by harness racing publicists across North America

Saturday’s (May 19) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Saratoga Casino Hotel, Tioga Downs, Buffalo Raceway, Vernon Downs, Running Aces and Rosecroft Raceway.

Racing Roundup: Deetzy scores at Saratoga

Saratoga, NY —Deetzy (Jereme’s Jet) got caught in a humdinger last week at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The Jim Nickerson-trainee got parked in the $14,500 Open Pace in near track record fashion for the first half-mile. After being hung out by rival Panocchio (Gerry Mattison) in first lap fractions of :26.2 and :53.4, Deetzy wound up fading late.

Melissa Simser-Iovino photo

Deetzy turns the tables on Panocchio to take the featured event at Saratoga Casino Hotel on Saturday.

On Saturday (May 19), the 6-year-old drew post position four in the feature and blasted out to a much easier lead. With Phil Fluet in the sulky, Deetzy went coast-to-coast to prevail in 1:53 coincidentally, over last week’s fellow jouster Panocchio who finished second. Longshot Real Kid (Brett Crawford) earned the show spot in his first try at the local Open.

Deetzy went off as the betting public’s 9-5 second choice and led an exacta and triple that paid $19.20 and $155.50, respectively.

The win was the fourth on the season for Deetzy whose victory was his second in the Open in 2018. Deetzy’s trainer Jim Nickerson also won the Friday night Open as his Tempus Seelster went wire-to-wire in the feature for fillies and mares.

Live racing continues on Sunday afternoon at Saratoga with a matinee beginning at 12:15 p.m.

— Mike Sardella

Tioga Downs

Sudden Change N (Jim Taggart Jr.) took the Tioga Downs Fillies and Mares Open II ($9,000), on Saturday (May 19). Harness racing driver John Cummings Jr. visited the winner’s circle five times. In the feature, K J’s Caroline (Mike Merton) charged out to the lead and controlled all the early fractions (:27.1, :56.2, 1:23.4). Sudden Change N ($9.70), who is owned by trainer Jody Riedel and Super Mile LLC., went first-over from last just before the three-quarter mark. K J’s Caroline looked like she was a winner in the stretch but Sudden Change N made one more run at her to nip her at the wire in 1:52.2. K J’s Caroline held for second with Kardashian (John Cummings Jr.) finishing third. Sudden Change N is a 7-year-old mare by Changeover. She won for the fourth time this season and secured her 20th lifetime victory. John Cummings Jr. and trainer Jenny Melander combined for three wins on the night.
Cummings Jr. and Melander got wins with My Cherrie Pie ($3.00), Away My Baby ($3.60), and American Assassin ($5.50). Cummings Jr., also secured victories with Explosive Jet ($31.00), and Gold Star Aurora ($5.60). Tioga Downs returns to live racing on Sunday (May 20) with a post time of 1 p.m. For more information go to www.tiogadowns.com.

Buffalo Raceway

Fireyourguns may have misfired in his seasonal debut last week but he was fully loaded on Saturday night (May 19) by wiring the field in Buffalo Raceway’s $11,500 Open Pace in 1:52.1 over the fast track. It was just a fifth of a second off the all-time track mark of 1:52.0 set ironically by Fireyourguns in 2015. In the co-featured $11,500 Open Trot, Empire Earl N ended a modest two-race winless streak by going coast to coast to beat a pesky Fox Valley Veto by a neck in 1:58.1, equaling his seasonal best. Last week, Fireyourguns had a front end journey but stalled out in the stretch and finished sixth in 1:53.3. But that effort proved to be a perfect tightener. Starting from the three post, driver Mike Caprio guided Fireyourguns ($3.00) to the lead and put up fractions of :27.3, :56.0 and 1:24.1. In the stretch, Fireyourguns had threats coming from everywhere. Western Conquest (Ray Fisher Jr.) and Bugatti (Billy Davis Jr.) each were making charges late but had to settle for second and third respectively as Fireyourguns held on for the half-length victory. Co-owned by trainer Terence McClory along with Jennifer and Robert Lowe, the victory by the 9-year-old gelded Fireyourguns (American Ideal-Villa Hanover) moved his lifetime earnings to $401,966. Empire Earl N (Drew Monti) raced off the starting gate to get the early advantage, putting up a rather pedestrian :30 opening panel. With middle times of :59.4 and 1:29.1 splits, Empire Earl N ($6.80) had just enough left in the stretch to fend hold off Fox Valley Veto (Davis Jr.) and BZ Glide (Caprio). The win was the fourth in 12 tries this year for Empire Earl N (Earl-Santa Nita). The 10-year-old gelding is owned by Kimberly Asher and trained by Riley Asher-Stalbaum. The victory upped to seasonal winnings to $26,013 and $187,873. Shawn Gray, Monti and Fisher Jr. each had driving triples. Trainer James Clouser Jr. conditioned a trio of winners. Racing will resume on Wednesday evening at 5 p.m. with a 12-race program scheduled. For more information including the latest news, simulcast schedule, upcoming promotions, race replays, results and entries, go to www.buffaloraceway.com.

Vernon Downs

Shell I Be Bad (Truman Gale) won an exciting Vernon Downs featured pace ($5,100) on Saturday night (May 19). Golden Brit (Adam Capizzano) fired out of the gate and led the way to all the early fractions (:27.2, :56.4, 1:25.2). Danza (Raymond Vizzi) followed in the pocket all the way to the stretch. He looked primed to win but Shell I Be Bad ($23.40) had other thoughts. Shell I Be Bad, who is owned and trained by Gale as well, found himself in fifth place after three-quarters. He went four-wide in mid-stretch to swoop by and get the win in 1:54.0. Danza held on for second with Bosshoss Hanover (Jimmy Whittemore) getting third money. Shell I Be Bad is 5-year-old gelding by Big Bad John. It was his first win of 2018 and career victory number six. Gale added two more wins on the night with Ulysses Bi ($5.50) and Card Knock Life ($4.90). Vernon Downs returns to live action on Friday (May 25) with a post time of 6:15 p.m. For more information go to www.vernondowns.com.

Running Aces

The Minnesota harness racing season kicked off on Saturday night (May 19) at Running Aces and Giggle Monster was one of the stars of the show. The now 3-year-old gelding pacer by Wind Me Up was a freshman star here in 2017, winning 7 of 9 races with two seconds. Tonight, Driver Dean Magee parlayed a rail-draw into an early three-hole trip during moderate early fractions of :29.3 and :59.3 before launching first-over to challenge command. After taking the lead before the seven-eighths pole, Giggle Monster kicked home gamely to hold a one-length margin at the wire in 1:57.4 in his 2018 debut, taking the opening night featured $8,800 3 year-old Open Pace. Giggle Monster is owned by Alan and Cheryl Sandbulte of Iowa, and he paid $4.20 to his pari-mutuel backers. Another sharp winner on the card was Lincoln, a 7-year-old gelding by Bettor’s Delight who fired strong from the six-post to establish command early, and never look backed; leaving his rivals four lengths behind in the process. Driver Steve Wiseman completed a double on the card with the 1:56.1 tally for owner Robin Clements and trainer Denise Meier. For Lincoln, it was his fifth win in 18 starts this year and pushed his seasonal bankroll to $12,876. Mooney Svendsen led all drivers on opening night with his 3 victories, and Steve Wiseman and Dean Magee both completed driving doubles. Live racing returns to Running Aces on Sunday night (May 20), with a first post of 6 pm CDT and a carryover in the 50-cent Hi-5 wager of $873 for race seven.

Rosecroft Raceway

Early in his racing career, Brock N Brian struggled mightily to get checks, let alone wins. Last year, the 6-year-old son of The Fraternity Pan, notched seven of his 11 lifetime wins in the barn of Timmy Offut for owners Gerald and Tammy Lafferty. Saturday night at Rosecroft Raceway, parked every step of the way from post eight, Brock N Brian, showed some of the heart his Dad was known for at Rosecroft, and wore down the pace setter Hare Force One to tie a lifetime best 1:53.4. It was quite the battle, as Ricky Still sent Hare Force One to the lead and encountered his parked out foe at the quarter pole; they raced side-by-side literally to the wire. Brock N Brian nudged a nose in front at three-quarters only to see Hare Force One reclaim the lead in the final turn. The ensuing rush in the final quarter-mile was on. The fresh shooter Manattack (Brian Burton) looked poised to go by them all racing in a three-wide position but his bid stalled. Bieber Hanover (Jared Moyer) was four-wide in the final turn and made a push yards from the wire, but the eventual winner edged forward; five yards separated the winner from fourth in one of the best finishes of the night. Concert Artist (Kim Vincent) was second, Bieber Hanover third and Hare Force One held for fourth. The Offut-Lafferty combination took the opener in much simpler style as Offut pulled out of the pocket in the stretch to edge a stubborn pace-setter in Frost Advisory (Jason Thompson) in 1:54.3. Tidewater Titan (Burton) was a length back in third. Offut and Thelma Furr also own a piece of the winner. The closest finish of the night came when Lil Johnny and Jason Green beat Ill Call U Later and Russell Foster by literally inches at the wire in a tight photo in 1:52.2. It was a new lifetime mark for the son of Big Bad John, who tracked Ill Call U Later second-over before fanning three-wide for the final quarter-mile. Jason Walters owns and conditions the three-time winner in 2018 in just seven starts after a month due to sickness. The 18-year old provisional driver, Declan Donoway, picked up his fourth win in 21 starts at Rosecroft getting Tara Micket home in the finale for owner-trainer Richard Malone Jr. With four nights left in the meet, Frank Milby has a comfortable edge in the drivers standings and Arlene Cameron has edged clear of Megan Roberts and Brittany Bounds, 22-16. Rosecroft Raceway resumes live racing Sunday night at 4:40 p.m. Eastern.