by harness racing publicists across North America

The Sunday (June 5) edition of Racing Roundup features results from Tioga Downs, The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, Saratoga, Dresden Raceway and Rosecroft Raceway.

Believe This Bob ekes out win in feature at Tioga Downs

Nichols, NY — Mary Ann Larrimore’s Believe This Bob ($15.00) made all the pace in Sunday afternoon’s (June 5) $11,000 Open I Pace at Tioga Downs, enduring poor weather conditions and staving off a pair of late challengers en route to a 1:51.3 triumph.

Fred Brown photo

Believe This Bob visits the winner’s circle for the 34th time.

Mike Simons pushed forward early with the 8-year-old Beach Romeo gelding, forcing 3-5 favorite Fireyourguns (Aaron Byron) into the pocket through a :26 first quarter and maintaining a blistering pace through middle splits of :53.4 and 1:21.4. Heading to the far turn, Theseyesrcrying (Jim Marohn, Jr.) mounted a first-over rally, dueling into second over a tiring Fireyourguns. While Theseyesrcrying accelerated off the corner to sustain his pursuit of Believe This Bob, the pacesetter dug in to just prevail over sloppy going. Theseyesrcrying missed by a neck, while GD Airliner (David McNeight, III) worked late into third off a second-over journey.

Joe Skowyra trains Believe This Bob, now a 34-time winner.

Live racing returns to Tioga Downs on Friday evening (June 10), with post time slated for 6:30 p.m. Eastern.

— by James Witherite

Pocono

Despite a strong headwind hitting the trotters and pacers in the face as they entered the homestretch at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono on Sunday night, closers won both of the $25,000 winners over features. The winners came from almost-opposite ends of the pari-mutuel spectrum: Cash Me Out paid $53.80 as the second-longest shot in the trot headliner, while $6.80 favorite Devil Child took the victory in the pacing mares spotlight race. A frontstretch headwind, of course, means a strong backstretch tailwind on a five-eighths-mile track such as Pocono, and quarters one and three were vicious in both features. There were no fewer than five lead changes in the field of nine in the top trot as numbers of :26.2, :56, and 1:23.3 were put up, as Cash Me Out was able to overhaul the horse responsible for the last number, Wind Of The North (ironic name in this discussion), by a half-length in the final 100 feet, stopping the timer in 1:53.3 over sloppy going. Andrew McCarthy drove the winning Cash Hall gelding, now with a career bankroll of $524,299, for trainer Kyle Spagnola and owners Taylor Racing LLC. McCarthy was almost able to pull off a sweep of the features, as his mare, God Forbid N, swept wide into the lane following wind-influenced numbers of :26, :55.3, and 1:22.1 and made the lead, but the horse on her back, Devil Child, tipped wider and was able to pace past in the latter stages, stopping the timer in 1:51.2 while three-quarters of a length ahead. Devil Child, a daughter of American Ideal driven by David Miller for trainer Chris Oakes, had been on the lead in all four of her previous 2016 races, but Miller didn’t get into the Hall of Fame by not knowing how to adjust for conditions and he got this mare home to raise her lifetime earnings to $448,138 for owner Susan Oakes and Crawford Farms LLC.

Saratoga

Stirling Cadet (Conway Hall) went coast to coast to capture Sunday’s (June 5) Open Trot at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The 5-year-old trotter continued a strong weekend for his connections as his trainer Jackie Rousse and driver Frank Coppola Jr. teamed up for a trio of Saturday (June 4) scores at the Spa. Stirling Cadet marched out to an easy lead in Sunday’s (June 5) $15,000 Open and never had an anxious moment en route to prevailing in the local feature for the first time this season. One of three 3-1 shot co-favorites in the featured Trot, Stirling Cadet returned $8.10 to win in the race clocked in 1:54.3. On The Podium (Bruce Aldrich Jr) sat the pocket to the winner and held on for second while Crazy About Pat (Shawn Gray) came on for third. The exacta paid $77.50 while the triple came back $281.50. Stirling Cadet is owned by the Kellogg Racing Stables, LLC. Live racing resumes on Thursday (June 9) with a first post time set for 4:00 p.m.

Dresden Raceway

Tyler Borth was on fire at Dresden Raceway today (June 5) as he drove three horses to the winner’s circle. The 24-year-old reinsman opened up the day guiding Zorgwijk Omega to victory in 2:05.3 for Zorgwijk stables of Brantford and trainer Rick Wade. Today’s win was the first start of 2016 for the 5-year-old Southwind Lustre mare. Borth struck again in the fourth race as a teamster behind Victory’s Peanut. The 12-year-old Brilliant Victory gelding trotted the mile in 2:04 for owner/trainer William Leon of Maidstone. Victory’s Peanut has won two in a row at Dresden Raceway. Borth closed out the card with a win aboard Magnum Seelster. The 11-year-old Intrepid Seelseter gelding is owned and trained by Doug Currie of Brigden. Thorndale’s Richard Griffith scored a training double for the second time in as many weeks at Dresden Raceway as he conditioned winners Richlyn Ombretta and PJ Lucky Lass. The largest payout of the day was the fifth race trifecta that saw the 4-7-all combination pay out C$814.50. Today’s on track handle was C$13,804.

Rosecroft Raceway

Sweet Bobbie scored a wire-to-wire victory in the $12,000 Open Handicap for mares on Sunday night (June 5) at Rosecroft. The 4-year old daughter of Art Major, in rein to Frank Milby, stopped the clock in 1:51.4, tying a lifetime mark for owner/trainer Gary Ewing. Junkyard Treasure (Roger Plante) was second and Venus Rocks (Chris Offut) was third. Kim Vincent scored four wins on the card while Milby had three and Jared Moyer had two. Trainers Ken Schlotzhauer and Jim Coughlin had a pair of victories.