from harness publicists across North America

Friday’s (Feb. 20) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Yonkers Raceway, The Meadows, Miami Valley Raceway and Buffalo Raceway.

Icomandmyspirit wins Friday 35G distaff pace at Yonkers

Yonkers, NY — Icommandmyspirit (Brian Sears, $12.20) rallied from second-over Friday night (Feb. 20) winning Yonkers Raceway’s $35,000 featured Filly and Mare Open Pace.

Sean Hamrock photo

Icomandmyspirit won Friday night’s feature at Yonkers Raceway in 1:56.1.

Sitting chilly from post position six, Icommandmyspirit saw UF Dragon’s Queen (Mark MacDonald) worked around polester Palm Patrol (Dan Dube). After a :28.2 opening quarter-mile and 58-second intermission, Camille (George Brennan), as the 7-5 choice, moved from fourth.

That was all the incentive Icommandmyspirit needed, as she moved closer to the leader going to the 1:27 three-quarters. UF Dragon’s Queen owned a tenuous lead into the lane, but was about to give up the ghost. Palm Patrol ducked inside, but Icommandmyspirit was both wider and faster. The latter whipped the former (a bridesmaid in five of her six races this season) by a neck in a brisk 1:56.1.

Camille held the bottom of the ticket, with Jonsie Jones (Tyler Buter) and Rockaround Sue (Jason Bartlett) rounded out the payees.

For third choice Icommandmyspirit, a 5-year-old homebred daughter of Western Ideal trained by Chris Ryder for owner/breeder Cheryl Costello, it was her third win in six seasonal starts. The exacta paid $47.40, with the triple returning $160.

— Frank Drucker

The Meadows
Returning from a layoff of more than three months, Continual Velocity still was the best as she notched a front-end victory in the $20,000 Filly & Mare Not Listed Preferred/Preferred Handicap Pace on Friday (Feb. 20) at The Meadows. Dave Palone hustled Continual Velocity to the front, where she enjoyed a comfortable :58 opening half on a “good” surface. Palone had to chase Continual Velocity in the lane, but the 7-year-old daughter of Real Artist-Extreme Velocity responded and held off Macharoundtheclock by a half-length in 1:55. The pocket-sitting R Marie Hanover was third.
Ron Burke trains Continual Velocity, who now boasts $542,275 in career earnings, for Burke Racing Stable and Weaver Bruscemi, LLC. It was one of three wins on the 12-race card for Palone.

Miami Valley Raceway
Shine N Shimmer was stunning Friday night (Feb. 20) at Miami Valley Raceway, treating the quick five-eighths mile oval as if someone laid a red carpet around it—just for her. It was just the second local race for the 7-year-old daughter of American Ideal and produced the second gate-to-wire victory against the best open class mares competing in southern Ohio. Driver Chris Page took full advantage of drawing the inside post position by exploding off the wings and forcing all rivals to find a seat during a :27.2 opening panel. With no one pressuring on the outside in the scratch-shortened field, Page managed an unexpected respite during the second quarter when the timer flashed :57.4 at the halfway station. The pace quickened from that point home with All Terror (Kayne Kauffman) launching a first-over bid and Carlina Hanover (Tyler Smith) getting a snug pocket journey. When the 1:26 flashed at the three-quarters Page called on his winning mare and she responded with a :28.2 last quarter, despite 10 degree temperatures, to put the 1:54.2 triumph in the books. Shine N Shimmer is trained by Jim Ellison for the Dandy Farms and Howard Taylor. She now has 19 career victories and $321,742 in lifetime earnings. The feature race win was one of five on the night for Chris Page, whose other tallies came with Camphor Hanover (1:56.1), trotter Over And Out (1:58.1) and Rev Me Up (1:54.2). Racing resumes Saturday night with a powerful 14-race card offering $127,500 in purses.

Buffalo Raceway

Billy Dobson is battling for the top spot in Buffalo Raceway driver’s standings and he helped himself by recording four victories on Friday afternoon (February 20). Dobson, who trailed defending champion Kevin Cummings 43-36 entering the day, posted wins with Fox Valley Lena ($9.50), Francessa ($10.40), Diamonds For Life ($7.00) and Donegal Jim ($4.30) to narrow the gap. Cummings had a double on the card, however, and enjoys a 45-40 advantage. Ron Beback Jr. had a driving triple and a training double. He drove and conditioned That Horse JD ($7.80), Tymal Viva ($9.40) and Blueridge Adalia (1:54.4) to wins and steered Dont Sweat My Swag to a $4.80 victory for trainer JD Perrin. Jim McNeight also had a pair of wins on the 13-race program.