from harness publicists across North America
Friday’s (September 16) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Yonkers Raceway, Cal-Expo, Saratoga Casino and Raceway and Batavia Downs Casino.
Fox Valley Sage powers to victory in Yonkers co-feature
Yonkers, NY — Fox Valley Sage (Jason Bartlett) found room and powered by Friday night, winning Yonkers Raceway’s co-featured $52,000 Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace.
Tom Berg photo
Fox Valley Sage defeated Sand Gesture by a half-length in the Filly & Mare Open Handicap Pace Friday at Yonkers Raceway.
Leaving from post position No. 3 and sitting a four-hole, Fox Valley Sage watched as second choice Feeling You (Cat Manzi) set sail through intervals of 27.2, :57.2 and 1:24.4. Sand Gesture (Yannick Gingras) was pocketed, with Cotton Candy (Andy Miller) toiling first-over. Meanwhile, 9-10 choice Western Graduate (George Brennan) was wide early from her assigned eight-hole. After she eventually found a seat, she moved out, only to gap from second-over.
Feeling You widened to a pair of lengths turning for home, but unwanted company was coming right around the 1:53 mile marker. First Sand Gesture took her shot, but it was Fox Valley Sage who angled and offered the best late kick. She whipped Sand Gesture by a half-length, pacing the mile and one-sixteenth in 2:03.1. Feeling You saved the bottom of the ticket, beaten 2 1/4 lengths, with Quicksilvercandy A (Larry Stalbaum) and Winbak Delight (Jeff Gregory) grabbed the minor spoils. Western Graduate backpedaled to seventh.
For Fox Valley Sage, a 7-year-old daughter of Richess Hanover owned by Stephen Farrell Jr. and trained by Ralph Andersen, she returned $23 (fifth choice) for her sixth win in 29 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $343, with the triple returning $1,045.
Friday night’s co-featured $52,000 Open Handicap Trot saw pocket-protecting KLM Express (Jim Marshall III) win a three-way scrum. Assigned post No. 2, he was in play early, giving up the baton to Wind Surfer (Gingras) right at the :28.1 opening quarter-mile. Brennan, meanwhile, had to negotiate another eight-hole mandate, this time with 13-10 favorite Calchips Brute, who tucked in fifth.
Wind Surfer found a :58.2 half before Calchips Brute was out and moving. The leader remained so at the 1:27.2 three-quarters, but was under assault moving into the lane.
The three trotters–Wind Surfer, Calchips Brute and KLM Express–were inseparable at the 1:56.4 mile, with the best trip and biggest pay envelope going to the ducking-inside KLM Express. He defeated Calchips Brute by a neck in an added-distance 2:04, with Wind Surfer third, three-quarters of a length away. Pembroke Prayer (Dan Dube) and Mystical Starlight (Eric Goodell) rounded out the payees.
For KLM Express, a 6-year-old CR Excalibur gelding owned by Richard Aiken and trained by William Aiken, he returned $7.90 (second choice) for his sixth win in 25 ’11 tries (career win No. 2,989 for Marshall).
— Frank Drucker
Cal-Expo
A field of a half-dozen trotters, five in on a condition, one to be claimed, were featured at Cal Expo on Friday night (September 16) for a purse of $3,400, on which Twice The Ruckus was tons the best. Owned by Dave & Rob Hanass in partnership with trainer George Reider, Twice The Ruckus actually drew clear on the wire to score ($7.00) by 1-1/4 lengths, in 2:00.1, thus recording his 21st triumph. Giles L S Hanover had to settle for second, and Dudis Angel (Lemoyne Svendsen) finished a half of one-length farther back, in third.
Saratoga Casino and Raceway
Lorenzo Dream recorded win number twelve on the season in Friday night’s open trot at Saratoga Casino and Raceway. The most consistent threat all year long in the regular Friday feature, Lorenzo Dream (Taurus Dream) marched out to the lead early on in the mile, clearing just past the opening quarter. After a breather in quarter two, Lorenzo Dream and leading driver Billy Dobson felt no pressure until the three-quarter pole when it appeared pocket-sitting Strong Hall (Barry Segel) was going to take his shot. Dobson asked the favorite for more and the 4-year-old Jackie Rousse trainee responded, stepping off to win the $18,000 trotting feature by almost two lengths. Strong Hall ended up second while Gelato Man (Kim Crawford) earned the show spot. The victory for Lorenzo Dream, which came in 1:57.4, was his twelfth in eighteen tries on the season and gave Billy Dobson one of his four wins on the night.
Batavia Downs Casino
Friday night at Batavia Downs Casino, Kevin Cummings guided Mach Ten ($4.00), the 8-hole favorite to an unexpected finish in the featured $9,000 Open Trot. Perfect Man and Mach Ten trotted nose-to-nose when Perfect Man made a costly break just as they hit the wire. Although Perfect Man did have the lead, he was placed second for a lapped-on break. Mach Ten was placed first (1:57.3) and declared the winner. Mach Ten, who is now a perfect four for four during the Summer-Fall meet, is owned by Dianne M. Mahiques of Angola, NY and trained by Michelle Gramza. The 5-year-old son of International Chip has earned $67,055 this season. Freshman New York bred trotting fillies will go behind the gate tonight (September 17) at the Downs with a pair of Sire Stake races and three Late Closer events highlighting the card. The Sire Stakes divisions are worth $58,712 and $59,812 and the Late Closers are worth $12,300. Post time for the twelve race card is 6:40 PM.