from harness publicists around North America

Monday’s (Jan. 10) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Dover Downs, The Meadows and Monticello Raceway.

Harlingen Hanover an upset winner in Dover feature

Dover, DE — Harlingen Hanover closed with conviction to win $35,000 Preferred Handicap in 1:50.2 while Nova Artist raced outside for the last half mile to take the $32,500 Delaware Special on Monday Jan. 10 at Dover Downs.

Fotowon photo

Harlingen Hanover won the Preferred Handicap in a career best 1:50.2.

While Riggins (David Miller) and Three Of Spades (Jon Roberts) dueled and were joined by Jeremy’s Successor (Sean Bier) in mid stretch, Roger Plante moved Harlingen Hanover to the outside and catapulted past the leaders in deep stretch to chalk up his personal fastest victory in 1:50.2 in the week’s top pace. Riggins held on for second with Jeremy’s Successor gaining third. Jim Behrendt of Lyme, Conn. owns the Badlands Hanover-Hermosa Hanover gelding who raised his career earnings to $237,756.

In the Delaware Special Nova Artist came to the outside to follow Idealic Life (Tim Tetrick) racing to the lead heading to the clubhouse turn. Allan Davis sat alongside the leader down the backstretch and around the final turn before sending the Real Artist-Avon Lady 4-year-old to the front and on the way to a 1:51.3 triumph, his fifth win in a row for owners Eddie and Kathy Davis of Smyrna, Del. Village Blast (Ron Pierce) came on to finish second with Astounding Hanover (Jim King), the leader at the start, rallied for third. The victory put Nova Artist’s lifetime earnings at $314,732. The win was the fifth in succession.

— Marv Bachrad

The Meadows
Marty’s Charm overcame a tough draw and a stern late challenge to capture Monday’s $22,500 Winners Over $10,000/Preferred Handicap Pace at The Meadows. Although Marty’s Charm left from post 9, Randy Tharps gunned him to the front in a demanding 27.2 opening panel. There he stayed until Go Go Raider, a 25-1 long shot, moved first-over and grabbed a short lead at the top of the stretch. But Marty’s Charm dug in and found more, downing the game Go Go Raider by 1/2 length in 1:53.3. Lets Go Blue rallied for show. Paul Corey trains Marty’s Charm, a 7-year-old Aces N’ Sevens-Bets Mae gelding who extended his career bankroll to $339,475, for Martha and Gerald Baluck.

Monticello Raceway
Blue Creek Angie notched her eighth consecutive victory and her 10th win in her last 11 starts on Monday. Last year the 8-year-old daughter of On The Attack won 16 races, had five seconds and four thirds in 30 starts. This year she’s two-for-two. April Aldrich trains Blue Creek Angie who is driven by her husband, Bruce Aldrich, Jr. Blue Creek Angie hasn’t lost a race since Oct. 27 when she finished second in a $4,000 claiming event. Since then she competed with a $5,000 claiming tag and over the next six weeks remained undefeated. A move up to the $10,000 claiming ranks in her last start on Jan. 10 didn’t deter the venerable pacing mare as she notched yet another victory despite the big jump in claiming prices. Aldrich sent her to the lead from post position two on Monday and Blue Creek Angie rambled through fractions of :28.3, :59.3 and 1:29.1 before kicking in a :29.3 final stanza en route to a 1:58.4 triumph over a fast closing Eagle Together who was driven by Zeke Parker. In her career Blue Creek Angie has won 55 races in 163 starts and has amassed purses in excess of $168,000.