from harness publicists across North America

Thursday’s (March 17) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Dover Downs, Yonkers Raceway and Cal Expo.

Hoboken Hanover wins Thursday feature at Dover

Dover, DE — Hoboken Hanover won the St. Patrick’s day feature race at Dover Downs on Thursday, March 17.

Tim Curtin drove Hoken Hanover to his second straight victory reducing his lifetime record to 1:54.3 in a $14,000 conditioned pace. Owned by Dave Toomey and trainer Bill Moffett, the Cam’s Card Shark–Haps Hanover gelding shook off a cluster of rivals in the stretch, with GE’s Corey (Allan Davis) getting up for second. Red Storm Rising (Jon Roberts) was the show finisher.

— Marv Bachrad

Yonkers Raceway
George Brennan and trainer Lou Pena combined to win six races Thursday night at Yonkers Raceway. The parade began with See Through It ($6) going the distance in the $10,000, second-race trot (2:05.3) before Lady Jay ($3.60) lasted on the lead in the lead in the $6,000, third-race pace (2:03.4). Marion Miss Julie ($2.90) romped for the pair in the $12,500, sixth-race trot, while setting a track record (2:03.2) for aged mares. Claimed two starts ago for a $12,500 base price, Marion Miss Julie has won both starts by a combined 12-1/4 lengths. Brennan and Pena then rolled with Dvcflyingfrenchman ($5.70) in the $12,000, ninth-race pace (1.59), and went to the house in the $15,000, 10th-race pace with Jazz Band ($3.70) in 2:00.3. After favored I Look Special jumped it off at the start of the eleventh-race trot, driver and trainer combined to polish off the six-pack when Lightning Dragon ($2.60) wired the $12,500 pacing finale.

Cal Expo
A field of five conditioned trotters were featured at Cal Expo on Thursday night for a purse of $4,500, in which Franks Best got a textbook second-over trip to score. Coming away fourth while Big Baller (Steve Desomer) got away with an easy :30 quarter, Franks Best’s driver Lemoyne Svendsen was appreciative when John McKeon, Jr. pocket pulled with Broadway Victory to the three-eighths pole. With Big Baller going on to extend Broadway Victory until yielding to the half-mile juncture, timed in :59.2, Svendsen knew this had increased his chances. Moving to second-over position to the midway point of the final turn and getting live cover from Berkshire (Steve Wiseman), the outer flow quickly got the 4-year-old to within three lengths at the three-quarter pole, timed in 1:28.2. Moving fast to the lead with a sixteenth of a mile to go, Svendsen still had to resort to minor urging late when Big Baller started closing in. Bred and owned by trainer Bob Johnson, the gelding held off Big Baller to win ($4.40) by three-quarters of a length in 1:57.4. Big Baller was a good second and Broadway Victory raced fine while finishing 1-3/4 lengths farther back in third.