Racing Roundup: Beach Nut Brand takes $35,000 Lindy’s Pride
June 16, 2009,from Harness Publicists across North America
Monday’s (June 15) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Harrah’s Chester, Harrington Raceway, Yonkers Raceway and the Billings Series.
Beach Nut Brand takes $35,000 Lindy’s Pride
Chester, PA — After a solid run against top company at Yonkers, Beach Nut Brand ($3.60) proved victorious in the $35,000 Lindy’s Pride for Open handicap trotters on Monday evening at Harrah’s Chester, turning in a 1:54.3 effort over sloppy going.
The 7-year-old Iowa-bred gelding brushed to the front after a :28.3 quarter, controlling the middle half comfortably with minimal pressure coming from MacDeen Star (Michel Lachance). With MacDeen Star off-stride at the head of the stretch, Beach Nut Brand was home free, holding off a pocket-sitting L T’s Best (Vince Copeland), with Joey The Jet JT (Ron Pierce) a stalking third.
Tim Tetrick drove Beach Nut Brand for owners Stable 45 and Scott Kurzrok, and trainer Mark Harder.
— Harrah’s Chester Publicity Department
Sniper Hall scores in Harrington Junior Open
Harrington, DE — Foulk Stables and Lauren Allen’s Sniper Hall ($4.80, Mike Cole) was a wire-to-wire winner in Monday’s $19,800 Junior Open at Harrington Raceway.
The 6-year-old Blissful Hall ridgling held off first-over Kentucky Rebel and pocket-sitting Areyouinorout for the win. It was his 15th career win in 68 starts.
Tony Morgan, who won his 13,000th race Sunday at Harrington, registered five wins on the program and maintains a commanding lead in the driver standings over Ross Wolfenden and Cole. Tim Crissman maintains the lead in the trainer standings over Wayne Givens, Les Givens and Dylan Davis.
— Matt Sparacino
Mr Touring and Doreen Dailey win Mildred Williams event
Yonkers, NY — The ladies of the Mildred Williams International Drivers made their annual Yonkers Raceway visit Monday night, where odds-on favorite Mr Touring and driver Doreen Dailey made short work of their seven rivals.
In the $7,000 pacing event, Mr Touring outdrew ’em and outpaced ’em en route to a handy victory. He took no prisoners through fractions of :30.3, 1:01 and 1:29.4 and owned an eight length lead into the lane before winning by 6-1/4 lengths in 2:00. Mr Touring defeated King Mouse (Megan Fortna), with Taylorlane Cruiser (Jody Reidel, subbing for Lisa Avenatti) third. Life’s Best Sign (Stacy Chiodo) and Sign Of A Ditch (Anne Schlichtig) grabbed the other pay envelopes, with County Corruption (Betsy Phillips), Tommy’s King (Devan Miller) and Macho Uno (Kelly Case) rounding out the order.
Mr Touring, a 10-year-old Albert Albert gelding owned by Pacer Enterprises and trained by Dave Stratton, paid $3.60 for his third win in 14 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $14.60, the triple returned $249.50 and the superfecta paid $639.
Shane Strassberg photo
The Mildred Williams drivers lined up in the Yonkers winner’s circle following Monday’s race.
While Mr Touring and Ms. Dailey were winners, the biggest winners in the Mildred Williams Series continue be the charities –primarily those related to breast cancer research — that the drivers and host tracks help support.
The ladies pledged their fees — and the Raceway donated $2,500 — to the Kelly Rooney Foundation, which was established to eradicate breast cancer in young women. Ms. Rooney passed away from the disease in 2006 at age 43. For more information, please visit www.kellyrooney.org.
After the ladies’ event, all drivers returned to the winner’s circle, where the check was presented by Ursula McIntyre, Yonkers’ mutuel director.
The drivers from Monday night’s two non-wagering Billings events — each worth $6,000 — donated their percentages to the Kelly Rooney Foundation as well.
In addition to the ladies and the amateur drivers, special Monday props went out to the Raceway’s leading driver, Jason Bartlett, who won six of his dozen drives.
— Frank Drucker
Pennacchio and Minore are Billings winners at Yonkers
Monticello, NY — Sixteen members from the eastern region of the C.K.G. Billings Amateur Driving Series congregated at Yonkers Raceway on Monday night to compete in two trots and when the battles were over “Joltin’ Joe” Pennacchio and Paul “the Coach” Minore each reined a winner in their respective splits.
Pennacchio, a corporate CEO by trade, won the first division with San Siro Lane in a 2:02.1 clocking, marking the second time that “Joltin’ Joe” has driven his trotter to victory in a Billings contest this year.
Pennacchio sent San Siro Lane to the lead from post position four and they withstood a serious challenge from New York City Fireman, Eric “Cowboy” Taddeo, and his charge Highmaker, one that continued from the start to the three-quarters before Highmaker tired. At that time, Todd “the Downeaster” Whitney took up chase with Levity’s Prodigy but San Siro Lane proved too much for his competition and drew off to a three length triumph. Levity’s Prodigy finished second while Ace High Hall and Rob “Rapid Rail” Krivelin rallied from sixth at the three-quarters to finish third.
For Pennacchio it marked his 105th career driving victory.
In the other division it was all Paul “Coach” Minore who took no prisoners with Rose Run Cecil when he sent the trotter down the road from the pylon position and made every pole a winning one en route to a solid six length triumph in a 2:03.1 clocking. Yankee Slugfest, who started from post position two with David “Solid As” Yarock aboard, followed the leader around the track and finished second. Jay A Novak, with Terry “the Dairy Queen” Donnelly, started from post three and finished third.
If it wasn’t for Travelin’ Preacher and driver “Smokin’ Joe” Faraldo, who started from the eight hole and finished seventh, the competing trotters would have finished in the exact order in which they started which equates to odds of 40,320-1.
Minore, a retired coach from Yardville, N.J., whose most famous pupil was Olympic Gold Medalist Carl Lewis, notched his 64th career driving victory.
— John Manzi