from harness publicists across North America

The Friday (June 1) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Saratoga Casino Hotel, Tioga Downs, Vernon Downs and Bluegrass Downs.

Barynya A wins Saratoga feature

Saratoga Springs, NY — One of a few Yonkers invaders to compete in the Friday feature at Saratoga Casino Hotel, Barynya A (Blissfull Hall) went coast-to-coast in her local debut with Jimmy Devaux in the sulky.

Melissa Simser-Iovino photo

Barynya A paced her final quarter in :27.4 and stopped the timer in 1:52.1.

Barynya A came to the Spa as a winner of three of her last four starts but faced a strong group of distaffers in the Fillies and Mares Open on Friday night. Devaux blasted the Ettore Annunziata-trained 8-year-old out early and after making the lead in a first quarter in :27, never looked back.

The race’s top two betting favorites, Spreester (Frank Coppola Jr.) and Diamondtoothgertie (Phil Fluet), moved in tandem towards the leader in the $14,500 feature but neither could get to the Australian invader who has found a home at Yonkers.

Barynya A paced her final quarter in :27.4 and stopped the timer in 1:52.1 in a mile that was the fastest for a mare this year at Saratoga. Spreester finished second in the feature and is still yet to be worse than third in her nine starts since returning to the Spa this spring while Diamondtoothgertie had to settle for third on Friday night.

In the mild upset, Barynya A paid $11.00 to win and led an exacta and triple that came back $40 and $80, respectively.

Live racing continues on Saturday night at Saratoga with a 6:45 p.m. first post.

— Mike Sardella

Tioga Downs
K J’s Caroline (Mike Merton) came out of the clouds to win the $9,000 fillies and mares feature at Tioga Downs on Friday night. Merton had five winners. Milky Way Rae (Aaron Byron) led the group into a first quarter of :26.4. Ask Queenie (Jim Taggart Jr.) then took over before hitting the half in :55.3. She would hit the three-quarter mark in 1:23.4. It looked like a two horse race in the stretch between Ask Queenie and Milky Way Rae. K J’s Caroline ($15.80) was last after three-quarters. Owned by Scott Woogen and trained by Gary Messenger, she swooped by them all in the stretch to win by a nose with Ask Queenie settling for second. Milky Way Rae was third. K J’s Caroline is an 8-year-old mare by Roddy’s Bags Again. It was her third win of the season and her 41st trip to the winner’s circle. Merton won four more races on the night. He got wins with Commentary ($3.60), Sailer Eddie ($10.60), Sandy Sue ($7.30), and Rusty’s Flying ($10,60). For Rusty’s Flying (Artiscape) it was her fifth straight win. Owned and trained by Monica Banco, she is four-for-four at Tioga Downs this season. Tioga Downs returns to live action on Saturday (June 2) with an 11-race card starting at 6:15 p.m. For more information go to www.tiogadowns.com.

Vernon Downs
Bob N Tony (Dan Daley) charged late to win the $7,000 featured trot at Vernon Downs on Friday. Golden Kronos (Jimmy Whittemore) laid down all the early fractions (:28, :58, 1:26.4). Bob N Tony ($28.40), who is owned by Jennifer Signor and trained by Jason Signor, flew by in the stretch to win in 1:55.4. Foundonabeach (John MacDonald) finished second with Sweet Ashley T (Homer Hochstetler) getting the third spot. Bob N Tony is a 10-year-old gelding by Cantab Hall. It was the fifth win for him this season and his 29th career victory. Daley had two more wins on the night. He also won with L Dees Courageous ($2.20) and Babylon’s Bridge ($2.80). All Charged Up (John MacDonald) won the $7,000 co-featured fillies and mares pace. All Charged Up ($2.60) put down all the fractions (:27.2, :56.4, 1:24.2, 1:52.3) to win in gate-to-wire fashion. Mydelight Bluechip (Ben McNeil) fired late to finish second. Marquessa Seelster (Claude Huckabone III) was third. All Charged Up is a 7-year-old mare by Ponder. Owned by J P Stables and trained by MacDonald, she picked up her seventh win of the season. It was the 39th time in her career she visited the winner’s circle. MacDonald also had wins with Drea’s Good Powow ($2.70) and Rockin Desire ($4.00). Vernon Downs returns to live racing with a 13-race card on Saturday (June 2) at 6:10 p.m. For more information go to www.vernondowns.com.

Bluegrass Downs
Randy Crisler scored a consecutive hat trick at Bluegrass Downs, winning races two, three and four on Friday evening. In the night’s most thrilling race BNA Starr led most of the mile, had Best Trick Ever stick a head in front in the mid-stretch and was resurgent to gain a hard-earned score in a seasonal mark of 1:57. Paul Walker trains and drives the winner for owners Sunny Ridge Racing. Crisler won the second race with He Rocks The Moon for trainer Jim Brinson and owner Mary Kratz. The classy 8-year-old son of Rocknroll Hanover got away last and relentlessly advanced following the cover of Beauxarts Hanover to edge clear for the win. The time of 1:58.3 was a seasonal mark for the winner. Crisler returned to the winner’s circle with the aptly named Amazon Girl who simply overpowered the field with a :28.2 third quarter and held clear to the wire in race three. Moishae Hughes owns the winner, who is trained by Rico Johnson. This win lowered the winner’s lifetime mark by almost four seconds (1:58.3). Trevor Miller owns and William Miller II trains KR’s Crusier, who gave Crisler his third winner of the night in the fourth race. This one made the top shortly after the start and never looked back en route to a seasonal mark of 1:59.4.