from harness publicists across North America

Tuesday’s (July 22) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Saratoga Casino and Raceway, The Meadows, Running Aces and Hippodrome 3R.

Campanile scores in Saratoga feature

Saratoga Springs, NY — Campanile (No Pan Intended) recorded a last-to-first victory in the $17,000 Fillies and Mares Open at Saratoga Casino and Raceway on Tuesday night.

Melissa Simser photo

Campanile was a 1:53.1 winner in the Saratoga feature.

The Allan Johnson trained 5-year-old had been the runner-up in three consecutive features but got it done on Tuesday night, parlaying a second over journey to a seasonal best 1:53.1 victory. Austin Siegelman piloted Campanile to her fifth win of the season and third in the local Open.

It’s A Miracle (Bruce Aldrich Jr.) was the runner-up and hit the board for the seventh consecutive start at the Spa while Godiva Seelster (Dan Cappello Jr.) earned the show spot.

Campanile is owned by Michael Casalino Jr.

Live racing continues on Wednesday night at Saratoga with a first post time of 7:05 p.m.

— Saratoga Casino and Raceway

The Meadows
Certified Ideal changed tactics but got the same results as she captured her third straight victory in Tuesday’s $18,000 Filly & Mare Not Listed Preferred/Preferred Handicap Pace at The Meadows. While her last win was on the front end, Certified Ideal took back to fifth early before moving second over for Tony Hall. She gobbled up the leader, Do Me Honor, and scored in 1:52, a half-length better than Rescue Team. Do Me Honor saved show. Randy Bendis trains the 4-year-old daughter of Western Ideal-Areba’s Last, who extended her career bankroll to $250,042, and owns with Mike Novosel, Jr., Tom Pollack and James Walton. Wilbur Yoder and Brian Zendt each drove three winners on the 15-race card.

Running Aces
Gerry Longo, 69, the senior reinsman in the Running Aces driver’s colony, scored a couple of upsets on Tuesday night’s program. Not only was Longo the only multiple winning driver on the night, but he owned and trained both horses as well. Kiss On The Lips survived a long first-over journey on the outside to sweep from last to first in a $4,500 conditioned and claiming race for mares. With an impressive :28.1 final panel the 4-year-old daughter of Dontgetinmyway bested Surprisingly Sweet (Steve Wiseman) and RD IOU (Tim Maier). Dispatched at odds of more than 7-1, Kiss On The Lips paid $17.80 to win and headed a $61.80 exacta and $216 trifecta. Three races later it was Dragons Wail lighting up the toteboard for Longo. Despite moving up a class and starting from the seven hole in a nine-horse field, the 4-year-old Dragon Again lass outlasted Chilly Breez (Nick Roland) and Ksmewithurizclosed (Wiseman) for a one length, 1:57.1 tally. Longo’s second longshot winner returned $29.20 to win and topped a $65.60 exacta and $242.20 trifecta. Longo is occasionally permitted to announce a qualifying race at Running Aces and his fellow drivers mused that his mares raced a lot like Gerry’s favorite phrase he uses in his calls: “They raced like hares who just backed up to a porcupine — they were gone!”

Hippodrome 3R
It was close to being “Denis St. Pierre Night” on Tuesday at the Hippodrome 3R as the track’s hottest harness racing driver continued to add to his impressive season, steering four winners on the ten-race program, including the featured pace with City Loft. Since the meet opened back in May, Denis St. Pierre just keeps improving. He went into Tuesday’s program with a UDR of .450. St Pierre started out the program with his first win in the second race pace, coming from dead last in ninth place with Boogie Panic and with a bold three-wide move in the backstretch moved from ninth to fifth place by the three-quarters. And he did not stop from there, flying three-wide with Boogie Panic to grab the lead by the head of the stretch by 2-1/2 lengths. From there they were home free and went on to romp by 5-1/4 lengths in 1:59.3. And to top it off, they went off at nearly 8-1 and paid $17.50 to win. Then in the very next race for 2-year-olds, it was St. Pierre again, this time with the race favorite, Sugarsam ($3.90). They started from the outside in post eight and left out from behind the gate to get away in third place, then quarter moved to the lead, drawing off by the top of the stretch and breezing to a 1-3/4 length victory in 2:00.4. In the sixth race feature, St. Pierre was aboard City Loft and they were not about to let anyone get near them. From the start they got to the front and never looked back. They led every step of the way and pulled away from the field by the three-quarters and won in a romp by 7-3/4 lengths. Not even Shagnghai Ben could look him in the eye coming first over. The time of race was a lifetime mark for City Loft of 1:57.1. The pocket sitting A R Éclair (Jean Lord) was second with Destino (Marie Claude Auger) third. It was the third straight win for City Loft, a 3-year-old gelded son of Shadow Play, who is trained by Frances Richard. He paid $2.50 to win. To cap off the evening in the ninth race, St. Pierre sent Sophie’s Duke ($2.80) to the lead after the opening quarter-mile and they never looked back, also winning in a romp by 5-1/4 lengths in 1:56.4.