Racing Roundup: Hidden Viggorish lowers her Meadows track record — again
July 10, 2009,from Harness Publicists across North America
Thursday’s (July 9) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from The Meadows, Harrah’s Chester, Vernon Downs, Scioto Downs and Cal-Expo.
Hidden Viggorish lowers her Meadows track record — again
Meadow Lands, PA — World champion Hidden Viggorish showed once again Thursday that she’s the queen of trotters at The Meadows, lowering her own track record for the second consecutive week in capturing the $27,500 Filly & Mare Preferred Handicap.
She scored in 1:53.2, eclipsing her previous track record of 1:54 and the fastest ever for an older trotting mare at The Meadows. The time was just a tick off the all-age, all-gender track record that Hidden Viggorish established in 2006 at 3. That mark still stands as the fastest ever by a sophomore trotting filly on a five-eighths-mile track.
Hidden Viggorish had to work for the lead from post position nine, but once Brian Zendt got her there, she clicked off quarters in :27.2, :29.4, :28.1 and :28 to prevail by 1-1/2 lengths over the pocket-sitting Tom’s OK Lady. BV’s Sister was a distant third.
Bill Zendt trains the daughter of SJ’s Caviar-Tia Maria for Harmony Spring Sable. Hidden Viggorish won for the 24th time in 63 lifetime starts, pushing her career bankroll to $447,129.
Dick Stillings, Mike Wilder and Brett Miller enjoyed driving triples on the 16-race card.
— Evan Pattak
Montecito N staves off Foiled Again in Ripping Russ
Chester, PA — In complete control throughout, Montecito N ($8.40) posted an eye-popping :53.4 final half to hold off an open-stretch charge from Foiled Again in Thursday evening’s $35,000 Ripping Russ for open pacers at Harrah’s Chester Casino and Racetrack.
In his lone drive of the evening, Richie Silverman worked his way to the front with the 6-year-old Armbro Operative gelding, forcing Foiled Again (Yannick Gingras) to the pocket through a :26.4 first quarter. After rating a tepid second-quarter pace, reaching the race’s midpoint in :56.2, Montecito N saw a first-over challenge from Toucam Sam (Daniel Dube) up the backstretch.
Pressed on to a three-quarter split of 1:23.4, Montecito N held steadfast, digging in through the stretch to hold off Foiled Again for a 1:50.1 victory. Toucam Sam was a fading third.
Trainer Monte Gelrod owns Montecito N in partnership with Robert Bongiorno, Peter Heffering, and Kevin Reynolds.
— Harrah’s Chester Publicity Department
Crazy Cathy equals mark in Vernon triumph
Vernon, NY — Newcomer Crazy Cathy displayed her liking for a “big” track, equaling her 1:54.2 record while finishing first in Thursday night’s featured sixth race at Vernon Downs.
Fotowon photo
Crazy Cathy (#5) nosed out Newberry Winner on Thursday at Vernon.
A winner in the exact same clocking at Cal-Expo’s mile track earlier in the season, Crazy Cathy laid back in fourth as Kelly took the field of female pacers to the half in :57.3. The 5-year-old daughter of Dragon Again-Rachel Ironstone was still charted in fourth as Newberry Winner took over and zipped past the third station in 1:25.4. Saving ground in the pylon path entering the stretch drive, the hard-charging mare eked out a nose triumph over Newberry Winner. She paid $6.80 to win.
It was the fifth current score and 17th lifetime for the all-time winner of nearly $60,000, who is owned by trainer/driver Bruce Clarke, along with John Coffey, Joseph Warren Getzler and Leonard Getzler.
The evening’s fastest triumph was produced by the pacer Money On Tap, who turned a pocket trip into a career-best 1:53.2 tally in the first of Thursday’s nine races. Jimmy Whittemore steered the 3-year-old gelding for his father, Dennis, and owners Matthew Harrison, Rebecca Williams and the Winbak Farm.
Defending driving champion Josh Marks raised his win total for the meet to 18 with a double, scoring with the pacer Forget The Best (1:54.1) and trotter Justice Wyoming (1:57.4).
— Jim Moran
Up Front Cruiser impressive at Scioto
Columbus, OH — The freshman pacing filly Up Front Cruiser dazzled racing fans on Thursday evening at Scioto Downs with a gate-to-wire score in 1:57. Her winning margin was 8-1/2 lengths.
Driver Chip Noble sent the heavily-favored filly to the front at the start and never looked back. Her final panel in :28.3 put her well ahead of Tailor’s Filly and Blue Creek Trap.
Jim Arledge trainers the daughter of Yankee Cruiser-South Side Flash for ower Ed Mullinax.
Honors for the fastest mile of the evening card went to Booze Cruiser, a sophomore gelded son of Yankee Cruiser. Kayne Kauffman drove for trainer Jim Mulinix and owners Danford Murray and Miller’s Stable. He scored in 1:56, defeating favored Ac Market Sharp and Valid Moment.
— Dean A. Hoffman
Judges Acenthehole regains her confidence at Cal-Expo
Sacramento, CA — Her record and earnings said she was better than she looked, but Judges Acenthehole was 0 for 18 on the year in the win column. She isn’t anymore!
Conditioned distaffers, racing for a $5,300 purse, were featured at Cal-Expo on Thursday night, in which Judges Acenthehole was the pocket-rocket.
In advance of starting from post position one in the field of seven, trainer Jim Marino knew what was important for his mare.
“I just wanted to get away close to the front — maybe a two or three-hole,” stated Marino. “I knew when I was home in Canada that this little mare was better than she was showing here. I thought if I got away close and had clear sailing down the stretch that I could finish first or second.”
Leaving enough to secure a pocket once yielding an eighth of a mile after the start to Misdori (Lemoyne Svendsen), an observant Marino would be content to remain in the garden spot through first half fractions of :29 and :58.
“I noticed at the half that Misdori was off the pylons a little bit. So I thought eventually I’d have a shot up the inside.”
With the field now at the three-quarter pole, timed in 1:27, Marino noticed something else that was good for him.
“I knew at the three-quarters that I could probably beat Misdori in the stretch because when Mooney (Lemoyne Svendsen) popped the earplugs on her she didn’t have as much pace as she had the week before at the same point — plus my horse had pace. So I was just wondering if Little Bit Country (Steve Hyman) was going to pounce.”
Staying inside with the field now in the stretch, Judges Acenthehole would quickly take over the lead at the seven-eighths marker.
“Once she got the lead, she’d pace all the way to the wire and I think she was relieved that she was finally being competitive at Cal-Expo because it seemed like her confidence was lacking since she got here.”
Holding off Little Bit Country to win ($17.40) by three-quarters of a length, the Kalla Judge owned 5-year-old mare stopped the timer at 1:56, establishing a seasonal best. Little Bit Country finished in second and Blue Note (Steve Wiseman) finished another 1-1/4 lengths farther back in third.
“It was a fairly good performance for a horse in the right class,” concluded Marino.
The victory for Marino provided him with his 998th career driving triumph.
— Scott Ehrlich