Racing Roundup: Drew Campbell dominates at the Downs
June 4, 2009,from Harness Publicists across North America
Thursday’s (June 4) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Scarborough Downs, Vernon Downs, Saratoga Raceway, Scioto Downs and Cal-Expo.
Drew Campbell dominates at the Downs
Scarborough, ME — Multiple win performances have become commonplace occurrences for driver Drew Campbell this season as Scarborough’s top-rated pilot continued his vault away from the pack on Thursday by clicking off a nifty four-bagger at the southern Maine harness venue.
Michael Newman photo
Drew Campbell scored one of his four wins on Thursday behind Neutralizer.
Campbell added to his meet’s leading tally right from the get-go by whipping off three consecutive trips down victory lane while securing new lifetime speed standards for Oneofakindboy (2:03.2), Neutralizer (1:59.4) and Cocktails At Five (2:00.4) before completing the grand-slam venture later in the program behind Paul Hanley’s Fillmewalley N.
Campbell, who sports a gaudy .439 UDR rating to lead all North American drivers with over 300 starts, now boasts 77 seasonal wins at Scarborough Downs — 30 more than his closest rival Rob Dinning.
— Michael Sweeney
Sharpshootennorris scores again at Vernon
Vernon, NY — Sharpshootennorris tied the longest winning streak of Vernon Downs’ 56th campaign with a 1:55.4 triumph in Thursday night’s $9,000 featured sixth race.
With defending driving champ Josh Marks doing the teaming, Sharpshootennorris advanced from fifth at the quarter to third at the half before taking charge entering the final turn and striding to a 1-1/4 length victory over the early pacesetter, Unshakeable, in the week’s Open trotting test. As the crown-wagering choice, he paid $4.40, $3.40 and $2.40.
Fotowon photo
Sharpshootennorris ran his winning streak to four in Thursday’s Vernon feature.
The strong and steady effort resulted in the fourth win in succession and third at Vernon for Sharpshootennorris, tying him with fellow high-stepper Crown Rules for most consecutive tallies after 19 current programs. Last year’s Downs training champ Tracy Brainard shares ownership of the 6-year-old gelding with Gerard Stuchbury. It marked the 14th career score for the winner of more than $242,400.
Marks chalked up his third triple in as many nights of competition at the Downs this season. He also won with the trotters Justice Wyoming, owned and trained by Brainard, and Valley Crown, owned and conditioned by Jason Signor and Jennifer Signor.
Ten-time Vernon driving champ Howard Okusko, Jr. also logged three victories (St Regis Hall, Sir Prize Hall and Dreaming Big) during Thursday’s nine-race card to hike his meet-leading win total to 31.
— Jim Moran
Coppola posts four-bagger at Saratoga
Saratoga Springs, NY — Thursday night was yet another night where driver Frank Coppola, Jr. shined at Saratoga Gaming and Raceway. In 2008, Coppola not only won the driving title but broke the record for wins in a season for a driver. It seemed to
be a daunting task for Coppola to follow up the historic year here in 2009 but the talented reinsman has gotten off to another terrific start this season at the Spa.
Dave Oxford photo
Wisdom Way was one of four winners on the Thursday card at Saratoga for driver Frank Coppola, Jr.
On Thursday night, Coppola drove four more winners, furthing padding his lead in the driver standings. I’m All Sporty and Nogality were 6-1 shots that Coppola got home on the night’s 13-race program while Youonlylivetwice and Wisdom Way scored with some heavier board support.
I’m All Sporty pulled off the minor upset in the evening’s feature as the mare parlayed the perfect pocket trip to the win for Coppola. In a race that consisted of a :57 final half, I’m All Sporty made up ground in the stretch to gather in the win while outlegging the race’s two favorites to record the win.
I’m All Sporty and Wisdom Way not only were part of the Coppola grand slam on Thursday but also comprised a training double for conditioner Tim Dickie.
— Mike Sardella
Crime Scene Cruzer continues to roll at Scioto
Columbus, OH — The Yankee Cruiser sophomore colt Crime Scene Cruzer took the fastest division of the Steamin Demon series at Scioto Downs on Thursday night with an easy pacesetting triumph in 1:56.
Driver Chris Page sent the 1-2 favorite to the front at the start of the race and cruised to the wire 2-1/2 lengths ahead of Romeo’s Touch. Track Stand finished third. Scott Mogen trains the winner for the Still Don’t Know Stable of Ohio.
Page won the other division of the Steamin Demon with Special D by 6-3/4 lengths in 1:57 by reserving the Stand Forever gelding off the pace during the opening half-mile, then taking command. Orlo was second and Ima Natural held on for third after setting the early fractions.
Sons of Chip Chip Hooray took both divisions of the B F Coaltown series for trotters as Don’t Know Chip scored for trainer-driver Jim Dailey in 1:57.2 and Aloha Hooray was a 6-1/4 length winner for driver Ryan Stahl and trainer Scott Cox. Aloha Hooray was timed in 1:58.2.
Chris Page, Scioto’s leading driver this season, scored four wins on the 12-race card.
— Dean A. Hoffman
Silver Bloom clobbers her foes at Cal-Expo
Sacramento, CA — The old rule of thumb that 3-year-olds shouldn’t beat older horses didn’t apply to Silver Bloom in a $4,200 conditioned pace at Cal-Expo on Thursday night.
Prior to starting from post position six in the field of the same number, trainer Rick Plano knew how he would have preferred to have raced his mare, but had good reason not to.
“I wanted to start racing her from out of a hole and from behind like I did last week,” stated Plano. “But this field came up too weak for her and being that she was outside I had no options other than to leave.”
Firing out for the lead and getting it just before the field had traveled an eighth of a mile, Plano would apply the brakes not only in the second eighth of a :28.2 opening quarter, but in the second quarter as well, thus reaching the half-mile station in :57.4.
With the field three-eighths of a mile from home, Plano let Silver Bloom out a notch.
“I just let her pace a little bit and she went a quick third quarter (:27.4). Basically, at the three-quarters, we had the field put away.”
Opening up by 2-1/2 lengths midway through the final turn while pacing effortlessly, Plano would urge his charge once at the three-quarter pole, timed in 1:25.3, then would kick out the earplugs as the field entered the stretch.
“She was pacing pretty fast when I popped the plugs, but she still responded and kept on going and kept to the task and coasted home.”
Opening up the lead in the stretch while only urged a bit late, the only 3-year-old in the race would romp by 6-3/4 lengths. Bred in part by owner Wayne Knittel, Silver Bloom won ($3.20) in 1:54, a lifetime best. I Give Youmy Word (Rocky Stidham) finished in second, and Mamahaswhiskerstoo (Steve Wiseman) finished another 1-1/2 lengths farther back in third.
“It was pretty simple — go the front and never look back,” finished Plano.
— Scott Ehrlich