from harness publicists across North America

Sunday’s (June 15) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, Harrah’s Philadelphia, Tioga Downs, Running Aces and Saratoga Casino and Raceway.

Wilkes-Barre, PA — Drop The Ball coasted to an easy win Sunday night in the featured Preferred Handicap Pace for mares at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. The race carried a purse of $25,000.

Curtis Salonick photo

Drop The Ball was an easy winner in Sunday’s Preferred Handicap at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs.

Leaving from post position 4 in a field of seven as the 3-5 favorite, Drop The Ball (Western Terror-Mattcheck Girl) grabbed the pocket around the first turn behind American In Paris. With one quick brush, the 6-year-old mare from the barn of Ross Croghan took the lead on the front stretch and extended it to a huge margin at the top of the stretch. Driver Simon Allard geared Drop The Ball down from there and she coasted home a 2 length winner in an effortless 1:50.1. Strings finished second while Jinglejanglejingle picked up the show.

Drop The Ball won for the second time in six 2014 races. It was her 23rd career win, pushing her lifetime earnings to $1,330,616.

— Jim Beviglia

Harrah’s Philadelphia
Baron Racing and Richard Lombardo’s Dancin Yankee went down the road in Sunday’s featured Winner’s Over $25,000 Pace at Harrah’s Philadelphia. Blasting off the wings at the start, Dancin Yankee went on to make every call a winning one. He paced the mile in 1:49. He received mild pressure from Bigtown Hero, who had to grind first over all the way from sixth. Ron Burke trainee Clear Vision sat the pocket throughout and finished second, while Heston Blue Chip rallied for third. Since a tough trip hampered his chances in the Levy final at Yonkers, Dancin Yankee has won four of his last five races. He is trained by Josh Green and was driven by Ron Pierce.

Tioga Downs
Sustaining a first-over bid, Prairie Jaguar ($18.00) wore down Fireyourguns before kicking clear to a 1:50.4 win over a late-closing JK Panache in Sunday (June 15) afternoon’s $14,000 Open 1 Handicap Pace at Tioga Downs. The 6-year-old Spy Hard gelding commenced his bid after Fireyourguns (Aaron Byron) was used to clear the lead at a :54.4 half-mile, pushing steadily to keep the pace hot on the approach to the far turn. With 300 yards to go, the two were level, and Jim Marohn, Jr. kicked clear with Prairie Jaguar at head-stretch. As Fireyourguns faded through the stretch, the late threat came in the form of JK Panache (Rick Plano), who fanned wide off Prairie Jaguar’s live cover, closing to within 1-3/4 lengths for second honors. The Ladies Man (Corey Braden) made a late bid for third. Trainer Mike Deters co-owns Prairie Jaguar with Laurie Lee Poulin. Three $12,500 first-round divisions of the Nichols True Value late-closing series for pacers were contested on the undercard, with Moonlight Ransom (1:53.3, Jimmy Whittemore), Real Illusion (1:53, Brandon Simpson), and Agood Time to Rock (1:53.1, Jim Marohn Jr.) all proving victorious.

Running Aces
Del Rio Seelster successfully made the move from the top claiming ranks to the Open ranks on Sunday by capturing the $8,500 Open Pace in 1:52.1. Driver Tim Maier, the leader at the meet after the first two weeks, had the winner positioned fourth at the halfway point — just as he did last week in a $12,500 claimer — then paced the quickest final quarter in the race to win by a head over Canadian Touch (Steve Wiseman) and R Gauwitz Hanover (Kim Pluta). Del Rio Seelster is owned and trained by Maier’s son Daniel. A pair of $6,500 Minnesota-sired 3-year-old trots were presented earlier on the program with repeat winners in both splits. The fillies division went to Al-Mar Pizzazz (Tim Maier) in 2:01.1 to best Country Cheerio (Adam Hauser) and CD’s SOS (Nick Roland). Owned by trainer Ulf Holm-Johansen and partner Vernon Devine, the black filly ran her record to a perfect three-for-three in 2014 despite a scary moment when she bobbled at the head of the stretch, but lost ground and recovered quickly to maintain the advantage. Chewy Dunkerton (Roland) is the dominant force in the colts and geldings division thus far by virtue of his three-for-three win record in this young season. Trainer Jesse DeLong’s son Ben owns the black gelding who was last year’s freshman champion among Minnesota-sired horses. A huge throng of Father’s Day fans turned out for the 11-race card.

Saratoga Casino and Raceway
Campanile (No Pan Intended) won the Fillies and Mares Open for the second consecutive Sunday afternoon at Saratoga Casino and Raceway. The Allan Johnson-trained 5-year-old wound up overcoming a difficult trip after getting stuck inside before shaking loose late. Campanile had plenty of late pace and surged past frontrunning Let’s Go Higher (Shawn Gray) in the final strides to secure her fourth victory of the year. Austin Siegelman piloted Campanile to the score in the $17,000 Sunday feature. The 4-5 favorite prevailed in 1:53.3 for her third straight win, second in Open company. Let’s Go Higher finished second while It’s A Miracle (Bruce Aldrich Jr.) came on for third.