Racing Roundup: Green Day wins $33,000 Dover trot
February 26, 2009,from Harness Publicists across North America
Wednesday’s (February 25) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Dover Downs, The Meadows, Balmoral Park, Pompano Park, and Monticello Raceway. Green Day wins $33,000 Dover trot Dover, DE — Classy veteran Green Day turned in a powerful performance to win the $33,000 Open Trot on Wednesday at Dover Downs.
Fotowon photo Green Day was a 1:54 winner in the Open Trot at Dover. With Tim Curtin at the controls, Green Day blew past leader Allmar Surprise (Vic Kirby) at the three-quarters and then opened up a giant lead on the way to a 1:54 triumph. LT’s Best (Vince Copeland) closed in a hurry to take second in front of Spunky Vic (Corey Callahan). Allmar Surprise finished off the board for the first time since being acquired last fall by Vic Kirby.
Jim Raymer’s Trillium Racing Stable owns the Enjoy Lave-Sonoma Hanover 5-year-old gelding. It was his first win in his second start of the New Year. Green Day has earned $858,786 in his career.
Pacer turned trotter Twelve Seventeen closed from far back to score a 1:56.2 victory in the $21,000 sub-featured trot. Seventh but moving at the top of the lane, Jack Parker sent Twelve Seventeen four-wide and zoomed past six others in the stretch for the win. Eric Schultz bred and owns the Falcons Future-Dime A Dip 8-year-old. It was his first win of 2009 after three consecutive second-place finishes. Veteran Breeze Hill Will came on with Jon Roberts for second. Go Nano Go (Eddie Davis, Jr.) was the show horse.
— Marv Bachrad
In Focus Hanover powers to win in Meadows trot
Meadow Lands, PA — In Focus Hanover worked out a comfortable pocket trip, then powered away in the lane to capture the $25,000 Filly & Mare Preferred Handicap Trot on Wednesday at The Meadows.
In Focus Hanover had been launching her bids from mid-pack, but on Monday, Ed Hensley guided her to the pocket behind Whotookwhat, who rolled through a swift three-quarters in 1:26.4. In Focus Hanover pounced around the far turn, drawing off to win by 3-1/4 lengths in 1:55.3, lowering her lifetime mark 1.4 seconds and trotting the fastest mile this year at The Meadows by an aged mare. Whotookwhat saved place over a rallying That Flyn Angel.
Charles Myers trains In Focus Hanover for Joseph and Mila Dolinar. It was the third win in the last four starts for the 7-year-old daughter of S J’s Photo-Illusion Of Virtue.
Dave Palone drove five winners — three for trainer Ron Burke — while Hensley enjoyed a three-bagger on the 13-race card.
— Evan Pattak
Round two of the Ideal Society complete
Crete, IL — After a pair of first round battles at Maywood Park, action in The Ideal Society shifted to Balmoral Park on Wednesday night. With a total of 22 pacers dropped into the box, these colts and geldings were split into a trio of $6,500 events.
In the first division Dennis Brightwell’s Castin pulled off a shocking upset as he reported home with a three-quarter length decision in 1:54.1. Leaving alertly from post position six for catch driver Dean Magee, the 4-year-old son of Allamerican Ingot neatly tucked in third as Zackor (Mike Oosting) and Bernardi (Darcy Pletcher) battled through an opening split in :28.2. Content to save ground along the pylons as the leaders zipped through a half-mile in :56.2 Magee expertly maneuvered his charge to the outside midway around the final turn. Swinging three wide around a stalled first over Louiedashark (Marcus Miller), Castin was in perfect striking position as the field hit the three-quarter-mile mark in 1:25.4. Through the lane a game Bernardi tried to fend off the continued assault from Castin but the 18-1 longshot finally put away the pacesetter in the final sixteenth of a mile to pick up his first win of the season. Bernardi held on for second while Zackor was third. Coming off a fourth place finish in the opening division Castin, returned $39.60, $14.40 and $8.60.
Balmoral Park photo
Dylan Rocks and driver Rick Dane, Jr. made it two in a row in the Ideal Society Series as they cruised home in 1:53.4.
In the middle split Rock N Roll Stable Inc.’s Dylan Rocks became a repeat winner as he cruised home with a 1-1/2 length victory in a blazing 1:53.4.
Employing the same tactics as he did in his win at Maywood Park, driver Rick Dane, Jr. sent the altered son of Cole Muffler right to the front from position one. After leading the field through an opening quarter in a leisurely :28.4, Dylan Rocks finally faced pressure from a first over Leave It To Sam (Sam Widger) as the field hit the half-mile station in :58. Battling neck and neck around the final turn Dylan Rocks put away the challenge of Leave It To Sam as the field reached the three-quarter-mile pole in 1:25.4. Leaving no doubt as to his dominance among this group the Kim Roth trainee drew away from his rivals with a :28 final quarter to win for the second time in three starts this year. Sunday Attack (Robert Smolin) rallied late to finish second while Sign The Prenup (Tyler Buter) was third. After holding on gamely to win by a neck in last week’s action, Dylan Rocks was sent off as the 8-5 favorite, returning $5.40, $3.20 and $2.60.In the nightcap Marcus Turner’s good looking 5-year-old Ram It In made every call a winning one as he rolled to a 4-3/4 length triumph in 1:54. Whisked away from post position three by driver Sam Widger, this son of Ameripan Gigolo was never really threatened as he paced through splits of :28.3, :58 and 1:27.1 while under a snug hold. In the lane the Jamaica Patton trainee left his rivals in the dust as he sprinted home in a blistering :26.4 to post his third win in six starts this year. Red River Restless (Tyler Buter) came on late to be second while Real Desirable (Brandon Simpson) was third. Bet to the near exclusion of his six rivals after missing by a neck in last week’s action, Ram It In returned just $2.60, $2.10 and $2.10.
— Tom Kelley
Proud Chipper upsets at Isle Pompano Park
Pompano Beach, FL — Proud Chipper became the first horse at the Isle Pompano Park this year to pay more than $100 to win as the 55-1 longshot captured the $4,000 second race trot on Wednesday.
Lap Time photo – Skip Smith
Proud Chipper (#8) held on along the rail to upset the field and pay $113.80 to win in the second race trot at the Isle Pompano Park.
Leading from start to finish and barely holding on at the wire to win by a neck in 2:00.3 for driver George Lindsay, Proud Chipper paid $113.80, $51.20 and $4.80 across the board. RT Um Jim ($4.60, $2.20) was second with 7-5 race favorite Mac Pacific ($2.20) third in the three-horse photo.
Owned and trained by Vito Fucco of Reading, Pa., it was the first win in two starts this year for Proud Chipper, an 8-year-old gelding by Pine Chip.
With a quick burst of speed out of the starting gate, Rovasreadytorumble ($10.40) was able to wire the field in winning the seventh race $8,500 feature trot in 1:57.3 for driver Wally Hennessey. The 10-year-old gelding by Veeba Rova won by a head over Aschos Scotty (David Ingraham) and Escape Way (Joe Pavia, Jr.).
It was the third win this year for Rovasreadytorumble, who is trained by Dan Hennessey and owned by the Trot Time Farm of Savannah, Ga.
— Steve Wolf
Witch And Famous scores at Monticello
Monticello, NY — Woody Hoblitzell’s Witch And Famous has been a consistent bread winner throughout his career. Last year the trotter won seven races and over $14,000 in purses and has a career bankroll in excess of $120,000. This year the 7-year-old Corleone gelding is off to another fruitful season.
On Wednesday, at Monticello Raceway with Brent Holland at the controls, Witch And Famous upset favored Getthemoney to win the weekly winners over trotting feature in a very respectable 1:59.3, especially considering he started from post position seven.
When Getthemoney and Bruce Aldrich, Jr. fired-out to the lead from post four Holland followed Aldrich’s move and settled in behind the pacesetter as Getthemoney showed the way. As the field approached the half-mile point, Getthemoney rebuffed a challenge from co-favorite Lively Moment as Holland stayed put and watched the action around him.
Getthemoney then trotted away to an open length lead as he passed the three-quarters and had a two length lead as he rounded into the final turn. But slowly Witch And Famous began to close the gap.
In the homestretch Holland angled his trotter to the passing lane and Witch And Famous dug in when Holland jiggled the lines and pushed on the horse’s rump and the trotter responded and went on to score an upset victory, his second in five seasonal starts. Lively Moment finished third for Kyle DiBenedetto. Sent off at odds of over 6-1, Witch And Famous returned a $15.00 win mutuel.
Holland also won the first race on the Wednesday card with Rock C. Vinci’s trotter Delay Of Game in 2:02 and the 13th race with Frank Cuccio and Nickie Lynch’s pacer Hurricane Mike in 2:00.1. The talented teamster has already won 24 races here in fewer than 80 starts.
Holland, another of the mid-westerners who has relocated on the east coast, is no stranger to the winner’s circle. With his three wins on Wednesday the 37-year-old driver now has 3,782 career victories.
— John Manzi