from harness publicists across North America

Saturday’s (Aug. 24) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Tioga Downs, Batavia Downs, Yonkers Raceway and Saratoga Casino and Raceway.

In Your Room captures Tioga Downs’ Saturday night feature

Nichols, NY — Mike Simons and In Your Room captured the $16,000 open trot on Saturday night at Tioga Downs.

Fred J. Brown photo

In Your Room (3) captured Saturday’s open trot at Tioga Downs in 1:53.4.

Simons and In Your Room got away third from post position number three as Cold Certified (Aaron Byron) the 1-2 betting favorite cut through fractions of 27, 56, and 1:24.1. Around the final turn, Simons and In Your Room found themselves four lengths off the lead with Cold Certified controlling the race over a pocket-sitting Fox Valley Smarty (Corey Braden). Down the stretch, Simons pulled In Your Room to the outside and she responded trotting a final quarter in 28.4 to get up for a length and three-quarter victory in 1:53.4.

The win was the sixth of the year in twenty seasonal starts for the 5-year-old daughter of Cr Excalibur – Chris Image for the Classico Stables and trainer Gail Wrubel. Cold Certified (Aaron Byron) hung on for second, while Fox Valley Smarty was third to round out the 3-5-6 trifecta good for $92.00.

Fern Paquet Jr. recorded a driving triple on the night’s ten race card, while Jimmy Marohn Jr. and Corey Braden each posted doubles.

— Dustin Ross

Batavia Downs
Fireyourguns had some ammunition left in the chamber again this week and gunned the down field in the $8,500 Open Pace at Batavia Downs Saturday night (Aug. 24). It was his second straight victory in the Open Pace. Sitting last in the field of six, Fireyourguns ($4.80) and driver Mike Caprio started to move first-over at the top of the stretch the first time as What The Sheik set the half-mile tempo in 55.4. By the time the field reached the three-quarter mark in 1:24.4, the pace-setting leader What The Sheik found himself eyeball to eyeball with Fireyourguns. It was obvious it was going to be a shoot out to the finish. Fireyourguns had one shot left in the chamber, however, and it was enough to get a neck in front What The Sheik at the wire to take the win in 1:53.4. Le Reina Road (David McNeight III) finished a fast-closing third. It was the fourth win in 16 starts in 2013 for Fireyourguns (American Ideal-Villa Hanover). The 4-year-old gelding is trained by Terence McClory and owned by McClory, Jennifer Lowe and Robert Lowe. He now has bankrolled $36,060 this year and $102,880 lifetime. Reinsman John Cummings, Jr. and Ray Fisher, Jr. each posted driving doubles.

Yonkers Raceway
American Rage (Jim Pantaleano) prevailed from the pocket Saturday night, winning Yonkers Raceway’s $46,000 Open Handicap Pace. Pocketed to slight 5-2 favorite Sapphire City (Jason Bartlett) through early intervals of :27.2 and :56.1, American Rage watched as Shooebee’s Place (Dan Dube) and Hillbilly Hanover (George Brennan) moved from fourth and fifth, respectively.
Shooebee’s Place challenged the leader toward the 1:23.4 three-quarters, but Sapphire City owned a length-and-a-half lead into the lane. Unfortunately for him, unwanted advances were coming. American Rage ducked in and Hillbilly Hanover went wide, with the former whipping the latter by a head in 1:51.2. China Grill (Pat Lachance) closed deep inside for third, with Sapphire City and Shoobee’s Place relegated to the remainder. For American Rage. a 5-year-old American Ideal gelding owned by Frank Bellino and trained by Tony O’Sullivan, he returned $15 (fifth choice) for his fifth win in 19 seasonal starts.

Saratoga Casino and Raceway
BJ’s Guy won his first local Open Pace on Saturday night at Saratoga Casino and Raceway as the 4-year-old’s magical season continued. Coming into the $19,260 feature already with nine wins on the season, BJ’s Guy (Towner’s Big Guy) made a rare break at the start of the race and got away towards the back of the pack. After an opening half of 54.4, BJ’s Guy sat mid-pack before finding room up the rail to prevail in 1:52.3 with Bruce Aldrich Jr in the sulky. The win time matched the lifetime mark for the Jose Godinez trained pacer. Upset minded Fancy Footwork (Joe Bongiorno) was the Open’s runner-up after setting sizzling fractions on the front end while Denver Dolly (Shawn Gray) earned the show spot. The morning line favorite, BJ’s Guy returned $9.40 to win and headed an exacta that paid $116 and a triple that returned $526.