from harness publicists across North America

Friday’s (August 13) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Yonkers Raceway, Tioga Downs, Scioto Downs, Batavia Downs and Cal-Expo.

Fleur de Lil A, Master Pine win Yonkers co-features

Yonkers, NY –— Fleur de Lil A (catch-driver Eric Goodell) closed from third-over Friday night, winning Yonkers Raceway’s co-featured $42,500 Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace.

Tom Berg photo

Fleur de Lil A was a 1:53.1 winner for Eric Goodell.

Leaving from post position No. 5, Fleur de Lil A was content to watch as LR Dancing Dream (Jim Pantaleano) led through fractions of :27.2, :56.2 and 1:24.3. Little Mermaid N (Stephane Bouchard), the very slight 2-1 choice, was pocketed while Hannah Isabel (Cat Manzi) was first-up.

Cuz She Can (Matt Kakaley), gapping a bit second-over, found her best foot in the lane, but couldn’t match strides with Fleur de Lil A. The latter edged away by three-quarters of a length in 1:53.1. Symphony In Motion (Jeff Gregory) — closing from last –Little Mermaid N and LR Dancing Dream grabbed the small change.

Fleur de Lil A, a 7-year-old Down Under Armbro Operative mare owned by Luke McCarthy and trained by Noel Daley, returned $18.40 (fifth choice) for her fourth win in 15 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $106, with the triple returning $824.

Friday night’s co-featured $42,500 Open Handicap Trot saw Master Pine (Jason Bartlett) overcome the eight hole with the time-test MO of improving position, saving ground and surging at just the right time.

After Winnin’ Image (Terry Morgan) and Tasty Max (Bouchard) took turns with the early (:28.1, :57.4) lead, KLM Express (Jim Marshall III) rolled from fourth. That one grabbed the advantage just after intermission. He widened down the backside, but began to come back to the gang around the 1:26.4 three-quarters.

YF Little Guy (Pantaleano), the 4-5 choice, took up the chase, with Shoeless White Sox (Gregory) angling outside and Master Pine ducking in. KLM Express owned a 1-1/4 length lead turning for home, then held off all but one.

Master Pine went the short route, going inside and grabbing the stubborn leader by a length in 1:56.3. Shoeless White Sox (Gregory), Summertime Yankee (Kakaley) and Y F Little Guy also earned appearance fees.

Master Pine, a 7-year-old Master Lavec gelding trained by Julie Miller for co-owners Mark Moger and Albert Delia Jr., returned $20.60 (fourth choice) for his ninth victory (second consecutive) in 22 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $222.50, with the triple returning $2,213.

— Frank Drucker

Tioga Downs
All Spirit set out to seek revenge on rival Lucy Lucy in Friday night’s $15,000 Fillies and Mares Open Handicap Pace at Tioga Downs and her mission was accomplished. After finishing as the runner-up two weeks in a row at the end of July to Lucy Lucy, the 4-year-old daughter of Bettor’s Delight-Spirit Of Ivy was set for a rematch. Piloted by Jimmy Marohn, Jr. he sent All Spirit to control her own destiny and cut fractions of :27.3, :56.4 and 1:24.2 before rebuffing all challengers to win in 1:53. It was the third win in seven starts for All Spirit, campaigned from the Tim Lanpher stable for owner Larry Lanpher. The co-track record holder for 4-year-old mares was having a glorious start to 2010 before having a month layoff and seems to be rounding back into the form that has earned her more than $230,000 in just 29 lifetime starts. The win was part of a five-win night for “The Mighty Mite,” Jimmy Marohn, Jr., who was the 2009 leading driver at Tioga Downs.

Scioto Downs
Tu Tu Twain rolled down the track to a 1:54 score in the fastest mile of the evening on Friday at Scioto Downs. The 7-year-old pacing mare shot out of the pocket entering the stretch and posted a 1-1/2 length victory over Big City Hanover while pacesetting Noble Zena faded to third. Tu Tu Twain was driven by Kayne Kauffman for trainer Chris McGuire and owner Huggybear Racing LLC. In a dozen starts this season, she has three wins, three seconds and three thirds. The mile was her fastest of the season. In trotting action at Scioto, the sophomore gelding Rose Run Legend was a convincing 1:58.1 winner for Dan Noble, catch-driving for trainer Jim Dailey. The son of Trainforthefuture wrestled control of the race from Wyatt and driver J.D. Wengerd in the third quarter and trotted away to a comfortable four length win. Wyatt held second and Balance Spur was third. Rose Run Legend is owned by Jerry Zosel, Kathy Ratcliff and Kimberly Daily. The mile was a new lifetime mark for Rose Run Legend and it was his second win in 10 tries this season.

Batavia Downs
Kash N Credit, with Troy Boring sitting in for Hall of Fame reinsman Clint Galbraith, made every pole a winning one en route to a popular score in the featured $9,000 Preferred Trot at Batavia Downs Casino. Leaving from post five, Kash N Credit, a 4-year-old by Credit Winner, took command from Hello Carlo (Jack Flanigen) at the opening quarter in :29. Once on top Boring was able to give Kash N Credit a :31 second quarter breather. A back half of :59 was good enough to hold off the pocket sitting Hello Carlo by a quarter-length in 1:59. St Regis Hall and Jamie Dunlap were farther back in third. Owned by Clint and Barbara Galbraith and Arnie Rothschild, Kash N Credit ($4.10) notched his sixth win of the 2010 campaign and raised his lifetime earnings to more than $140,000. Galbraith, who continues to recover from injuries suffered in an accident, was in the winner’s circle.

Cal-Expo
Both horse and driver had been off since January, the former off a break, the latter because of a very scary spill, but on their return to the races, both Calzone and Rich Wojcio were winners. Open 2 handicap trotters, racing for a purse of $5,200, were featured on Friday at Cal-Expo on opening night of the summer/fall/winter meet, in which Calzone closed fastest of all. Quickly to the lead at mid-stretch with the whip over Wojcio’s shoulder, there’d be no catching the 5-year-old as he’d win ($3.40) by 1-3/4 lengths. Bred, owned and trained by Gordie Graham, the gelding stopped the timer at 1:58. The pocket sitting Jam And Jelly (Gene Vallandingham) finished in second and the pacesetting Meringue (Etienne Desomer) finished another 1-3/4 lengths back in third.