Racing Roundup: Friday, February 6, 2009
February 7, 2009,from Harness Publicists across North America
Friday’s (February 6) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Buffalo Raceway, Yonkers Raceway, The Meadows and Cal-Expo.
Australian Stock much the best in Buffalo Open Trot
Hamburg, NY — The early season sensation, Australian Stock, a 5-year-old Angus Hall gelding out of the American Winner mare Katya Hanover, won the $9,000 Featured Open Trot for owner Kathleen Weller for the third time in four weeks, here at Buffalo Raceway Friday night. (Feb. 6).
Paul White photo
Australian Stock won the $9,000 Featured Open Trot for the third time in four weeks at Buffalo Raceway Friday night. (Feb. 6).
Driven by reinsman Ray Fisher, Jr., Australian Stock ($8.60), settled in nicely in the three -hole after leaving from post eight. Jack Sparrow, who is the only horse to have beaten Australian Stock this year, set all the early fractions, :29.1, :58.4, and 1:29 to the three-quarter mark. Australian Stock and Fisher pulled to the outside down the backstretch, and had the lead entering the stretch. They hit the wire in 1:59, establishing a new season’s best for trotters. Clearly Possessed (Jack Rice) was 2-3/4 lengths behind in second while Ima Cricket Also (Kevin Cummings) came in third.
“He (Australian Stock) does it any way he wants to”, said Fisher. “From the front, in a hole, or from behind, he’s just very easy to drive”.
Trained by Laurie Patistas, the $4,500 share of the winning purse put Australian Stock’s season bankroll at $16,350 and $252,493 lifetime.
A new bet has been instituted here at the Raceway. The fifty cent pick four, starting in race four.
— Sam Pendolino
Manzi sweeps co-features at Yonkers
Yonkers, NY — Cat (TGIF) Manzi made his customary weekly trips both across the river and into the winner’s circle.
Manzi won three races, including the $31,000 co-featured Open Handicaps, as part of Yonkers Raceway’s 11-race extravaganza.
Anerican Lane, given last week off, made it two consecutive featured trot victories.
Ordered outside his seven rivals, the 13-10 choice lagged last early before working out a third-over trip. American Lane then rolled off cover, edging to win by a length-and-three-quarters in 1:58.1. Indiana Hall (Jeff Gregory) rallied from seventh to grab second, with Rusmore Hanover (Brent Holland), Light Headed (Sam Caruso Jr.) and last week’s winner, Pablo Angus (Dan Cappello Jr.), completing the cashers.
Nip N Attack two-moved to the lead from post position No. 5 and was never seriously threatened in the Filly & Mare Handicap Pace. The 2-1 favorite held a pylon-skimming Leanback Coco (Cappello Jr.) at bay by a length-and-three-quarters in 1:54.3. Pancleefandarpels (Jason Bartlett), Symphony in Motion (Holland) and Saymaynamesaymyname (Jordan Stratton) also made money.
— Frank Drucker
Beau Rivage N wins Meadows $25,000 pace
Meadow Lands, PA — Beau Rivage N, fresh from a successful stint in the Presidential series at the Meadowlands, made a winning Meadows debut Friday when he scored wire to wire in the $25,000 Preferred Handicap Pace.
Although hampered by outside post positions in the Presidential, Beau Rivage N earned a win and a third in qualifying legs. He appeared none the worse for wear Friday when Dave Palone gunned him to the lead, where he held off the Lightning Lane charge of Atochia to prevail by a nose in 1:52.4. Pacey Deucey finished third.
Scot Davidson trains Beau Rivage N, a 7-year-old gelded son of Village Jasper-Glimmering, for Harry von Knoblauch.
Palone, who missed two days driving when he traveled to Las Vegas to accept his HTA Driver of the Year award (He shared it with Tim Tetrick.), returned to work with a splash. He won seven races on the 13-race card while Ron Burke enjoyed a training four-bagger.
— Evan Pattak
Trot King Marches On At Cal-Expo
Sacramento, CA — His pilot called an audible shortly after the start, and once again Challenge The King was on his way to pay dirt.
Open 1 Handicap Trotters, racing over a track listed as ‘good’ for a purse of $6,500, were in the Friday night (February 6) spotlight at Cal-Expo, on which Challenge The King repeated.
Assigned post-six in the field of a half-dozen, driver Lemoyne Svendsen “thought” there was only one plan.
“I’ve always been a little hesitant about leaving with him, so the plan was not to leave,” said Svendsen. “But when they just kept slowing everything down, I decided to go to the front.”
Parked at the back from the start, but accelerating forward after an eighth of a mile into a :30.1 opening quarter mile, the seven year-old would clear to the lead after 5-16ths of a mile.
Reaching the half-mile station, timed in :59.3, Svendsen knew his foes had an uphill battle.
“There was going to be some trouble for them now because I got to the half so easy.”
Trotting an effortless :29.1 third-quarter, Challenge The King would reach the three-quarter mile pole, timed in 1:28.4.
“I just wanted to ease him around the final turn and ask him in the stretch. At the three-quarters I was thinking ‘so long.'”
Now in full gear with less than 3-16ths of a mile to go and opening up the lead, Svendsen would have just a little bit left do, if that.
“All I did in the lane was just pick the whip up to show him and he trotted right off and cruised – – it was no problem for him.”
Owned by Lisa Ehrlich and trained by Bob Johnson, the gelding would go on to win ($5.40) by an easy 1-1/2-lengths. TV Mom (Steve Wiseman) finished in second, and Cherry Tree Luke (Jim Lackey) finished another 3-3/4-lengths farther back, in third.
The victory gave the Challenge The King his fifth win of the young season, thus once again putting him atop the list of most wins by a trotter thus far in 2009. Additionally, the triumph put him in a tie with the pacer Duke for wins by all horses in 2009.
“It was another real good race,” finished Svendsen, who had five winners on the card.
— by Scott Ehrlich