from harness publicists across North America

Friday’s (Oct. 31) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Yonkers Raceway, The Meadows, Hollywood Dayton Raceway, Vernon Downs, Batavia Downs and Saratoga Casino and Raceway.

Coffee Addict, DW’s NY Yank win Friday co-features at Yonkers

Yonkers, NY — Yonkers Raceway’s Halloween night (Oct. 31) $35,000 co-featured Open Handicaps—one for distaff pacers and one for any trotter with scary moves—were won by a long, first-up Coffee Addict (Dan Dube, $11.60) and a start-to-finish DW’s NY Yank (George Brennan, $4.20).

Unhurried from an assigned post position No. 5, Coffee Addict watched as 17-10 choice Campanile (Tyler Buter) moved around Robin Cruiser (Jordan Stratton). The former made the lead right at a :27.3 opening quarter-mile, then found a 57-second intermission.

Soon thereafter, Coffee Addict moved from fifth, and did so in a hurry. She engaged—but could get by—Campanile in and out of a 1:25.1 three-quarters. Campanile held on to a slim lead entering the lane, but Coffee Addict was not quite done.

That one, despite the tough trip, out-gamed both the pace-setter and pocket-sitter, beating Robin Cruiser by a half-length in 1:52.2. Venus Delight (Jason Bartlett), last at the three-quarters, closed for third, with Campanile and last week’s victress, Set Me Up (Brennan), completing the cashers.

For fifth choice Coffee Addict, a 4-year-old daughter of Dragon Again co-owned by Keystoners James Clarke St & Andrew Altobelli and trained by Bruce Saunders, it was her seventh win in 29 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $44.70, with the triple returning $406.50.

The week’s marquee trot saw 11-10 favorite DW’s NY Yank take it the distance (:27.4, :58.1, 1:26.4, 1:55). Nose on gate from post No. four, he left, with Lorenzo Dream (Brent Holland) dropping in behind. From there, no issues at all, with the final margin 3-3/4 lengths.

Second went to a chasing NF Happenstance (Jeff Gregory), with Somebody AS (Dube), Dancehall Mistress (Brian Sears) and Lorenzo Dream settling for the remainder.

For DW’s NY Yank, a 5-year-old Dilbert Hanover gelding co-owned (as Burke Racing) by (trainer) Ron Burke, Weaver Bruscemi and Howard Taylor, he’s now 10-for-27 this season. The exacta paid $28.40, the triple returned $320.50 and the superfecta paid $1,985.

The Raceway’s five-night-per-week live schedule continues, with first post every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:10 P.M. (note Sunday matinees begin Nov. 9). Evening simulcasting accompanies all live programs, with afternoon simulcasting available daily.

— Frank Drucker

The Meadows
Santa Fe Beachboy quarter-poled to the lead and held off the determined bid of Visible Gold to capture Friday’s $18,000 Preferred Handicap Pace at The Meadows. In his last outing, Santa Fe Beachboy took on some of the sport’s best in the $150,000 Dayton Derby and was no match for the likes of Clear Vision and Foiled Again. But he was plenty tough Friday, snapping Visible Gold’s four-race winning streak by downing him by 1/2 length in 1:51. Brooklyn Flight shot the Lightning Lane show. Jim Pantaleano drove the 4-year-old son of Somebeachsomewhere-Santa Fe Yankee, who extended his career bankroll to $122,093, for trainer Brian Brown and owner Santa Fe Stable. In Friday’s companion feature, the $18,000 Filly & Mare Winners Over $10,000 Life/Preferred Handicap Trot, Kandian Klub moved powerfully first-over for Dave Palone to score in 1:55, 1-3/4 lengths better than Mistress Valentine. Victory Is Coming earned show. Ron Burke conditions Kandian Klub, a 5-year-old daughter of Pegasus Spur-KT Dee Dee who now boasts lifetime earnings of $172,851, for Burke Racing Stable and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. Palone drove five winners — four for Burke — on the 15-race card while Tony Hall enjoyed a four-bagger. Pantaleano and trainer Mike Palone each fashioned a triple. Live racing at The Meadows resumes Saturday with s special card that features the championships of four late-closing series. First post is 6:55 P.M.

Hollywood Dayton Raceway
Elimination heat winners Ola Hanover, M A Duty and Her Ideal Hanover will headline the field for the $12,900 championship leg of the “Stars of the Future” mini-series for non-winners of two pari-mutuels distaff pacers next Friday night (November 7). The top three finishers from a trio of $6,000 survival battles advanced during Friday’s rain-soaked live racing program at Hollywood Dayton Raceway. Ola Hanover (Dan Noble) beat Empress Deo (Randy Tharps) and Kolebalt (Kayne Kauffman) in the first division for owner Mike Foote and trainer Conor Flynn. The Always A Virgin sophomore broke her maiden seven starts ago at The Meadows before making her second start at Dayton a winning one. M A Duty (Greg Grismore), a 3-year-old filly by Life Guard On Duty, had eleven county fair triumphs to her credit but was winning for the first time at a commercial track in the second split. She bested CAS Art Apparel (Kyle Ater) and Iam Total For Real (Josh Sutton) for owner Melissa Orlando and trainer Mike Croucher. Her Ideal Hanover (Kyle Ater) managed to negotiate a track that was just officially labeled as ‘sloppy’ in 1:59.1, besting Cyclone Sweetheart (Jack Dailey) and Sweet Caldonia (Kayne Kauffman). Doug Cullers owns the 5-year-old Western Ideal mare who now has two wins and a second in three Dayton Raceway starts for conditioner Christopher Hope. Racing resumes at Dayton Raceway at 6:35 p.m. Saturday night with a powerful 14-race program.

Vernon Downs
Saratoga shipper An Artist’s Dream ($20.40) managed to escape the pocket in the final 150 yards of Friday (Oct. 31) evening’s featured $6,500 Fo ur One One Pace for grey and roan horses at Vernon Downs, scoring a 1:52.2 minor upset. Settling into the pocket amid a three-way pace battle with Ontario invader Zambuca Gass (John MacDonald) and top local mare Artic Byrd (Truman Gale), An Artist’s Dream tracked blistering early fractions of :26 and :54.2. While close to the fast pace, the 5-year-old Admirals Galley gelding was boxed in on the far turn, as Artic Byrd commenced a first-over bid, applying pressure on Zambuca Gass through three-quarters in 1:23 and into the upper stretch. With Artic Byrd flattening, Jimmy Whittemore was able to wedge An Artist’s Dream between rivals, taking the lead in deep stretch to beat the favored Zambuca Gass by a widening 1-1/4 lengths. The Grey Bullet (Joe Nassimos) made a late rally up the pegs to finish third off a ground-saving trip. Ray Sharpe owns and trains An Artist’s Dream, now a six-time winner. The race was named for Four One One, a 12-year-old grey pacer who was honored earlier in the card with a special retirement ceremony. He and longtime trainer Wayne Hughes led the post parade for the evening’s featured race.

Batavia Downs
For the seventh time of the meet, BZ Glide came from the back of the pack Friday night (Oct. 31) to collar the best diagonal-gaiters on the grounds in the Open trot feature at Batavia Downs. As last week’s winner Lutetium (Kevin Cummings) assumed his regular position on the front-end off the gate, driver Mike Caprio did the same at the rear with BZ Glide. Lutetium took the field to a :58.1 half when Justgottogetthere (Jim McNeight) pulled to push the issue with Serious George (Jack Flanigen) following suit. BZ Glide pursued them all from third-over in the outer flow. After the pack passed the three-quarters in 1:28.1, the flow fanned out as Lutetium began to falter. Studio City (Ron Beback Jr.) snuck into the passing lane, Serious George went four-deep around Justgottogetthere and BZ Glide went five-wide around everybody. As the cavalry charge blasted down the lane, BZ Glide displayed his dominance once again and scored a length victory in 1:58.1. Justgottogetthere was second and Serious George was third. It was the ninth win of 2014 for BZ Glide and raised his earnings total to $66,557 for his driver Mike Caprio, who also owns him. The 5-year-old gelded son of Yankee Glide is trained by Alana Caprio. The driving stars of the night included Jim Morrill Jr. who scored a hat trick and Kevin Cummings, John Cummings Jr. and Shawn McDonough who all posted doubles.

Saratoga Casino and Raceway
Cash Poor (Cash Hall) was one of several longshot winners on the Friday (Oct. 31) card at Saratoga Casino and Raceway. The 6-year-old trotter scored the upset in the $8,000 featured race with young driver Alek Chartrand in the sulky. Chartrand is in his first year as a driver and is making a bit of an impact at the Spa this season. Cash Poor wound up as a first-over winner at odds of 11-1 in 1:56.3, a fast time on the chilly night in Saratoga. Speed Hanover (Bruce Aldrich Jr) closed for second while Stirling Cadet (Frank Coppola Jr) finished third. Cash Poor is owned by the Traylor Racing Stable, LLC and trained by Harry Reddick Jr. Live racing continues on Saturday night with a first post time set for 7:05 p.m.