from harness publicists across North America

Saturday’s (July 2) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Yonkers Raceway, Saratoga Casino and Raceway and Vernon Downs.

Giddy Up Lucky wins Yonkers Open

Yonkers, NY — Odds-on choice Giddy Up Lucky (Eric Goodell) sat well behind a Saturday night speed show, then worked to second-over, winning Yonkers Raceway’s $52,000 Open Handicap Pace.

Tom Berg photo

Giddy Up Lucky was a narrow winner in a time of 1:58.4.

Assigned outside his six rivals, Giddy Up Lucky was sequestered at the back of the bus early as Silent Swing (Daniel Dube), Real Nice (Jason Bartlett) and Clown’s Smile (George Brennan) all had designs on the big chair.

Clown’s Smile took it after a wicked :26 opening quarter, then found a :54.1 half. Doubletrouble (Brent Holland) moved from fourth, with the people’s preference right behind. Doubletrouble then went past a tiring Clown’s Smile at the 1:23.2 three-quarters, clinging to a short lead turning for home.

First-over fought the good fight, but there was just too much talent on his back. Giddy Up Lucky engaged the leader right around the 1:51.3 mile marker, then edged away. He prevailed by three-quarters of length, getting the mile and one-sixteenth in 1:58.4. Artist’s View (Cat Manzi), a trapped Real Nice and Silent Swing rounded out the payees.

Giddy Up Lucky, a millionaire 6-year-old Camluck gelding co-owned by Baron Racing and VIP Internet Stables and trained by Josh Green, returned $3.70 for his fifth win in eight seasonal starts. The exacta paid $30.40, with the triple returning $132.

While Bartlett did not win the feature, he did manage to get his picture taken seven times on the 12-race card.

Bartlett, who drove in every race, won the $27,000 second race pace with Giddy Up Delight ($5.30), pacing the mile and one-sixteenth in 1:59.1. He then won the $27,000 third race pace with odds-on Rare Jewel ($3.10) in that same added-distance 1:59.1.

Dreamland’s Art ($5.30) was Bartlett’s third winner of the evening, going the distance in the $32,000 fifth race pace (added-distance 2:00.3), while Foreign Officer ($3.30) won the $44,000 seventh race Preferred Pace (added-distance 1:59.3). Bartlett and invader High Wire Kat ($11) won the $34,000 ninth race pace (added-distance 2:01.1) before driver and Tamayo ($4) combined to win the $34,000 tenth race pace (added-distance 2:01).

Bartlett completed his night escorting BJ’s Bequia ($4.20) in the $37,000 pacing finale (added-distance 1:59.3).

— Frank Drucker

Saratoga Casino and Raceway
He’s Gorgeous had competed only once at Saratoga Casino and Raceway this season heading into Saturday night’s Open Pace. In the 4-year-old pacer’s lone local try, he astounded the crowd with a 1:51.1 front running win in the feature back on May 14. The former star of the New York Sire Stakes has become a terrific Open horse this year and continued his winning ways in Saturday’s $18,000 Open. Dan Cappello, Jr. was at the controls for trainer Paul Kelley as He’s Gorgeous (Art Major) was relentless early while powering past the race’s favorite Kelly’s Noah to take over the lead. Once He’s Gorgeous gets the lead, he rarely relinquishes it and the trend continued in this one. Taking on a host of challengers, He’s Gorgeous battled gamely and finished in a :27.4 final quarter to stop the timer in 1:52.4, overcoming his outside post for the feature win. Longshot Diamond Stick Pin (Vincent Ginsburg) held strong for second while Kelly’s Noah (Kim Crawford) earned the show spot. With the victory, He’s Gorgeous has now won at better than a 50 percent clip in his career, prevailing in 22 of 43 lifetime tries en route to earnings of more than $723,000 for owner Ken Jacobs.

Vernon Downs
Lewis Miller’s Franklin M Hanover recorded the fastest mile during Saturday night’s 10-race program at Vernon Downs. With Claude Huckabone, Jr. doing the steering for trainer Wes Miller, Franklin M Hanover ($19.40) rallied from sixth in the early going and closed from fourth in the homestretch to defeat the on-coming Mystic Splendor by a head in Saturday’s $6,000 first race trot. The 1:56 clocking equaled the 6-year-old gelding’s lifetime mark and enabled the son of SJ’s Caviar-Fanciulla to become a two-time winner at the meet. Wild Goose Lodge ($9.20) missed the fastest mile mark by one-tick of the timer in the $6,000 co-featured 10th event. Frank Davis drove for trainer/part-owner Jaclyn Bailey as the 9-year-old son of SJ’s Photo-Mystress Hanover turned a pocket trip into a head victory over the pacesetting Paco In The Sky. It marked the third season’s score and 19th lifetime tally for the career winner of $98,176, who is shared in ownership by Woody Hoblitzell. Driver Roman Lopez scored with the trotter Play Right and pacer Dick N Ben during Vernon’s 32nd program to record his third double of the track’s 58th campaign.