by harness racing publicists across North America

Sunday’s (July 9) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Scarborough Downs, Tioga Downs, Saratoga Raceway, Running Aces and Dresden Raceway.

Drew Campbell wins six at Scarborough Downs

Scarborough, ME — Drew Campbell held the hot hand at Scarborough Downs on Sunday (July 9) as the man in the orange and black colors engineered a powerful performance, impressively driving six winners down Victory Lane.

Michael Newman photo

Drew Campbell reels off six wins Sunday at Scarborough Downs.

The perennial driving champion at the Downs, Campbell got his day started in high gear by scoring wins in the first two dashes of the day, while returning a ridiculously generous $26.40 Daily Double payoff for a ticket with the name “Campbell” at both ends of the gimmick.

Taking a few races off to catch his breath, the hot streak resumed quickly though, as Campbell briskly ran off wins in the next four consecutive contests.

Drew Campbell currently sits firmly ensconced in his customary seat atop the Scarborough Downs leaders’ board with 69 seasonal wins to his credit following Sunday’s six-pack performance.

Scarborough Downs is pleased to present twilight harness racing cards (and Drew Campbell) on a Thursday and Saturday schedule at 4:30 p.m. (EDT) with the Sunday matinee heading to post at 1:30 p.m.

For more information, visit www.ScarboroughDowns.com or visit our Facebook page.

— by Michael Sweeney

Tioga Downs

Shady City (Larry Staulbaum) would take the Open Pace ($12,000) on Sunday (July 9) for the third straight time. All together the 7-year-old has won five straight. Time Out I’m Tired (Jim Marohn Jr.) would jump out of the gate first but Fire Your Guns (Mike SImons), would work hard to take the lead before the first quarter. Fire Your Guns (American Ideal) would take all the early fractions :27.1, :54.2, 1:21.3. Time Out I’m Tired (Artiscape) would come out the pocket and challenge at the top of the stretch. Shady City (Metropolitan), who is owned by Staulbaum and trained by Kimberly Asher, would then make a three-wide move in the stretch to blast by and win in a lifetime best of 1:50.1. Shady City ($5.90) would hold off a late charge by second best, Andreios Kardia (Aaron Byron). Time Out I’m Tired would hang on for third. Staulbaum would win two more on the card. He led Barbarian ($9.60) to victory, hanging on to beat Wellwesaid (Mike Merton). Staulbaum would get his third win with Winyard Hanover ($20.60) passing Lyons Johnny late in the stretch. Tioga Downs returns to live action on Friday starting at 6:50 p.m. For more information go to www.tiogadowns.com.

Saratoga Raceway

Twisted Pretzel (Crazed) has been the most consistent trotter all year at Saratoga Casino Hotel and on Sunday (July 9), the Scott Mongeon trainee won for the eighth time in 2017. Starting from the outside post in the $14,500 Open Trot, Twisted Pretzel flashed some early speed and wound up situated in fourth in the early going. Jimmy Devaux moved the rising trotting star first over approaching the half and after he took over, Twisted Pretzel took off. Met with the late challenge of the favored Tirade Hanover (Bruce Aldrich Jr.) Twisted Pretzel held firm and scored in 1:55.1. The final time served as a new lifetime mark for the seven year old and also matched the fastest time for any trotter this year at Saratoga. Tirade Hanover was a strong second in his local debut while Boli (Wally Hennessey) kept his “on the board” streak alive by finishing third. Twisted Pretzel was dismissed at odds of 9-1 and returned $21.20 to win. The exacta and triple came back $59.50 and $185, respectively. Live racing resumes on Thursday afternoon at Saratoga with a 12:15 p.m. first post.

Running Aces

Barbosa posted another sharp gate-to-wire victory, for two in a row and his fourth local win of the season on the Sunday card at Running Aces. Barbosa ($3.60) is a 6-year-old pacing gelding by General Aidid and he stopped the timer in 1:54.1 in a $7,000 claiming-conditioned event with trainer Luke Plano aboard for owner Heather Mathews. Plano sent his pacer right to the lead from post five in the seven-horse affair, and set reasonable fractions of :28.1, :57.4 and 1:26.1 before posting a strong final quarter of :28 to seal the deal and register career win number 26. The $13,000 Minnesota-sired 3-year-old filly trot went to Silent Dreams, who picked up her first win of the year in a lifetime best 2:02.2 with Dean Magee in the sulky for trainer Rick Bertrand and owners Glen and Jody Wilson. Silent Dreams ($7.40) was the 2-year-old Minnesota champion filly last year and has now earned $64,690 in 13 lifetime races. The 11-year-old gelding pacer Mighty Fine Hi Ho ($5.00) posted his fastest lifetime win (1:54.3) in his 40th trip to the winner’s circle from 266 career starts. The sharp campaigner is owned and trained by Edwin Quevedo and was driven to victory by Dean Magee, with an impressive rally from well off the pace and a winning three-wide move around the final turn. This win also pushed his bankroll over the century mark to $100,543. Steve Wiseman, James Yoder, and Dean Magee all completed driving doubles on the Sunday program. The next card of live harness racing at Running Aces Casino & Racetrack will go to post on Tuesday (July 11) at 7 p.m. (CDT), with a carryover in the 20-cent Jackpot Pick-5 wager of $7,631.79.

Dresden Raceway

The first leg of the Mark Austin Pacing series is in the books at Dresden Raceway on Sunday (July 9). Step In My Groove and Nick Steward went wire-to wire to capture the first division of the non-winners of one race or C$5,000 lifetime (FM C$6,000) series. The 4-year-old Rambaran gelding stepped off fractions of :29.1, 1:00, 1:30.2 for a time of 2:00.4 for owner-trainer Leon Mansfield of Strathroy and partner Antonia Smith. My Greek Princess finished second for Tyler Borth while You Said It and Lorne House finished third. The second division of the series saw Big Bad Carly and Tyler Borth hit the winner’s circle in 2:03 after chasing down CRJ Hottie and Donnie Rankin. Big Bad Carly is a 3-year-old Big Bad John filly, owned and trained by Tom Bain of Woodslee and co-owned by Nathan Bain. House guided GMC Trooper to a third place finish. Action Town, a 3-year-old Mister Big gelding, and Rankin went to the front and never looked back in the third division for owner Ken Sommer of Sheffield, Ohio, in 2:02.4. Mark Williams guided Got It Made to a second place finish while Thriller Night and Garrett Rooney paid on the show ticket. Rooney and Pull The Shade took top prize in the fourth division of the Mark Austin series after cutting the mile and holding on for the win by a head over Abitofalright and Williams. The 3-year-old Dragon Again filly paced the mile in 2:00.4 for owner Sheri Abbot of Windsor and trainer Steve Roberts. Alyssa Marie and Alex Lilley were third. The second leg of the series goes next week with the $10,000 final is set for July 23. The handle at Dresden was C$26,225.