from Harness Publicists across North America

Friday’s (August 1) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Yonkers Raceway, Tioga Downs, Vernon Downs, Batavia Downs, Northfield Park, and Cal-Expo.

Tremendous Hit, Parkontheroad win at Yonkers

Yonkers, NY — Tremendous Hit (Joe Anderson) and Parkontheroad (Jim Pantaleano) grabbed the Yonkers Raceway glory in Friday night’s $40,000 co-features.

Tremendous Hit, who has this off-the-pace routine down pat, won the Open Handicap Trot for a third victory in his last four tries. Unhurried early as the 17-10 choice from post position two, Tremendous Hit watched second choice Macho Lindy (Larry Stalbaum) lead the octet through fractions of :28.2, :58.1 and 1:27.

Tremendous Hit moved first-up from third, engaging the leader before wearing him down in mid-stretch. The fave then found the wire in 1:56.2, three-quarters of a length before No More Gold N (Keith Kash, Jr.). Macho Lindy, Grain Of Truth (Jeff Gregory) and Stray Voltage (Steve Smith) came away with the minor moolah.

Tremendous Hit, a 7-year-old Giant Hit gelding trained by Anderson for owner Gerrie Tucker, returned $5.50 for his ninth win in 24 seasonal starts. Tremendous Hit — now a six-figure earner in ’08 — led a $43.60 exacta and $292 triple.

Parkontheroad won the Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace by two-moving to the lead, then getting the line when she needed it. Leaving from post six, she took a three hole as Binions (Greg Grismore) went up and over Omen Hanover (Eric Abbatiello) after a :27.2 opening quarter-mile. Binions then reached a :56.4 intermission before Parkontheroad was out and after the leader. She disposed of that rival after a 1:25.4 three-quarters, taking a 1-3/4 length lead into the lane.

Parkontheroad then held off a fast-closing J K Pure Pearl (Jason Bartlett) by a diminishing neck in 1:54.1. Sherry (Stalbaum) earned the bottom of the ticket, while Omen Hanover and 17-10 fave Black Brinny (Anderson) rounded out the payees.

Parkontheroad, a 4-year-old daughter of Park Place trained by Ross Croghan for Let It Ride and Robert Cooper Stables, paid $7.10 (second choice) for her sixth win in two dozen ’08 tries. The exacta paid $58, with the triple worth $532.

— Frank Drucker

Unida Hanover is triumphant in Tioga feature

Nichols, NY — Bruce Clarke and Unida Hanover came from off the pace to score in the featured Winner’s Over pace for fillies and mares on Friday night at Tioga Downs.

Fred Brown Photography

Unida Hanover was a winner in the Friday feature at Tioga Downs.

The 6-year-old daughter of Western Hanover, out of the Troublemaker mare Uncoupled, is owned by Richard Cronce. It was the fourth straight win at Tioga Downs for Unida Hanover, and the fifth win in her last six starts. The winner’s share of the $10,000 purse increased her seasonal earnings to more than $20,000.

Keith Ball visited the winner’s circle two times in the late closers of the New York Sire Stakes for 3-year-old colt and gelding trotters. He steered Uncle Ben to victory in the first division and Montanajamesbond in the fourth and final division.

The second division was won by Jim Morrill, Jr. and Swatissimo out of the Octavia Rappoport stable, while Ain’tnochoirboy took down the third division for trainer-driver Benny Eggers.

Jim Morrill, Jr. also posted a driving double on the night’s 10-race card.

— Dustin Ross

Casagranda triples at Vernon

Vernon, NY — Driver Joe Casagranda collected three wins during Friday night’s nine-race program at Vernon Downs, including a 1:54.2 score behind Otherpeoplesmoney in the $10,000 featured eighth event.

Racing no worse than third throughout the week’s top Miracle Mile test for female pacers, Otherpeoplesmoney powered up the pylon path in the final furlong to nose out the fast-closing favorite, Miss Robin’s Magic. The mile-cutter, Mystic Player, finished third.

The tight tally marked the second Vernon victory, but the sixth season’s score for the 5-year-old mare, who is trained by Anthony Gugliotta, Jr. and owned by Todd Santoro. The steadfast daughter of Pro Bono Best is now a career winner of $198,170.

Recording his initial hat trick at the Downs this season, Casagranda also directed Turbos Rose Bud to a 1:56.2 triumph in Friday’s third race, then steered Tootsie Roll Bay to a career best 1:53.1 tally in the sixth session. Trainer Kristy Boucher leases both veteran pacing mares.

Driver Joe Nassimos was unseated from his racing bike during a mid-stretch mishap while driving the trotter Wild Goose Lodge in Friday’s ninth event. The 40-year-old horseman was reportedly responding to medical attention following the race, but no definitive information regarding any possible injuries was immediately available.

— Jim Moran

Speed Pilot takes Batavia Open Trot

Batavia, NY — The Friday evening feature at Batavia Downs was the seventh race, an Open Trot with a purse of $8,500.

Paul White photo

Speed Pilot (#7) beat Jack Sparrow at the wire in Batavia’s Open Trot.

Speed Pilot was the winner at the wire with a time of 1:59.4. Robert McNeight drove this gelding to an impressive victory. Francis Rapone and Thomas, Betty Lou, and Christopher Buckley own Speed Pilot. He is trained by Louis Rapone, Jr.

The driving star of the evening was veteran reinsman Ray Fisher, Jr. who had a five bagger on the Friday night program.

— Jeff Rizzo

Osborne’s Gypsy wins Mares Open at Northfield

Northfield, OH — Jerry Osborne’s Osborne’s Gypsy ($2.80) cruised to a 1:53.3 victory in Friday’s $5,500 Mares Open Handicap Pace at Northfield Park.

She was saddled with the outside post, but with a five-horse field that was insignificant. Kurt Sugg eased the 4-year-old On The Attack-Myopia’s Mop mare away last as Polo Jenn took the field through early splits of :27.2 and :57.1, but Sugg had his Eric Hamlet-trainee underway and she cleared easily as the field headed up the backside the second time.

Osborne’s Gypsy clicked the timer in 1:25.1 at the three-quarters and then rolled home in :28.2 to equal her lifetime mark. She has now won 15 of 26 lifetime starts, while banking just shy of $250,000. Longshot Passing Lane Penny was second and Polo Jenn completed the trifecta.

— Keith Gisser

You better believe in Youbetterbelieveit

Sacramento, CA — Claiming pacers, racing for a purse of $3,630, were in the Friday night spotlight at Cal-Expo, in which Youbetterbelieveit got the hat trick.

Coming away in third position into a :28.1 opening quarter, driver Rocky Stidham would elect not to quarter-move the favored Youbetterbelieveit, nor pull first-over to the half, timed in :57.1. Given a chance to take over the pocket in the final turn, Stidham would have to deal with some traffic issues midway through the final turn.

Having to check his charge just before the three-quarter pole, timed in 1:24.4, Stidham would move his pacer to the outside with cover late in the final turn, then would move the gelding four-wide just into the stretch.

Under urging now while drifting out at the seven-eighths-mile marker, Youbetterbelieveit would take the lead at mid-stretch. The pacer would hold firm ($6.00) by 1-1/4 lengths. Owned and trained by Drew Anderson, Youbetterbelieveit would stop the timer at 1:54, a lifetime best. Larry Horse finished in second, and Piper finished another two lengths farther back in third.

“It was a fun and exciting race because of how we came off the final turn after shaking loose. It was a very good race for him moving up in class — especially since he got a lifetime mark,” Stidham said.

Stidham and Steve Wiseman each recorded four wins on the night.

— Scott Ehrlich