Racing Roundup, Friday, Jan. 9, 2009
January 10, 2009,from harness publicists across North America
Friday’s (Jan. 9) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from The Meadows, Yonkers Raceway and Cal-Expo Raceway.
Marty’s Charm gets one for the thumb
Meadows Lands, PA — Don’t tell Martys Charm that horses have no thumbs. He got one for the thumb Friday at The Meadows when he won his fifth straight all, in $25,000 Preferred or Preferred Handicap events.
Unraced until 2008, Martys Charm began his career as a closer, looking for opportunities late. As the 5-year-old gelding gained experience and confidence, Randy Tharps was more willing to cut him loose early. Thus, each of the victories in his current streak has been on or near the front.
On Friday, Tharps sent him to the lead from post position 8. Martys Charm thwarted several challenges and scored in 1:54.1, 3/4 lengths better than the ground-saving Lite Me Up. Atochia closed well to be third in his debut as a 4-year-old.
Paul Corey trains and Martha and Gerald Baluck own Martys Charm, a son of Aces N Sevens-Bets Mae who has won 16 of 29 lifetime starts. Mike Wilder drove four winners on the 13-race card.
— Evan Pattak
Yonkers 2009 debut co-features to Nola,” “Symphony”
Yonkers, NY — No need to continue perusing the backs of milk cartons…Yonkers Raceway has returned.
Yonkers began its 2009 season Friday night with a pair of $31,000 Open Handicaps, for trotters and distaff pacers.
The marquee trot came complete with a late face lift, as favored T J’s Mr. Lavec (Jason Bartlett) was lame. That accorded the role of favorite to understudy Indiana Hall (Jeff Gregory), but the 9-10 choice could not deliver the goods.
Yankee Nola (Jim Pantaleano), fresh from a career season, skimmed the cones here. She prevailed by a charging three-quarters of a length in 1:57.1.
Symphony in Motion won the season’s first female feature, wiring her five rivals in 1:55. Holland–four winners on the 11-race card–drove for trainer Larry Remmen.
— Frank Drucker
The King rules again at Cal-Expo
Sacramento, CA — Getting stuck with his fourth straight eight-hole didn’t stop Challenge The King.
A field of seven conditioned trotters, and one in for a tag, were featured at Cal-Expo on Friday night (January 9) for a purse of $4,200, on which the only one in for a tag, that being Challenge The King, repeated.
Coming away last in the field of eight, driver Lemoyne Svendsen, for the second week in-a-row, would smartly pull his charge at the quarter-mile pole as a result of a slow early pace (:29.4).
Flushing out Ailene’s Prince (Bruce Clarke) at the 5-16ths mile marker and now second-over, it “appeared” that Challenge The King couldn’t trot with his lead seeking brushing opponent, but Svendsen states otherwise.
“Oh I could have trotted with Ailene’s Prince, but there was no need to because I had to make sure I got my horse around the final-turn – – I was sitting comfy.”
Racing two-lengths off his cover at the half-mile pole, timed in 1:00.3, Challenge The King would have a birds-eye view of a battle for the lead between Ailene’s Prince, who was all but clearing a stubborn Jam And Jelly (Tim Maier).
“If Ailene’s Prince had cleared, I would have been able to move straight, which is better than having to move him sideways in the turn because that’s where he has had his troubles with breaks.”
Catching his cover at the three-quarter mile station, timed in 1:29.3, but immediately moving three-wide at the point, Svendsen would do what was best at a spot that has haunted the 7year-old in the past.
“I just very easily eased him out three-wide and just waited for the straightaway – – once we straightened out – – it was over.”
Very quickly brushing into the lead as the field had just entered the stretch and drawing clear at the seven-eighths mile pole by 1-1/2-lengths, Svendsen would have a good problem to deal with with a sixteenth of a mile to go, all while sitting like a statue.
“When he gets to the front quickly and early in the stretch, he has a tendency to let up a bit. But when they started getting to me, all I did was squeeze the lines down on his rump and away he went.”
Owned by the lovely Lisa Ehrlich and well trained by Bob Johnson, Challenge The King would win ($5.60) easily by 1 1/2-lengths, in 1:58.3, a seasonal best. Sad Parting (Gilbert Herrera) finished in second, and Only In California (Luke Plano) finished just a half-length farther back, in third.
— Scott Ehrlich