by harness racing publicists across North America

The Saturday (May 28) edition of Racing Roundup includes feature stories from Buffalo Raceway, Pocono, Tioga Downs and Saratoga.

GD Airliner gets the perfect trip to take Buffalo Raceway feature

Hamburg, NY — Ron Beback Jr. got to pilot GD Airliner via a catch drive on Saturday night (May 28) and he gave the 8-year-old gelding a perfect flight in taking the $9,500 Open I-II Handicapped Pace at steamy Buffalo Raceway.

Steve Roth photo

GD Airliner collects his third victory this season in the Buffalo Raceway feature.

Getting over a second over trip, GD Airliner ($7.90) tipped three-wide in the stretch and used a :28.1 last quarter to gun down the tiring Lucky Nadotremblay in a seasonal best 1:54.3. China Dream (Drew Monti) rallied for second while Lucky Nadotremblay (Shawn McDonough) hung on for third.

It was a battle for the lead early as Lucky Nadotremblay and Bakken went head-to-head. After the dust had settled just past the quarter pole, Lucky Nadotremblay emerged in front and posted fractions of :28.1, :57.0 and :1:26.2. Following the cover of the favored Youwillwishyouhad, Beback Jr. swung three-wide with GD Airliner in the stretch and easily overpowered Lucky Nadotremblay, winning by an length.

It was the third win in 13 tries this season for GD Airliner (Panspacificflight-Mackenzie Beth). He is owned by Pete Kibler, Ken Owczarczak, R. Osiejo and Courtney McNeight with David McNeight Jr. handling the training duties. GD Airliner has now earned $18,574 this season and $562,987 lifetime.

McDonough had a triple on the evening while Beback Jr. and Kevin Cumminigs each posted two wins. Kirk Desmond had a training double.

Racing will continue on Wednesday night (June 1) at 5 p.m. with an 11-race program scheduled. There’s an $658 carryover in the Pick-5 which begins in the fifth race.

For more information including the latest news, upcoming promotions, race replays and results, go to www.buffaloraceway.com.

— By Brian Mazurek

Pocono

The 2014 Little Brown Jug winner Limelight Beach gained from the pocket into a :27 last quarter to outblast pacesetting Cooperstown home by a head in taking the $20,000 featured pace Saturday (May 28) at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono in 1:49.4. Matt Kakaley settled the Somebeachsomewhere gelding in the pocket early as Cooperstown insured the early leader with a :26.1 first quarter; then, after favored Bigtown Hero made an uncharacteristic break in front of the stands, Cooperstown was rated by Anthony Napolitano to a half-mile clocking of :55.3. The tempo increased down the backstretch to 1:22.4 to the three-quarter pole, with Limelight Beach being locked in by Napolitano and Cooperstown as long as he could. Cooperstown was turned loose at the head of the stretch, hoping he had gotten enough of a jump on his rival, but Limelight Beach caught the pacesetter by a head. It was the first victory of the year for 5-year-old Limelight Beach, but he had eight board finishes to his credit. Ron Burke trains the Alberta-bred winner of $1,113,766 for Burke Racing Stable LLC, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, M1 Stable LLC, and Wingfield Brothers LLC. Limelight Beach paid $6.80 to win and was the third choice behind favorite Bigtown Hero and second choice Cooperstown.

On a warm night at The Downs, the fastest clocking in North American harness racing so far in 2016 was a 1:48 wire-to-wire victory by the veteran Rocknroll Hanover gelding Scott Rocks in an $18,000 supporting event. George Napolitano had the pedal to the metal with the winner of $397,425, posting splits of :26, :53.4, and 1:20.3 en route to the season’s record mile for trainer Chris Oakes and owners Susan Oakes and Chuck Pompey. There were six miles in 1:50 or less on the evening’s 16-race card.

Tioga Downs

Longtime Ontario Signature Circuit driver Scott Coulter has quickly worked his way into prominence at Tioga Downs through the first month of the 2016 season. On Saturday (May 28) evening’s nine-race card, the “Tan Tornado” copped a natural hat trick to lead all drivers. In the evening’s third race, the 45-year-old Ontarian teamed up with Littlebitaclass ($6.20), who vaulted off second-over cover en route to a 2-1/4 length win over first-level pacers in 1:54.3. Coulter followed up in the fourth race with 11-year-old trotter Red Zeppelin ($7.70), prevailing from the pocket in 1:56.4. Trevor Win For Us ($5.50) completed Coulter’s hat trick in the fifth, sprinting off from his eight second-level pacing rivals for a 1:53.4 triumph. The night’s featured race, a $7,200 upper-level conditioned trot, saw owner-driver Corey Braden work Majestic Won ($14.00) to the fore with a circuit to go and never look back en route to a 1:56 victory. Stacey McLenaghan trains the 7-year-old Ken Warkentin gelding.Later in the card, King Royalty ($5.00, Mike Simons) and RG Riptide ($10.00, Mike Merton) shared a dead-heat victory in a $5,400 third-level pace, both working away from pacesetter Si Semalu and holding clear of a late rally from 3-5 Energy Shakes in 1:52.1. The 50-cent Pick-5 on Sunday evening’s (May 29) nine-race card will have a carryover of $398.32. A pair of $62,400 New York Sire Stakes events for 3-year-old trotting colts and geldings share the spotlight with the $25,200 final of the Nichols True Value late closing series for 3-year-old pacers. First post is slated for 6:30 p.m.

Saratoga

Artful Way (Artistic Fella) prevailed in the Open Pace for the third time in the last four weeks at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The Jackie Rousse trainee got away last in the $15,000 six horse Open on a hot night in the Spa City. Frank Coppola Jr. got a cover trip for Artful Way as the 4-year-old pacer followed the race’s 4-5 betting favorite Panocchio (Gerry Mattison), who wound up first over after the first half was paced in :55.2 by Spinarama (Austin Siegelman). Artful Way fanned off his cover and reeled in Panocchio in the final strides before stopping the timer in 1:52.1, matching the fastest mile time of the year thus far this season at Saratoga. Panocchio was second best while Caution Signs (Bruce Aldrich Jr) earned the show spot. Artful Way paid $13.60 to win while pulling off the mild upset. The exacta returned $32.80 with the favorite finishing second and the race’s triple yielded $102. It was the fourth win in nine starts in 2016 for Artful Way who scored ten victories in 25 seasonal starts in last year. Live racing continues on Sunday afternoon (May 29) at Saratoga with a matinee beginning at 12:15 p.m.