Harrah’s Philadelphia
Jimmy Takter trainee Katie Said (Brett Miller) took the featured pace on Friday afternoon (June 26) from Harrah’s Philadelphia. It was an open affair for fillies and mares going for a purse of $30,000. Starting from post two, Katie Said was taken off the early pace, settling down into sixth as Gallie Bythe Beach (Tim Tetrick) and race favorite Inittowinafortune (Scott Zeron) battled through a :26.3 opening quarter. As the pace settled down up top at the half (:54.4), long shot Rockaround Sue (Dave Miller) emerged first-over, with Katie Said establishing second-over position. After three-quarters (122.4), Katie Said circled around cover to challenge for the lead. She went on to win by a head, holding off the late surge of Ooh Bad Shark (Allan Davis) who settled for second. Request For Parole (Yannick Gingras) finished third. It was the second win for Katie Said ($12.20) for her new connections, as she completed the mile in 1:51.2. It was her twelfth career win in twenty-eight starts.

Tioga Downs
Taking advantage of live cover and a contested early pace, Mach It A Par ($3.80) passed all six of her rivals to take Friday (June 26) evening’s $10,000 featured distaff pace at Tioga Downs. Dan Clements settled the 5-year-old Mach Three mare at the back of the pack as Purity (Jim Meittinis) worked to clear fellow leavers Smokin N Grinin (Mike Simons), K J’s Caroline (Jim Taggart, Jr.), and Stormunn (Aaron Byron) through a :26.3 first-quarter battle. With three-eighths to go, Purity gave way to pocket rival Smokin N Grinin, and Mach It A Par moved third-over to follow the cover of K J’s Caroline and Stormunn on the backstretch, swinging three-wide well past a 1:23.3 three-quarters split. At the top of the stretch, Mach It a Par found her best stride, working clear of K J’s Caroline in the final sixteenth to prevail by a widening 1-1/2 length in 1:51.4. K J’s Caroline held second, while Arodasi (Brandon Simpson) mounted a stand-side rally from the back of the pack to take third. Clements owns Mach It A Par, and Renaldo Morales, III handles the training duties. In addition to his victory in the feature, Clements teamed up with Purple N Gold ($3.60, 1:54), Shutthefrontdoor ($4.40, 1:51.4), and Flashy ($13.40, 1:54.2) to lead all drivers with four wins on the 13-race card. A pair of $6,000 second-round divisions of the Tioga State Bank starter series were contested on the Friday evening program as well, with Philana Chalice ($60.50) drawing clear off a first-over bid for a 1:53 upset score in rein to Kyle DiBenedetto, and Private Interview ($2.50) living up to odds-on billing for a handy 1:52.4 win under Corey Braden.

Vernon Downs
After sustaining an early push to the lead, The Filly Princess ($5.90) held off a late charge from her pocket rival to take Friday (June 26) evening’s $10,000 Mares Open Pace at Vernon Downs. After Express Jet (John MacDonald) split Love You Bye (Jimmy Whittemore) and Tiger Boudoir (Truman Gale) to establish the early lead in a :27.4 first quarter, Frank Davis charged to the front with The Filly Princess. The 7-year-old Bettor’s Delight mare caught a :58.2 middle-half breather, digging in off the far turn to stave off a late charge from pocket rival Express Jet. The Filly Princess prevailed by a half-length, holding firm for a 1:53.3 triumph. Tiger Boudoir stayed on off a ground-saving trip to take third. Andy Gardner trains The Filly Princess for Standardbred Ventures, Inc. Davis scored a driving double on the evening’s 10-race program, as did Joe Nassimos. Racing returns to Vernon Downs on Saturday (June 27) evening, with post time slated for 6:45 p.m. Eastern time.

Buffalo Raceway
Ron Beback Jr. had a driving triple and posted a double on the training side to highlight the 10-race program at Buffalo Raceway on Friday night (June 26). Beback Jr. captured victories on Puppetandmee N ($5.20) and It Was An Honor ($8.20) and then saved his best for last as he registered a $91.50 win in the tenth race aboard Almost Midnight. The win by Almost Midnight sparked a 7-1 exacta worth $1,616 and a $1 trifecta of 7-1-all returning $272. Racing will continue on Saturday night at 6:35 p.m. with an 11-race card scheduled.

Saratoga Casino and Raceway
Let’s Go Higher (Cole Muffler) won her second consecutive Filly and Mare Open Pace at Saratoga Casino and Raceway on Friday night (June 26). The Heidi Rohr-trained mare was the Filly and Mare Pacer of the Year in 2013 and followed that season up with a sensational ’14 campaign in which she earned over $200,000. Friday’s $18,000 feature was contested at a distance of a mile and one-sixteenth and driver Billy Dobson left with Let’s Go Higher who had to settle for third in the early going. The race’s leader Road Bet (Stephane Bouchard) endured first half fractions of 26.1 and 54.4 and gave in late to the pressure from Let’s Go Higher (1:59.1) before holding on for second after a good stretch drive. Deliciouslynaughty (Frank Coppola Jr) earned the show spot. Let’s Go Higher, who has competed in nearly half of her starts this year out of town, has now been first or second five consecutive times. The runner-up Road Bet has been first or second in eight of her nine seasonal tries. Let’s Go Higher, who paid $5.10 to win as the race favorite, is owned by Jesse De Long of Clinton, WI.