Hot Shot Blue Chip, Fred And Ginger score at Pocono

Wilkes-Barre, PA — Trotter Hot Shot Blue Chip and pacer Fred And Ginger won the featured races on the Saturday night program at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. Each race carried a purse of $25,000.

Hot Shot Blue Chip, who had gone winless in four tries against tough company at the Meadowlands in 2012, found his stride at the Pocono oval for a scorching victory. Driver Joe Pavia, Jr. sent the 6-year-old gelding from the Jonas Czernyson barn to the front end on the front stretch and, as the 8-5 second choice, he kicked away from his foes late to win by 1-3/4 lengths in 1:52, matching the fastest trotting mile of the 2012 season at Pocono. Waldorf Hall finished second and Anders Bluestone picked up the show.

On the pacing side, Fred And Ginger, as the 2-1 favorite, took the field gate-to-wire with Matt Kakaley in the bike. The 5-year-old stallion from the Ron Burke barn won in the same class in his previous start at Harrah’s Philadelphia and is now 2-for-2 at Pocono in 2012 after his half-length win in 1:48.4, which matched his career-best. Drop Red finished second while Shoobee’s Place came up late for third.

— Jim Beviglia

Saratoga Casino and Raceway
El Ringer would have the daunting task of tracking down the race’s 1-5 favorite if he was going to win his first Open of the year at Saratoga Casino and Raceway on Saturday night. The Margaret Spagnola trainee sat the pocket behind He’s Gorgeous (Dan Cappello, Jr.), a horse who broke the Vernon Downs track record last weekend when he paced to a dazzling 1:48.4 win in central New York. El Ringer surged up the inside in the $18,500 Open and got by the favorite in deep stretch to record his second straight victory and set a lifetime mark of his own. Jay Randall, El Ringer’s regular reinsman, was in the sulky as the 6-year-old won for the 22nd time in 48 lifetime starts, stopping the timer in a career best 1:52.1. The win time matched Forty Carrots for the fastest time of the season thus far at Saratoga. Diamond Stick Pin (Vinny Ginsburg), the runner-up to He’s Gorgeous in his record setting try last week at Vernon, earned the show spot on Saturday. El Ringer returned $11.40 to win and the exacta with the favorite came back $28.20. El Ringer is owned by the House of Cards Racing Stable.

Buffalo Raceway
Cam Patch, a 7-year-old Cambest gelding, out of the Falcon Seelster mare Miss A Kiss, won the $10,000 Open Pace in 1:54.4 for owners David P. Ball and Jerry R. Reinhart at Buffalo Raceway Saturday night. It was the sixth win this season for Cam Patch, whose winning time establishes a new season’s best. Cam Patch ($5.10), leaving from post four in the field of seven and driven by Shawn Gray, settled in fourth as R C Cruiser (Jerry Nugent) cut the early fractions, :28.2 to the quarter and :57.4 to the half. Just before the half-mile marker, Gray swung Cam Patch to the outside and the gutsy gelding had to grind out a tough first over trip, which saw him hit the three-quarter mark with the lead in 1:26.2. A :28.2 last quarter-mile put the winner one length in front of Mark It On Ice (Kevin Cummings) at the finish line. Unicorn Hanover (Jack Flanigen) came in third. Trained by Alex Giuliani, it was lifetime win number 26 for Cam Patch, who has won $189,631 in his career.

Vernon Downs
The favored Love U Overandover used a late speed surge and the preferred pylon path to capture Saturday night’s $7,600 featured trot at Vernon Downs. With trainer John Duer in the sulky, Love U Overandover ($6.10) drafted along in fourth until the final quarter, then chose the inside route, while tossing in a :28 closing kicker, to defeat the front-striding Ulay Boko by a length in Saturday’s ninth event. The 1:55.2 clocking proved to be a fresh win-mark for the 4-year-old daughter of Andover Hall-Love You Most, who is owned by her breeder, the Peninsula Farm. The career winner of $145,335 became the 20th two-time winner at the 13-night meeting, while raising her lifetime tally total to eight. Leading driver Chris Lems (26 scores) earned his third local double during Saturday’s 10-race card, while driver Claude Huckabone, III came up with three first-place finishes and driver Kevin Switzer, Jr. two.

Scarborough Downs
Ideal track conditions and perfectly conditioned horses combined to create one of the fastest race cards in the 62-year history of Scarborough Downs. Western Comfort provided the crescendo of excitement on Saturday, speeding over the lightning-fast strip in 1:54.2. Driven by Heath Campbell for trainer Michael Hitchcock, the 6-year-old son of Western Hanover recorded the second-fastest mile of the season at the seaside oval. Relegated to also-ran status, Mr Nice Guy claimed victory in the $7,500 Free For All, stopping the timer in 1:54.3, to record his second victory of the season. Trainer/driver Kim Ireland made very pole a winning one as the Western Ideal gelding can now claim the third fastest clocking of the 2012 season. Earlier in the card, newcomer Viper Hanover (Michael Graffam) sped to victory in an ultra-handy 1:55.3 to remain undefeated in State of Maine competition for owner/trainer Jeffrey Graffam. The regally-bred son of The Pandarosa has yet to be seriously challenged in either local start and appears to hold nothing but upside potential. Hincapie Hanover was the other sterling speedster on Saturday at Scarborough, touring the oval in a sizzling 1:55.3, with driver John Beckwith calling the shots for trainer Adrian Wisher.

Scioto Downs
Driver Jeremy Smith gave J’s Six Pak Attack a perfect trip behind the pacesetting Hangon Cowboy to win the Saturday night feature in 1:53.3, generating a $28 payoff for a $2 bet. When starter Mike Woebkenberg let the field of eight pacers go, driver Jeff Nisonger shot Hangon Cowboy right to the front with J’s Six Pak Attack getting the pocket trip behind the leader. Hangon Cowboy reached the quarter in :27.3, three ticks slower than last week. Nisonger was able to rate Hangon Cowboy much better in the second quarter as he reached the half-mile marker in :57.4 versus :55 last week. The slower tempo in the second quarter allowed Doc’s Yankee to move up on the outside following the cover of Look Yankee. Then Nisonger stepped on the gas in the third quarter, covering that panel in :27 and Look Yankee’s bid in the outer tier stalled. That caused Doc’s Yankee to lose a chance to launch his attack. Hangon Cowboy entered the stretch looking like a winner as the co-favorite was well back and following dead cover. But the pace told on Hangon Cowboy in the stretch. J’s Six Pak Attack, What A Smile and Lima Ritch swarmed out from behind the tiring leader and raced to be the first to the wire. At the finish, J’s Six Pak Attack was 1-3/4 lengths ahead of What A Smile, who nosed out Lima Ritch for the place money. Hangon Cowboy faded to finish fifth while Look Yankee and Doc’s Yankee wound up sixth and seventh, respectively. J’s Six Pak Attack had finished second in his last three starts, but his victory was only his third win in a dozen starts this season. The 4-year-old gelding is owned by Lester Holton and lowered his career record by almost four seconds. Calvin Wright trains the pacer. Chris Page, leading driver at Scioto, scored four wins on the 10-race card.