Racing Roundup: Deuce Seelster wins $37,000 Yonkers Open
May 29, 2010,from Harness Publicists across North America
Saturday’s (May 29) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Yonkers Raceway, Saratoga Gaming and Raceway, Tioga Downs, Vernon Downs, Cal-Expo, Buffalo Raceway, Northfield Park and Scioto Downs.
Deuce Seelster wins $37,000 Yonkers Open
Yonkers, NY — Deuce Seelster (George Brennan) took full advantage of his Saturday night inside assignment, winning Yonkers Raceway’s $37,000 Open Handicap Pace.
Tom Berg photo
Deuce Seelster rallied in the lane to win the $37,000 Yonkers Open.
Deuce Seelster sat pocketed to Art’s Ragin’ Jet (Jim Pantaleano) as that one made the lead before a :27 opening quarter-mile. Art’s Ragin’ Jet then negotiated a :56.2 intermission before dealing with a second move of slight 5-2 favorite Giddy Up Lucky (Jason Bartlett). The two wagering choices were in synchronized step through a wicked :27.1 third quarter (1:23.3), with Art’s Ragin’ Jet putting that stubborn foe away.
The lead was three-quarters of a length entering the lane, before the Deuce shook loose. He ducked inside, snapping the pacesetter by a neck in a season’s best 1:52.1. Forensic Z Tam (Patrick Lachance) rallied for third, with Psilvuheartbreaker (Cat Manzi) and Giddy Up Lucky completing the cashers.
Deuce Seelster, a 5-year-old son of Western Hanover owned by Katherine Bardis and trained by Jeff Webster, returned $8.40 (third choice) for his sixth win in 15 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $36.80, with the triple returning $436.
— Frank Drucker
Saratoga Gaming and Raceway
Jeremy’s Successor pulled off the mild upset in the Saturday night Open Pace at Saratoga Gaming and Raceway, getting the best of the 3-5 favorite Rare Jewel en route to his first local score. Jeremy’s Successor was entered in last week’s Open but was forced out of it due to sickness. In his local debut on Saturday, the 6-year-old Dean Eckley trainee left from his outside post, only to give up the lead heading to the half. Rare Jewel took over the top spot but his journey proved too difficult and the classy veteran gave way late as Jeremy’s Successor came on to record the 1:52.4 win in the $16,500 Open. Rare Jewel (Dan Cappello, Jr.) held strong for second while Pembroke Blitz (Claude Huckabone III) earned the show spot. Jeremy’s Successor, who was driven to victory by Billy Dobson, recorded his fourth win on the season.
Tioga Downs
Impressive Char and Greg Merton captured Saturday night’s $10,000 Class B Handicap Pace for fillies and mares at Tioga Downs. Merton sent Impressive Char to the front from post position nine and never looked back, pacing through fractions of :26.3, :56.2, and 1:25.1 before stopping the timer in 1:55. It was the sixth win of the year for the 5-year-old Jody’s Cam-Lake Hills Char mare for Orville Rursch. Kevin Johnson trains Impressive Char and with the win she increased her seasonal earnings to more than $53,000.
Vernon Downs
Josh Marks put on another driving clinic at Vernon Downs on Saturday night, winning six of the track’s 10 races, including the $9,100 featured sixth session with the veteran trotter Sharpshootennorris. Marks, who tops the track’s current dashes won standings with 50 credits in 16 programs, piloted the favorite Sharpshootennorris to a front-striding 1:55.3 victory in the week’s Class A Miracle Mile test for top-shelf representatives of the diagonal gait. The 1-3/4 length score over Saratoga invader Think Gold was the fourth in succession here for the 7-year-old son of Earl-Our Royal Gem, tying him at four with the pacers Bet The Ranch and Pickmeamerigold as the meet’s winningest equines to date. The career-winner of $305,773 is shared in ownership by trainer Tracy Brainard and Gerard Stuchbury.
Cal-Expo
Open handicap pacers, racing for a $6,100 purse, were featured at Cal-Expo on Saturday night as Nittany Linebacker repeated for driver Jim Lackey. All-out and in a tooth and nail dispute, the son of Real Desire gamely lasted ($5.80) by a head. Owned by Billie Schwartz and Ads Up Racing Stable in partnership with trainer Jim Wilkinson, Jr., Nittany Linebacker stopped the timer at 1:53.2, equaling a lifetime best. At Last had to settle for second and Cowboy Hanover finished 3-3/4 lengths farther back in third.
Buffalo Raceway
Two Twentytwo, a 6-year-old Blissfull Hall chestnut, out of the Brand New Fella mare Marvelous Helen, won in 1:54.2, the fastest pacing mile of the meet, for owner Dominic Colarusso Jr. at Buffalo Raceway on Saturday night. It was the fourth win in as many attempts this season for Two Twentytwo. The winner ($2.40), leaving from post five and driven by Jamie Dunlap, made every pole a winning one, setting fractions of :28.2, :56.4 and 1:26.1. A :28.1 last quarter-mile put the winner three lengths ahead of second place finisher Market Value (Jimmy Whisman) at the finish line. Cruise Survivor (Tom Agosti) came in third. Trained by Rich Mays, the $3,000 share of the purse put Two Twentytwo’s season’s bankroll at $11,300 and $195,665 lifetime.
Northfield Park
Painted Speed rebounded from a break last week to win Northfield’s $6,000 Open Pace in 1:53.2, but the mile that had the railbirds buzzing was 3-year-old Cmon Blaze’s 1:53.3 maiden win in the second race. Cmon Blaze ($2.20), a Cambest gelding, returned from Tioga Downs and dominated a maiden field with his win for owners Jerry Sommers and John Rhoads, Jr. Scott Cox trains the winner, who was second in a $29,400 late closing final at Tioga in his last start. Ryan Stahl put the 1-9 Cmon Blaze on top and never looked back to post his first career win. Painted Speed ($3.80) was parked well past the quarter before taking control of the feature, and held off fast closing Caramel Dumpling to take the Open, his third win in four starts in the top pace this month. Todd Liebman’s Speed of Light Stable owns Painted Speed, who won for the seventh time in 17 seasonal starts.
Scioto Downs
Dance With Dan got a perfect pocket trip and won Saturday’s fastest pace at Scioto Downs in 1:53.3 over Doc’s Yankee and pacesetting Big Bad TJ. Kyle Bolon was in the bike behind the son of Precious Bunny who went off as the even-money favorite. Driver J.D. Wengerd sent Big Bad TJ to the front from post nine and cut evenly-rated fractions without a challenge until the final quarter. Then Dance With Dan launched his attack and Doc’s Yankee rallied from fourth place to pass the leader in the homestretch. Kent McGee trains and co-owns Dance With Dan with Charles Minger. The winner is a 4-year-old and last year he recorded the fastest mile of the Scioto meet when he paced in 1:51.2. It was the first win in six starts for the pacer this season.