by harness publicists across North America

Sunday’s (June 28) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Vernon Downs, Saratoga Casino and Raceway, Buffalo Raceway, Running Aces, Hippodrome 3R and Dresden Raceway.

Damon Blue Chip strikes late in Vernon feature

Vernon, NY — After stalking from mid-pack, the J P Stables’ Damon Blue Chip ($3.00) angled off the pegs en route to head-stretch, steadily closing on the pace-setters and ultimately prevailing for a 1:51.1 score in Sunday (June 28) afternoon’s $7,000 featured conditioned pace at Vernon Downs.

The 6-year-old Rocknroll Hanover gelding was relaxed early, allowing A Fool For Mark (Dustin Ingraham), Dont Tell Rusty (Todd Frocione), and Walks of Life (Frank Davis) all to make moves to the lead before commencing his. Rated well off a :54.4 half-mile, trainer-driver John MacDonald put Damon Blue Chip into play on the far turn, passing a tiring Dont Tell Rusty to take third before reaching the head of the stretch, but still five lengths out of second. Damon Blue Chip made better progress upon straightening out for home, closing steadily to collar A Fool For Mark–who vacated the pocket to pass Walks of Life in mid-stretch by a half-length. Celebrity Scandal (Claude Huckabone, III) rallied from the back of the pack to take fourth.

MacDonald scored a driving double on the 12-race card, as did Claude Huckabone, Jr., Greg Merton, and Shawn McDonough.

— James Witherite

Saratoga Casino and Raceway
Breewood Brier (Amigo Hall) picked a good time to earn her first victory of the season as the 8-year-old trotting mare prevailed in the $16,300 Spa Spring Claiming Series final, Sunday (June 28) at Saratoga Casino and Raceway. The Steve Millard-trained trotter finished second in both legs of the series leading up to Sunday’s final and was dismissed at odds of 6-1 in the mile and a quarter trot. Breewood Brier left early and wound up sitting third before tipping to the far outside in the race’s final quarter. As soon as driver Wally Hennessey gave her the cue, Breewood Brier powered out three-wide and swooped the group in a matter of strides before winning by three lengths and stopping the timer in 2:30.4 for the mile and quarter. Net Revenue (Jordan Derue), who scored victories in both legs of the series, finished second in Sunday’s final while Sir Kensington (Bruce Aldrich Jr) earned the show spot. Breewood Brier returned $14.80 to win and led an exacta and triple that paid $118.50 and $646, respectively.

Buffalo Raceway
It was a mixed bag for the fans at Buffalo Raceway on a rainy Sunday afternoon (June 28). The long shots were a plenty but there were enough favorites to please the chalk players. Drew Monti kept both happy as he posted a driving triple. He won with Power Off ($4.70) and Bet On Me Hanover ($5.80) while notching a surprising victory aboard Alabama Flash ($24.40) over the sloppy track. The 20-year-old Monti sits in second place in the Buffalo Raceway driver’s standings with 116 victories. He trails runaway leader Kevin Cummings who has 180. Jim McNeight picked up a couple of long shot wins as he guided War Front ($21.00) and Milliron Pete ($45.00) to the winner’s circle. David McNeight III also doubled as he drove Sunland Dakota ($15.80) and Francessa ($3.30) to victories. Racing will resume on Wednesday night at Buffalo Raceway with a 12-race card slated for 5 p.m. The New York Sire Stakes will highlight the program with the 2-year-old filly pacers battling it out the Hamburg half-mile oval.

Running Aces
Franky Provolone (Steve Wiseman) earned the opportunity to say “cheese” in the Running Aces winner’s circle for the third time in the first four weeks of the current summer meet. The 8-year-old gelding captured the $8,000 Open Trot on Sunday night, overtaking front-running Silence Son (Nick Roland) with a closing :28.3 quarter at the end of a 1:56.3 mile. El Azteca (Rick Magee) recovered from an early break in stride to finish third. This is the third consecutive year that Franky Provolone has fared well at Running Aces, winning multiple open class events with regularity since 2014. The son of Armbro Scribe is owned by Robin Clements and trained while in Minnesota by Steve Wiseman. Wiseman had a driving-training triple on the 11-race program, also winning with claimers Asgoodasioncewas and Wild About Eagle from his own stable. Becky Badger Baby (Nick Roland) also won for the third time in four tries at Running Aces this season. The diminutive 3-year-old filly copped a $6,600 ‘Class A’ trot for the best state-sired sophomore trotters in 1:59.2. She is seeking to defend her freshman season Minnesota state championship for owners Royal and Barbara Roland in partnership with Dale Hein. Go See Lo Go (Wiseman) and The Wire (Dean Magee) got the place and show dough, respectively. Quickest mile of the night was put in by Acting Captain, who captured a $3,000 conditioned race in 1:54.2 for owner Sharon Dalke, trainer Rick Lake and driver David Lake. The 5-year-old son of Somebeachsomewhere gave the Lake Stable, relocated recently to Minnesota for the first time this summer, their initial Running Aces win. Veteran driver Lemoyne ‘Moonie’ Svendsen crafted a driving double on the Sunday card, winning with a pair of Bob Johnson trainees. Someislandsomwhere triumphed in 1:55.3 in a $4,000 conditioned race for distaff pacers, while Dream Roll was victorious in a $3,000 mares event in 1:55.1. Both mares are owned by Little Bapa, LLC. For Svendsen, the wins were particularly gratifying as his daughter Kaitlyn Knox Svendsen was able to join him in the winner’s circle pictures for the first time since her kidney transplant just four weeks ago.

Hippodrome 3R
Newcomer Fortune Playboy showed he is a force to be reckoned with as driver Gilles Gendron toyed with the harness racing field at the Hippodrome 3R Sunday in the third race featured pace. Shipping in from Kawartha Downs on a two-race win streak, Fortune Playboy was heard from once the starting gate pulled away as the 5-year-old gelded son of Rambaran shot right to the lead from post six. To the opening quarter in :28.1, Fortune Playboy already held the field at bay as Aarons Mattjesty (Denis St. Pierre) was battling with Pieraz (Sylvain Lacaille) for the two-hole spot with Aarons Mattjesty winning that fight. Past the half-mile marker in :57.2, Fortune Playboy held command of the lead by a length as Pieraz was now first-over but could not collar the leader with Aarons Mattjesty getting the pocket trip. It was the still the same as they reached the three-quarters in 1:26.2. It was then that Gendron stopped playing with the field, led Fortune Playboy have his head and they pulled away for a three length victory in 1:56.1 on the off-track. Aarons Mattjesty was second with Pieraz third. Trained by John MacMillan, it was Fortune Playboy’s sixth win this year. He is co-owned by MacMillan and 2099551 Ontario, Inc. and paid $4.00 to win. It was a driver/trainer double on the afternoon as Gendron/MacMillan teamed up to also win the fifth race pace with Windson Stetson ($2.90) in 1:59.1. Driver Denis St. Pierre had the hot hands Sunday despite the rain and scored his fourth driving quadruple of the season. He is now just two wins away from scoring his 4,000th career victory. Coming up this Wednesday evening is the opening round of the Quebec-Bred Series for 3-year-old trotting colts and fillies. There will be four weeks of elimination competition in July with the top point earners returning on Sunday (Sept. 6) for their C$65,000 finals. Post time on Wednesday is 7 p.m. For more information visit www.quebecjockeyclub.com.

Dresden Raceway

Nick Steward lit up the day at Dresden Raceway with five winners on Sunday afternoon. Steward’s first win was in the third race while driving NJs Trick Pistol for owner/trainer William Leon. The 7-year-old Sagebrush gelding paced in 1:59.3. Dresden Raceway’s leading dash winner popped his second win in the fifth race with the 3-year-old Shadow Play gelding Euchred in 2:00.1. Euchred is owned by David Yuzpe and is trained by Patrick Shepherd. Steward picked up the hat trick in the seventh race sitting behind Blackbird Singing for Terry Hunter. The 9-year-old Artistic horse was the second training win for Shepherd and paced in 1:58.1. The London native notched his fourth win of the day in the ninth race with Alaskan Seelster in 1:59.2. The 3-year-old Stonebridge Regal gelding is owned by Leona Morrissey and is trained by Dan Morrissey. Callmeinthemoroning was Steward’s fifth winner of the day in the 10th race in 1:58.3. The 10-year-old Western Maverick mare is owned and trained by Brittany Kennedy. Steward leads the standings in wins at Dresden Raceway with nine wins while Tyler North is second with seven victories and Robert Sparling Jr. is third with six. Dresden Raceway will be home to a huge Canada Day party on Wednesday with lots of giveaways and great racing action. Post time is 1:30 p.m. The handle at Dresden Raceway was C$15,986.