Racing Roundup: Bunny Lake foal scores again
March 14, 2009,from Harness Publicists across North America
Friday’s (March 13) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Saratoga Raceway, Buffalo Raceway and Cal-Expo.
Bunny Lake foal scores again
Saratoga Springs, NY — The first foal of the world champion mare Bunny Lake won for the second consecutive week at Saratoga as Bunny’s Legacy coasted to a front running win for trainer-driver John Stark, Jr. on Friday night.
Dave Oxford photo
Bunny’s Legacy was a 2:00 winner in her second career start.
The filly reminded the fans of her mother when she flashed early speed, going wire-to-wire to record her second consecutive win. Bunny Lake only lost once in her Saratoga career (her first lifetime start) and her first foal (by Western Hanover) has yet to be beaten as she went back-to-back. A final half of :58.4 highlighted the 2:00 win as she had little difficulty at odds of 1-9.
REL Free Delivary really stole the show on the evening though as the speedy trotter won his first ever $15,000 Saratoga Open, outclosing the featured group of trotters.
REL Free Delivary was piloted home by his trainer Jay Stewart and did what he couldn’t do last week — beat Pablo Angus. The odds-on favorite for the second consecutive week, Pablo Angus came up second best while coming from last in the mile. REL Free Delivary finished third last week behind Pablo Angus, but bested the talented trotter on Friday night, scoring the win in 1:58.1.
— Mike Sardella
Jack Sparrow goes wire-to-wire in Buffalo Open
Hamburg, NY — With regular driver Jim McNeight in the sulky, Jack Sparrow, a 6-year-old chestnut gelding by Humorous Harry, out of the Overcomer mare Marie Adonno, romped to a handy 2:00.4 score in the featured $9,000 Open Trot for owner Michael Calimeri at Buffalo Raceway on Friday night.
McNeight took his trotter away quickly from post position five in the seven-horse field, and after gaining command approaching the quarter pole, set all the fractions in the race, :30.2, 1:01, and 1:31.1. Second place finisher Welding Spark D (Ken Holliday) made a valiant try in the stretch, but fell a head short at the wire. Clearly Possessed (Jack Rice) came in third.
“He (Jack Sparrow) didn’t get hurt too bad going to the quarter,” said McNeight. “I had just enough to hold off Kenny’s horse, (Welding Spark D) who looks like a good one.”
The $4,500 share of the purse boosted Jack Sparrow’s season’s bankroll to $21,061 and $184,172 lifetime.
In the co-featured $9,000 Filly and Mares Open Pace, Party News, a 5-year-old Party At Artsplace mare, out of the Niatross mare Your In The News, won for the third time this year in a season’s best 1:59 for the Ultra Racing Stable.
Capably driven by reinsman Ray Fisher, Jr., Party News, leaving from post four in the field of seven, received a perfect pocket trip behind eventual second place finisher Jezzabell Hotspur (Ken Holliday) and used a :29 last quarter to win by a length at the finish. Last week’s Open winner, Pauline Seelster (Tom Agosti), came in the show spot.
Trained by Bob Gruber, the $4,500 share of the purse put Party News’ season’s bankroll at $19,785 and $97,020 lifetime.
— Sam Pendolino
Sharp handling makes Flirtiscape too tough at Cal-Expo
Sacramento, CA —
Filly & Mare Open Pacers, racing for a purse of $6,500, were co-featured at Cal-Expo on Friday night, in which Flirtiscape got the hat trick.Leaving for the front from post one in the field of six, driver Steve Wiseman would yield the lead into the first turn to Reno Rose (Jim Lackey), but the 5-year-old, who showed nothing but closing lines, would quickly regain the lead.
“We bravened her up the last few starts,” said Wiseman. “So I figured she’d be all right to take a shot on the front-end.”
Out and going well after the field had traveled an eighth of a mile, Flirtiscape would clear to the lead just past the quarter-mile pole, timed in :28.3. With Wiseman hitting the brakes at the 5-16ths pole, Flirtiscape would jog the second quarter in :30.3, thus reaching the half-mile station in :59.1.
“She felt real good at the half off the slow second quarter.”
Getting yet another easy quarter, this despite a first-over Sintillating (Tim Maier) getting to within 1-1/4 lengths midway through the final turn, Flirtiscape, while pacing a :30.2 third split, would reach the three-quarter marker in 1:29.3.
“She continued to feel good and was real strong, and off that 1:01 soft middle-half, I figured she’d be good from there.”
Now under wheel-disc urging past the three-quarter pole and into the stretch, Flirtiscape would draw clear by 1-1/2 lengths at the seven-eighths pole. For the final eighth of a mile, Flirtiscape, while now under minor urging, would have no problems in holding off a late surge by Reno Rose.
“She was strong, just unbelievable down the stretch in coming home in :26.4, which was really helped by the middle-half breather.”
Owned by John Darrah and Nick Ruscigno in partnership with trainer Lou Pena, Flirtiscape would win ($3.40) by three-quarters of a length in 1:56.2. Reno Rose finished in second and Sintillating was another 2-1/2 lengths farther back in third.
“The middle-half definitely helped her, but she still raced great and is a nice mare,” finished Wiseman, who had three winners on the card, giving his seven triumphs over the last two cards.
Co-featured on the card was a $6,500 Open Handicap Trot, in which Hitchiker never looked back.
Leaving from post position four in the field of five, Hitchiker and driver Etienne Desomer wouldn’t clear to the front until after a not easy :28.4 first quarter. Getting a :30.1 second quarter breather, Hitchiker would stop the timer at the half-mile pole in :59. Despite no challengers in the third quarter, Hitchiker would pick up the pace while reaching the three-quarter marker in 1:28.2.
Opening up the lead into the stretch and expanding that lead at the seven-eighths-mile pole, there would be no catching the gelding as he’d score ($7.00) by 1-3/4 lengths. Bred and owned by the Desomer Stables and trained by Vickie Desomer, the 5-year-old would stop the timer at 1:57, a seasonal best. Iverman (Steve Wiseman) finished in second and Cherry Tree Luke (Lou Pena) finished another length back in third.
— Scott Ehrlich