by harness racing publicists across North America

The Saturday (Sept. 2) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Batavia Downs, Tioga Downs, Vernon Downs, The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono and Running Aces.

Fireyourguns runs away with Batavia feature

Batavia, NY — After tasting defeat for the first time this year at Batavia Downs last week, Fireyourguns rebounded in a big way as he routed the best local pacers in the $10,500 Open Handicap feature on Saturday night (Sept. 2).

Paul White photo

Fireyourguns dominates his competition in the Batavia feature on Saturday evening.

After getting parked three-deep leaving for almost a quarter of a mile, Fireyourguns (Jim Morrill Jr.) finally cleared and took the front before the first bend and then never looked back from there. He was loose on the lead the whole journey, gapping the chasing Southwind Torque (Ray Fisher Jr.) by as much as three lengths as the trailers merely scrambled to keep up.

When the race passed three-quarters in 1:23.3, Morrill was content with how things were going and merely fed some line, leaned back and watched as Fireyourguns took it home by himself to win by a comfortable two-lengths in 1:53.

It was the 54th lifetime win in only 119 starts for Fireyourguns ($3.10) who now has $381,706 on his card. Robert and Jennifer Lowe own the 8-year-old gelded son of American Ideal in partnership with Terence Mc Clory who does the training.

In the secondary featured $9,000 Open II pace, Focus Power (Drew Monti) led every step of the way, posting three quick :28 and change quarters before flying home in :27.3 to put away the field in 1:53 flat, which was a new lifetime mark for the winner. The win was the sixth of the year for Focus Power ($5.80) who now has earned $68,845 in 2017. James Caradori owns the Shadow Play progeny and Darrin Monti trains him.

Jim Morrill Jr. drove a grand slam on Saturday while Kevin Cummings, John Cummings Jr. and Larry Stalbaum each had two winners during the night. Trainer Kim Asher also had two winners sent out from her barn.

Racing resume at Batavia Downs on Monday afternoon (Sept. 4) for the big Labor Day matinee program that features the annual driver’s bicycle race.

— by Tim Bojarski

Tioga Downs

Prairie Fortune (Jim Meittinis) charged late to win the Open II Trot Handicap ($10,000), at Tioga Downs on Saturday (Sept. 2). Winemaster Hanover (Mike Simons), would grab the lead and control all the early fractions of :27.3, :57.0 and 1:25.1. Zoraze (Fern Paquet Jr.) would take the lead in mid-stretch but Prairie Fortune would go three-wide and fly by to get the victory in 1:54.2. Zoraze would hang on for second with BJ Anthony (Mickey Mc Nichol) in the third spot. Prairie Fortune ($3.80), who is owned by Laurie Puolin and trainer Mike Deters, would win for the seventh time this year to earn career win number 34. Jim Taggart Jr. would pick up three driving wins on the night. First win was with Cool Breeze De Vie $3.90 while the second victory came with J Black ($19.80) and the third win was with One Tough Nut ($5.20). There is no racing on Sunday (Sept. 3) because of the Golden Boys concert. Live action returns on Monday (Sept. 4) for a special Labor Day matinee beginning at 1 p.m. The 12-race card will be highlighted by two divisions of the New York Sire Stakes for 3-year-old pacing fillies. For more information go to www.tiogadowns.com.

Vernon Downs

Pop I (John MacDonald) won the Vernon Downs featured trot ($9,000) on Saturday (Sept. 2). Pop I (Andover Hall), who is owned by Glat Kosher Racing and trained by Harry Landy, would put up all the early fractions of :27.0, :56.0 and 1:25.1. Sweet Ashley T (Jimmy Whittemore) would take the lead at the top of the stretch. The two trotters would battle back and forth all the way down the stretch. In the end it was the 7-year-old gelding, Pop I ($5.20) who was the winner in 1:54.2. He would win for the fourth time this season and the 28th time in his career. Sweet Ashley T had to settle for second. Waiting On A Woman would come up for third. MacDonald would add three more wins on the night. His victories were with Miss Ruby ($2.20), Thundercrest ($4.90) and Mac’s Black Hat ($4.50). Vernon Downs returns to live racing for a special Labor day (Sept. 4) matinee starting at 1:05 p.m. For more information go to www.vernondowns.com.

The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono

The Lis Mara gelding Ontario Success had quite the adventuresome trip going from last at the quarter to first at the finish in the $20,000 pacing feature at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono Saturday night, but he got the job done nicely for driver Anthony Napolitano in 1:51.2 with the temperature in the cool mid-50s. Ontario Success did not leave, but the two primary quick starters, Milliondollarwave and Maxdaddy Blue Chip, hooked wheels coming out of the first turn, with several of the horses directly in behind them having their chances severely compromised in the ensuing melee. Napolitano had to go wide in front of the stands to avoid major trouble, but indeed would suffer relatively minor difficulty and went up to third going to the second turn. Off that bend Ontario Success started a first-over journey, wore down El Bloombito, who had emerged with the lead after the early trouble, then held off the second-over Bruce’s Magic by a length. Ron Burke trains the winner of $425,430 for his family’s Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. Pocono will race as usual Sunday night at 7:30 p.m., and then on Monday it switches over to that day’s post time at the mountain oval for the rest of the year of 4:30 p.m. The Labor Day Monday card is a great one – the $1.2 million Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Championships for 2-year-olds, featuring the undefeated trotting filly Manchego and other stars of the future.

Running Aces

The Saturday night harness racing program at Running Aces played host to the Minnesota-sired 3 year old Pacers for an early $6,500 event, and it would prove to be a race well worth watching. Steve’s Hot Rod, a gelding by Voracious Hanover posted a sharp display of his speed and talent with a gate-to-wire romp in 1:51.4 to establish a new track mark for 3-year-old gelding pacers, a record that had stood for more than five years, since Chewy Baca (Rick Magee) stopped the clock in 1:52.1 in July of 2012. Trainer/driver Rick Magee confidently sent Steve’s Hot Rod quickly from the gate to a fast early lead, and was well in control past the :28 quarter-mile post. The horse and Magee controlled every step from there with ease, and they were never in doubt, coasting past the half in :56.2, and turning back a bid by Whatitdo Babyboo (Steve Wiseman) near the 1:24 three-quarter clocking. This is after a fast third-quarter of :27.3, Steve’s Hot Rod made it crystal clear around the final turn that there would be nobody going past him on this night; he was strictly in a race against the clock. They thundered down the homestretch and stopped the teletimer at 1:51.4 to take their place in the record books, with a sparkling and dominating performance. DeweyDidDoneGood (Dean Magee), who sat the pocket the entire way, picked up second by 1-3/4 lengths, with Whatitdo BabyBoo home in third. Steve’s Hot Rod is owned by Kati Sokolowski, and now has seven wins in 28 lifetime starts, and earnings of $52,686. The featured event of the Saturday card was the $12,000 open handicap trot, with a full field of nine talented square-gaiters going to battle. Banker Volo was returning from a four-race stint in Illinois and Indiana, and upon his return to Running Aces he made it well apparent that he indeed was still the reigning king of trotting at the Minnesota oval. Driver Luke Plano sent Banker Volo ($4.40) fast from the assigned outside nine post, and had no trouble establishing the immediate lead. They strolled through fractions of :28.1, :57.3 and 1:26.1 and never had a challenger at their wheel. They completed the dominating gate-to-wire score with a :29.2 final stanza to stop the clock in 1:55.3, 2-1/4 lengths ahead of the nearest rival. For Banker Volo it was win number eight in 13 tries this season, with seven of those wins right here at Running Aces. The superstar stallion trotter has now bankrolled a tad under $50,000 this season and over $335,000 lifetime. Banker Volo is owned by Daniel Roland, and is currently trained by Angie Coleman.
Drivers Steve Wiseman and Luke Plano both completed hat tricks on the Saturday program, with three wins each, and Magee completed a driving double as well. Live Rrcing at Running Aces continues through Sept. 16, on Tuesdays, Saturdays and Sundays.