Buck I St Pat repeats in Chester Open

Chester, PA — Benefitting from a perfect second-over trip, Buck I St Pat ($4.00) beat the boys yet again, taking her second $32,000 Open Trot at Harrah’s Chester on Friday afternoon.

World Wide Racing Photos

Buck I St Pat was a narrow winner over Looking Hanover in the Open Trot.

With Y F Little Guy breaking stride at the start of the race, Buck I St Pat found herself last of the main group, sitting well off leader Big Boy Lloyd through a :27.4 first quarter and a tepid :57 half-mile.

With Lolique (David Miller) having commenced his first-over rally, Tim Tetrick angled the 7-year-old Jailhouse Jesse mare second over up the backstretch, not catching the cover of Lolique until reaching the far turn. With Big Boy Lloyd prompted along to a wind-aided 1:24.4 three-quarter split by a tiring Lolique, Buck I St Pat was poised to make her move at the head of the stretch, angling three-wide and holding off a hard-closing Looking Hanover (Yannick Gingras), who showed his best late kick up the open stretch, in 1:53.2. Big Boy Lloyd was an all-out third.

Ron Burke trains the 42-time winner Buck I St Pat for the ownership group of Howard Taylor, Edwin Gold, Abraham Basen, and Ron Fuller. Her 1:53.2 mile is a new track record for 7-year-old trotters at Harrah’s Chester.

— Harrah’s Chester Publicity Department

Western Graduate, Master Pine win Friday Open Handicaps

Yonkers, NY — Newly-minted millionairess Western Graduate (Filly and Mare Pace) and Master Pine (Trot) led the limelight Friday night, winning Yonkers Raceway’s pair of $32,000 Open Handicaps.

Tom Berg photo

Western Graduate was a 1:54.3 winner in the Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace.

Western Graduate (Jim Pantaleano), leaving from outside her five rivals, methodically moved first-up from fifth. She went after Headpoles R Us (Greg Grismore) as that one led through intervals of :28.1, :57.3 and 1:25.2. Western Graduate had advanced to second turning for home and she was not about to settle for being the bridesmaid.

Western Graduate edged away through the stretch, defeating pocket-sitting 6-5 choice Chris Cross (Jeff Gregory) by 1-1/2 lengths in 1:54.3. Headpoles R Us faded to third.

Western Graduate, a 6-year-old daughter of Western Hanover owned by KDM Stables and trained by Lou Pena, returned $5.50 (second choice) for her third victory (second consecutive) in 15 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $10.60, with the triple returning $35.60. It was her 38th career win in 123 starts, with earnings now at $1,015,907.

Leaving from post No. 3 after an inside defection, Master Pine (Jason Bartlett) stole a minute half. He then threw in a :56.3 back portion to keep the closers at bay. Master Pine, with three lengths to play with turning for home, defeated 4-5 favorite Victor’s Vicky (Cat Manzi) by 4-1/4 lengths. Bet To Win (Brent Holland) was third.

Master Pine, a 7-year-old Mater Lavec gelding trained by Julie Miller for co-owners Mark Moger and Albert Delia Jr., paid $8.10 (second choice) for his fifth win in 10 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $17.60, while the triple was cancelled due to the short field.

Special props to Shoeless White Sox (Gregory), whose 1:55.2 effort in the $20,000 second race trot not only was the fastest local trot mile of the season, it also set a new track record under the category of older trotting horse. The 5-year-old son of Mr Lavec was trained by Mark Harder for owner Chris Alexander.

Friday’s card also saw the first local appearance of young Canadian driving star Doug McNair, who finished second once and third once in six drives.

— Frank Drucker

Pembroke Prayer captures Saratoga Open

Saratoga Springs, NY — Friday night’s Open Trot was a very competitive one at Saratoga Gaming and Raceway. On paper, the $16,500 feature looked to be up for grabs and the race turned out to be just like one that had no clear cut favorite.

Dave Oxford photo

Pembroke Prayer rallied in the stretch to win the Saratoga Open.

Pembroke Prayer (Mike Micallef) was the runner-up in last week’s Open and on Friday sat the pocket behind Sensational Prayer (Jim Devaux). The prayer was answered for Micallef who got the 4-1 Mark Ford trainee by the front runner in the stretch to record the win. Track record holder and recent Saratoga Horse of the Year Prime Interest (Frank Coppola, Jr.), though a beaten favorite, was a hard charging third.

Defending driver champion Frank Coppola, Jr. had a big night on Friday, piloting five winners on the mostly trotting program, teaming up with trainer Jackie Rousse for four of the victories.

Live racing continues on Saturday at Saratoga with a doubleheader. The matinee will start at 12:45 p.m. while the nightcap will kick-off at 7:20 p.m.

— Mike Sardella

Four horses double their pleasure at Vernon

Vernon, NY — Sharpshootennorris, Delightful Dancer, Fox Valley Majesty and Photosmart all earned their second victories of the five-night-old season at Vernon Downs on Friday night.

Fotowon photo

Delightful Dancer (#2) won the week’s top pace for females.

Sharpshootennorris, who last Friday forged a 1:55 mile, fastest by a trotter during the first three weekends, followed up that tally with a 1:55.1 triumph in the $9,000 fifth race, the week’s Class A Miracle Mile conditioned test. Josh Marks drove for trainer Tracy Brainard, who owns the 7-year-old gelding along with Gerard Stuchbury.

Delightful Dancer rallied from fifth at the top of the stretch and used a head bob at the finish to secure a 1:53 victory in the $9,000 ninth race, the week’s Class A contest for female pacers. Bill Bailey completed a driving triple as the 4-year-old mare improved her season’s summary line to 2-2-1 after eight outings for trainer Howard Okusko, Sr. and owner Rocco Manzi.

Fox Valley Majesty, Marks driving for owner-trainer Brainard, became the first two-time winning trotter of the campaign after a career-best 1:57.2 tally in Friday’s $5,000 third event, while Angus MacDonald’s high-stepper Photosmart followed suit in the $7,000 eighth event.

In addition to Bailey’s hat trick and Brainard’s double, Howard Okusko, Jr. also posted two driving victories during Friday’s 11-race card.

— Jim Moran

Spacie Jessie and Hello Carlo win Opens at Buffalo

Hamburg, NY — Spacie Jessie, a 7-year-old Space Shuttle mare, out of the Unique Concept mare Chip O The Ram, went wire-to-wire in 1:56.3 to register her first win of the year for owner-driver James M. Dunn in the $9,000 Filly and Mares Open Handicap at Buffalo Raceway on Friday night.

Spacie Jessie ($21.20), leaving from the pylons in the field of six, set all the fractions in the race, :28.4, :58.4 and 1:28. A :28.3 last quarter-mile put the winner a neck in front of last week’s Open winner Miss Walker (Jimmy Whisman) at the finish line. All Deuce (Jack Flanigen) came in third.

“After six months of hard work, she’s finally back,” said Dunn. “Last week she started to feel like her old self, and tonight we saw the old Spacie Jessie.”

Trained by Ron Beback, Jr., the $4,500 share of the purse put Spacie Jessie’s 2010 bankroll at $7,549 and $164,063 lifetime.

In the $9,000 Open Handicap Trot, Hello Carlo ($4.40), a Carry The Message gelding, out of the Supergill mare Last Turn, won in 1:59 to register his fourth win of the season for owner Mario Caponi.

Capably driven by the meet’s leading reinsman Jack Flanigen, Hello Carlo left from post five, shot right to the lead and never looked back to beat 19-1 longshot Bedroom Photo (Ray Fisher, Jr.) by 2-3/4 lengths. Carolina Raider (Troy Boring) came in the show spot.

“Once we got to the front, it was pretty easy,” said Flanigen. “It was the first time I drove him and he’s a very nice trotter.”

Trained by Larry Clabaugh, the $4,500 share of the purse put Hello Carlo’s season’s bankroll at $26,370 and $107,520 lifetime.

Racing will resume on Saturday, May 1, Derby Day, with first post scheduled for 6:40 p.m.

— Sam Pendolino