from harness publicists across North America

Friday’s (Oct 5) Racing Roundup features stories from Yonkers Raceway, Batavia Downs Casino, Vernon Downs and Saratoga Casino and Raceway.

Brennan sweeps Friday night features at Yonkers

Yonkers, NY — Yonkers Raceway’s usual Friday night pair of $44,000 co-featured Open Handicaps–for distaff pacers and anyone-who’s-good-enough trotters–were won by a pair of George Brennan-driven, eight-hole assignees in Keeper’s Destiny ($6) and odds-on Blacktuxwhitesocks ($3.70).
It was the second Friday in succession Brennan took home both halves of the featured double.

In this week’s distaff dissertation, even-money favorite Breakheart Pass (Jason Bartlett) worked around Quicksilvercandy A (Larry Stalbaum) to the lead before a :27.3 opening quarter-mile. The people’s preference then found a :56.2 intermission before Keeper’s Destiny–who had taken a seat sixth–was on the prowl.

It had turned into a match race in and out of the 1:24 three-quarters, with Breakheart Pass owning a short nose lead into the lane, However, it was Keeper’s Destiny who just kept on keepin’ on, winning by three-quarters of a length in 1:52.2
Sir Jillian Z Tam (Pat Lachance) was third–beaten 4-1/4 lengths–with Quicksilvercandy A and Up Front Kelli Jo (Jordan Stratton) rounding out the payees.

For second choice Keeper’s Destiny, a 6-year-old daughter of Intrepid Seelster owned by Merlin Howse and trained by Casie Coleman (also the co-breeders), it was her seventh win in 23 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $12, with the triple returning $53.

Blacktuxwhitesocks, who owns a share of the all-age track record (1:54.1), toyed with his rivals for a fourth consecutive victory. He had to wait his turn early, moving past E L Rock (Eric Goodell) to the lead right at the :27.3 first interval. From there, a soft, 57-second half with Celebrity Bluechip (Bartlett) trying it first-up.

After a 1:26 three-quarters, Blacktuwhitesocks widened to 2-1/2 lengths turning for home. He then finished his foes by that identical margin in 1:54.3. Backstreet Hanover (Brent Holland) closed inside for second, with E L Rock, Celebrity Bluechip and Big Sky Storm (Stratton) grabbing the remainder.

For Blacktuxwhitesocks, a 5-year-old statebred Credit Winner gelding trained by Trond Smedshammer for owner Purple Haze Stables, it was his ninth win in 20 ’12 tries (career earnings just shy over $800,000). The exacta paid $17.40, the triple returned $138.50 and the superfecta paid $827.

Special Friday recognition to Mymomsablizzard (Stalbaum, $9.30), who wired the $33,500 seventh-race trot in 1:55, a new local record for aged mares.

— Frank Drucker

Batavia Downs Casino
Dan Noble, the leading dash driver in harness racing in 2011, inched closer to career win 3,000 when he drove home four-winners Friday night (Oct. 5) at Batavia Downs Casino. When racing resumes on Saturday, Kane Memorial Pace night, the 29-year-old reinsman will need just one win to reach the milestone. In 2011 the Ohio native won driving titles at Northfield Park, Scioto Downs, Lebanon Raceway and The Red Mile. In 2,792 races his record of 773 wins, 484 seconds and 349 thirds gave him an impressive in the money percentage of .415. His achievements earned him USHWA’s 2011 Rising Star of the Year honors. Noble is the son of veteran Buckeye State-based trainer Sam “Chip” Noble III. Noble drives the 5/2 favorite Classic Rock Nroll in the signature race of the season at America’s oldest lighted harness track, the 10th annual $50,000 Robert J. Kane Memorial. Classic Rock Nroll, a winner at Mohawk Raceway last time out in 1:50.2, has earned $293,356 this season. His seasonal highlights include victories in $122,500 Joe Gerrity, Jr. Memorial Pacing Series Final at Saratoga Raceway and the $111,500 Battle of Lake Erie at Northfield Park.

Vernon Downs
Helios, Celebrity Obsession and Miss Eva Cash were repeat winners in the $36.000 second round of the Late Bloomer Series for 3&4-year-old trotters and leading driver Rich Plano posted five wins during Friday’s 13-race program at Vernon Downs. Helios, owned by the Little E, LLC stable, remained unbeaten after three career starts following Friday’s 1:56.1 lifetime-best triumph for driver Chris Lems and trainer Jessica Okusko in the second (race four) of six $6,000 Late Bloomer divisions, while Celebrity Obsesion earned a 1:56.2 victory in the final flight (race 12), with Plano doing the teaming for trainer Susanne Strandqvist and owner Sam Stathis, and Miss Eva Cash claiming a career-best 1:57 tally, with John Stark, Jr. doing the steering for trainer Sam Schillaci and the Second Chance Stable in the night’s 10th event. Friday’s other first-place finishers in Late Bloomer competition were Pollux Blue Chip (1:56.1) in race two, Mystical Muscles (1:56.2) in event six, and Getinonthesecret (1:56.4) in the eighth attraction. Having attained five wins on a single Vernon program for the second time in 2012, Plano increased his local win count to 128 and his training tally to 67, thus gaining a one win lead over defending conditioning champ Tracy Brainard.

Saratoga Casino and Raceway
The Battle of Saratoga #1 got underway on a rainy night in Saratoga and the top young fillies and mares slugged it out for their share of the $7,500 per division purse and points towards the final later this month. Dressedforthedance was the fastest winner among the distaff pacers in leg one of the series as she and driver Mark Beckwith hit the line first in 1:55. Taylor Rei (Billy Dobson) pulled off the big upset in the first leg of the series, overcoming post eight to win her division, scoring at odds of 35-1. The series’ other division was won in wire to wire fashion by 3-year-old filly Jinxy’s Delight and reinsman Wally Hennessey. Jinxy’s Delight and Taylor Rei both stopped the timer in 1:56 for their victories.