by harness racing publicists across North America

Saturday night’s (Aug. 27) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Tioga Downs, Pocono, Vernon Downs, Running Aces, Saratoga and Batavia Downs.

Believe This Bob, Prairie Fortune narrowly score in Tioga Opens

Nichols, N.Y. — Favorites eked out narrow victories in co-featured $13,000 Open I events on Saturday evening (Aug. 27) at Tioga Downs, with Prairie Fortune ($6.30) and Believe This Bob ($2.80) both scoring repeat wins.

Fred Brown photo

Prairie Fortune gets up in the shadow of the wire to defeat Its Payday Friday at Tioga Downs.

Prairie Fortune, a 4-year-old Arapa Victory gelding, used his customary tactics to overcome post eight and capture his 23rd career victory in the Open I Trot, carded as race four.

Jim Meittinis angled Prairie Fortune second-over behind Rossini (Scott Coulter) on approach to the backstretch, subsequently moving three-wide off the far turn. Prairie Fortune accelerated immediately upon cornering, mowing down pacesetter Its Payday Friday (Mike Simons) in the last yards of a 1:54 mile. B L Class Act (John Cummings, Jr.) held third from a pocket trip.

Trainer Mike Deters co-owns Prairie Fortune with Laurie Poulin.

In the Open I Pace, Believe This Bob controlled nearly all of the terms, brushing from the pocket with a circuit to go and digging in to repel a late charge from Andreios Kardia (Aaron Byron) for a 1:50.4 score. The 8-year-old Beach Romeo gelding battled stoutly through the last 300 yards to keep his pocket rival at bay, prevailing by a scant nose while That’ll Be the Rei (Mike Merton) stayed on for third.

Mike Simons drove the 39-time winner for trainer Joe Skowyra and owner Mary Ann Larrimore.

Simons led all drivers with a hat trick, also teaming up with Crime of Passion ($4.80, 1:51.1) and Gold Star Roger ($5.10, 1:56.3) on the nine-race card.

Live racing returns to Tioga Downs on Sunday afternoon (Aug. 28) afternoon; post time is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. EST.

— by James Witherite

Pocono

Super Manning posted a mild upset ($16.80) in the $15,500 featured conditioned trot Saturday night (Aug. 27) at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, while Star Cover was a $51.20 shocker in the companion featured pace. Super Manning, a gelded son of Diamond Goal trained by Matias Ruiz for Joe P Racing LLC, left a step belatedly from post eight in the nine-horse field, but quickly got in gear and got a three-tuck before the :27.2 quarter. Driver Eric Carlson had plenty of horse in front of him and elected to pull out with Super Manning and grab the lead in front of the stands, passing the middle poles in :56.2 and 1:25.3. The two favorites, Rock Of Cashel and A List Lindy, looked like closers on the form, and indeed they were trotting a three-wide storm on the far turn, but Super Manning still had a :28.4 last quarter in him and stayed clear, winning in 1:54.2 by two lengths over favored Rock Of Cashel, who photoed A List Lindy for the deuce. Super Manning now has career earnings of $530,649. Driver Andrew McCarthy is not quite in the Marcus Miller category of bringing home surprise winners, but if he’s not number two in that fine art in eastern Pennsylvania he’s awfully close, further proof being his upset victory in the top pacing event with Star Cover. Though a winner of two of his last three starts at Pocono, the altered son of Royal Mattjesty had tired on the lead in his last start at Yonkers, and tonight’s class was higher than the ones he had conquered in the recent past; thus his longshot status. But McCarthy was in the right place at the right time if first-over is ever the “right place,” as he came raw on pacesetter Idealbeach Hanover, who had gone a monstrous :25.3 quarter, passed the half in :54.3, and then had to deal with the winner, who despite his name was racing without cover. McCarthy got him by the pacesetter at the 1:22.3 pole, then held off the horse on his back, Fan Of Terror, by 1-1/4 lengths in 1:50.2. Favored Sweet Rock, who sat in the pocket, was shuffled when the pacesetter tired, then rallied strongly for third. By then, though, Star Cover, trained by Brewer Adams for owner Joseph Trice, had things in hand, lighting up the board. Earlier in the year at Pocono, McCarthy had an evening with two $50 winners, and down the Turnpike at Philly he has had four such scores this season, tying him for the top there with Pat Berry and Tony Morgan. He is also the only driver to have two horses pay over $100 to win at Philly this year.

Vernon Downs

John Marvin, Jr.’s Jacksrluckytoo ($2.70) vaulted off cover to circle the field in Saturday’s $8,000 Miracle Mile/Open Pace on Saturday evening (Aug. 27) evening at Vernon Downs. The 4-year-old He’s All That gelding was in no hurry early on, settling to last in the field of five while Modern Gesture (John MacDonald) controlled early splits of :26 and :54.1. As Major War (Fern Paquet, Jr.) made first-over gains to push the pace, Jacksrluckytoo followed intently to slipstream cover through the far turn before making his authoritative push off cover to take the lead in upper stretch. Jacksrluckytoo drew off to a 2-3/4 length victory over the late-gaining No Monkeys Allowed (Truman Gale) in 1:49.3, while Major War was an engulfed third.
Greg Merton drove Jacksrluckytoo for trainer Patti Harmon. John MacDonald led all drivers with four wins on the 13-race card, while Chris Lems notched a hat trick. Live racing returns to the Miracle Mile on Friday evening (Sept. 2), with first post slated for 6:45 p.m. EST.

Running Aces

The featured event on the Saturday night (Aug. 27) program was the $11,000 Open Handicap Trot, and it would prove to be another feather in the cap for Banker Volo (Nick Roland), as he out-kicked his biggest rival Flameon (Dean Magee) to the wire in 1:57.3 for his ninth seasonal win in 12 starts. The winning margin was just a neck, which is fitting because these two have been the most dominant in their division on the grounds all season. Banker Volo ($4.60) is also trained by Nick Roland, and owned by Daniel and Jeralene Roland. The $8,500 Minnesota sired 3-year-old geldings pacing division has been a very talented group all season long, and one of its stars has been Stuckey Dote (Voracious Hanover). His star would shine brightest tonight as he posted a commanding gate-to-wire win in a new lifetime mark of 1:54.2. This is his fourth score in nine starts as a sophomore, adding to the seven wins he posted at age two. He is owned and trained by Merlin Van Otterloo, and has been driven to all of his top finishes this season by Jim Marino. He paid $4.00 as the even money choice. The $8,500 Minnesota sired 3-year-old filly pace would feature a sweeping off-the-pace rally and win for favorite American Dancer ($3.80). She just out-kicked pace setter Cruzin Coco (Nick Roland) to the wire in a 1:55.3 thriller. American Dancer is by General Aidid and was confidently driven by Luke Plano for trainer Robert Lems and owner Timothy Lems. It was her sixth lifetime win. The sharp 9-year-old trotting gelding Windsun Galaxie ($9.80) posted his fourth win in a row tonight for trainer Jessie Pacheco and owner Ron Rettig-Zucchi, with his two-length tally in 1:58.1 in rein to Dean Magee. This was his fifth win in his last six starts, his seventh of the season and 30th lifetime. The winner has banked $444,411. Another four-race win streak was created by 4-year-old pacing mare RockNRoll Crystal ($5.60) who has been unbeaten in all four starts in this month. Tonight’s tally was a 1-1/4 length win in 1:56.1 with Dean Magee aboard for trainer David Ginter and owner William McIntyre. Driver Gerald Longo posted a hat trick on the card with three wins, while Dean Magee and Luke Plano both picked up doubles. Live racing returns to Running Aces tomorrow night, Sunday (Aug. 28) at 6:00 p.m. CST.

Saratoga

Respectable Dream (If I Can Dream) scored his first win in the local Open Pace on Saturday night (Aug. 27) at Saratoga Casino Hotel as leading driver Stephane Bouchard guided the Richie Silverman trainee to victory in 1:52. Respectable Dream left quickly and tucked in the pocket behind Artful Way (Frank Coppola Jr.) who was setting blistering fractions on the front end. The race’s favorite JK Panache (Wally Hennessey) was caught on the outside for nearly the entire mile and the seven horse field was bunched up turning for home. Respectable Dream cruised up the passing lane late to prevail in the $15,000 Open for the first time. Artful Way finished second while Code Word (Mark Beckwith) came on for third. The third place finish for the veteran Code Word moved his career earnings to over the $1 million mark. Respectable Dream paid $11.40 to win and led an exacta and triple that returned $101 and $705, respectively. Live racing resumes on Tuesday night (Aug. 30) at Saratoga with a first post time set for 7:05 p.m. EST.

Batavia Downs

Milliron Pete made his local debut for new connections last week after 19 days off and experienced an offtrack and road trouble for his effort. But the Northfield Park invader more than made up for that outing on Saturday night (Aug. 27) when he won the $10,000 Open pacing feature at Batavia Downs in convincing fashion. With the scratch of Heaven Rocks, the abbreviated field of five departed the gate with Milliron Pete (Ron Beback Jr.) scooting right to the front. Everyone stood pat until the three-eighths when the 2-5 favorite Knocking Around (Dave McNeight III) pulled first up as they hit the half in a meager :58 flat. Positions remained unchanged as the group circled the final two turns with Knocking Around just outside the flank of the front-running Milliron Pete. And despite his best effort to collar the leader down the lane, Knocking Around could not as Milliron Pete held fast and paced home in :28.1 to win by a long-length in 1:54.4. Knocking around toughed out the place spot while China Dream (Jack Flanigen) came from mid-pack for third. It was the ninth win of the year for Milliron Pete ($20.40) and the winner’s share of the purse pushed his annual income to $60,315. Milliron Pete is owned Elm Racing and is trained by Ron Beback Jr. Saturday turned out to be long-shot night at the Downs led off by Green Olives ($53.00) winning the second race and triggering a $305 Exacta (8-5), $1,662 Trifecta (8-5-3) and $4,220.50 Super (8-5-3-2). Then in the third, Kashability ($21.00) spurred a $621 Exacta (3-8) and a $2,712 Trifecta (3-8-5). Ray Fisher Jr. scored three wins on the card while Kevin Cummings followed up with two. Racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Sunday afternoon (Aug. 28) with post time set for 1:15 p.m EST. Sunday is Family Fun Day featuring the annual Wiener Dog races and a guaranteed Pick-5 pool of $1,500 starting in the first race.