from harness publicists across North America

Friday’s (Sept. 11) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Yonkers Raceway, Saratoga Casino and Raceway, Batavia Downs and Vernon Downs.

Cinamony wins Friday night Yonkers distaff feature

Chester, PA — Favored Cinamony (George Brennan) returned to form Friday night, winning Yonkers Raceway’s $48,000 Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace.

Sean Hamrock photo

Cinamony was a 1:52.4 winner in the Yonkers distaff feature.

Leaving from post position No. 6 (in one notch after an inside defection), Cinamony quickly worked around invading Sudoku (Jordan Stratton). After a :27.3 opening quarter-mile and a :56.4 intermission, Carobbean Pacetry (Brent Holland) moved from third.

Cinamony had few issues in and out of a 1:25 three-quarters, taking a 2-1/4 length lead into the lane. The final margin was 2-1/2 lengths in 1:52.4. Second went to Jonsie Jones (Tyler Buter), with Sudoku, Carobbean Pacetry and Caribbean Rose N (Brian Sears) settling for the small change. Nothing from outside assignee Krispy Apple (Jason Bartlett), who didn’t leave and beat just one lass.

For Cinamony, a 4-year-old daughter of Art Official co-owned as Burke Racing by trainer Ron Burke and Weaver Bruscemi, it was her ninth win in 15 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $22.60, with the triple returning $123.50.

Saturday’s card is the first of two New York Night of Champions, featuring eight $225,000 sire stakes finals for 3-year-olds (races five through eight in the dozen-race program). The 2-year-olds have their evening Saturday (Sept. 26).

— Frank Drucker

Saratoga Casino and Raceway
Campanile (No Pan Intended) was one of the top pacing mares at Saratoga last season but hasn’t followed up her monster 5-year-old campaign with as strong of a 2015 campaign. The Chris Marino-trained mare has been solid this year, hitting the board in half of her 12 starts heading into her try in the $17,900 Friday feature at the Spa. Driver Austin Siegelman powered Campanile out to the early lead and after moving quickly through an opening quarter of :27.2 withstood pressure before stopping the timer in 1:53 for a new seasonal mark. It was the second victory of the year for the 6-year-old distaffer and first at the Spa. Campanile was the public’s 6-5 betting favorite and bested class dropping Spreester (Jim Devaux) who closed well for second and My Spring Fling (Mark Beckwith) who got up for third. Campanile, who earned more than $177,000 last year behind nine wins and eight second place finishes, was a nominee for Filly and Mare Pacer of the Year in ’14 at Saratoga. Live racing continues on Saturday night with a first post time set for 6:45 p.m.

Batavia Downs
After coming off two sub-par performances and no wins since July, BZ Glide put on the performance of his life in winning the $10,000 Open Trot feature at Batavia Downs on Friday night. Winkys Pride (Drew Monti) took an immediate lead at the start of the race while BZ Glide (Mike Caprio) left just enough from post five to tuck in third. Monti took the field through a soft :58.2 half until Caprio swung out at that station to start his assault. BZ Glide advanced with machine-like precision up the backside while trotting a :28.2 third panel. His momentum continued around the far turn as his margin of dominance widened. He trotted down the lane without a challenge from the field or encouragement from his driver and in victory, set a new lifetime mark of 1:56.3. It was the fifth win in 13 starts this year for BZ Glide ($4.90) and the effort increased his earnings to $37,445 for 2015. The 6-year-old Yankee Glide gelding is owned by the Caprio Stable LLC and trained by Alana Caprio. Drivers Mike Caprio, Jim McNeight and Dave McNeight III all scored driving doubles on the card. One of the biggest win mutuels in recent memory occurred in the sixth race when Stirling Cadillac (Mike Caprio) overcame post eight to win at 77-1 odds and return $156.00. The exorbitant payoff triggered some lofty exotics as well. The 8-3 exacta paid $3,428.00 and the 8-3-all trifecta returned $4,169.00. Racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Saturday night (Sept. 12) with the first post set at 6:35 p.m.

Vernon Downs
Including his last-to-first victory in Friday evening’s featured $8,000 Open II Pace, Jimmy Whittemore captured five driving wins on the Patriot Day program at Vernon Downs. After parlaying a pocket trip to victory in the opener with Try This ($5.90, 1:57), the Maine native passed all four of his rivals in the feature with Big City Jewel ($3.80). Whittemore settled the 4-year-old Artiscape gelding at the back of the compact field, having no part of the pace while Card Knock Life (Frank Davis) controlled the terms through a rapid first six furlongs in 1:22. As Sassy Hanover (Claude Huckabone Jr.) failed to fire from the pocket, Big City Jewel was carried three-wide off the far turn, chasing valiantly after Card Knock Life and ultimately prevailing in the final sixteenth of a 1:50.2 mile. Damon Blue Chip stayed on from a tracking trip to take third. Homer Hochstetler trains Big City Jewel for Kristofer Heim. Following his sweep of the early double, Whittemore teamed up with Veal Marsala ($4.70, 1:54.4), Ziegler Hanover ($4.50, 1:55.2), and The Grey Bullet ($4.10, 1:54.4) to round out his five-win evening. Live racing returns to Vernon Downs on Saturday (Sept. 12) evening, with post time at 6:45 p.m. (EDT).