way to the wire in a wild finish.

Yndra Hanover won for the eighth time in 27 tries this season for trainer Lamar Moody and owner Edwin Ellis.

It was a great evening for longshot players as three of the 10 winners paid more than $50. One of those winners was Sam Tookover and driver David Ehrenberg, winners of the Billings Amateur Trot.

Sam Tookover started from post one in the 11-horse field and never looked back, drawing off to an eight length lead entering the stretch. He won eased up by three lengths in 1:58.3. The sophomore son of Victory Sam paid $57.60 to win. Candacraigh and Bob Troyer finished second while Done Dreamen and Bud Hatfield were third.

— Dean A. Hoffman