by harness racing publicists across North America

Saturday’s (June 3) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Buffalo Raceway, Saratoga Raceway, Tioga Downs, Vernon Downs, Kawartha Downs, Hawthorne Race Course and The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.

Racing Roundup: Itsonlyrocknroll A cruises to a Buffalo Raceway feature win

Hamburg, NY — To put it mildly, it was just a solid effort from start to finish for Itsonlyrocknroll A ($5.70) in the featured $9,000 Open II Pace at Buffalo Raceway on Saturday night (June 3).

Lulling the field to sleep with a soft opening panel of just :29.0, Itsonlyrocknroll A only got better the rest of the way and posted a convincing two-length decision over China Dream in a seasonal best of 1:53.3 over the fast track.

Steve Roth photo

Itsonlyrocknroll Acruises to easy Open II win at Buffalo Raceway.

Larry Stalbaum and Itsonlyrocknroll A got an uncontested lead right off the gate and managed to open up a solid two -ength margin through the first split of :29.0 while Littlebitaclass was next in line. The tempo picked up the rest of the way as Itsonlyrocknroll A hit the half in :57.0, starting to leave the remainder of the field in his dust. The final half-mile went in :56.3 with Itsonlyrocknroll A using a :28.1 last panel to secure the win. China Dream (Drew Monti) picked up the second place check with Western Alumni (Todd Cummings) finishing in third.

Owned by Stalbaum and trained by Kimberly Asher, Itsonlyrocknroll A (Million Dollar Cam-Boldandbeautiful) is a 6-year-old gelding that has seven wins in just 14 tries in 2017. The victory upped his seasonal earnings to $38,130 and $208,350 lifetime.

Stalbaum continued to dominate in the sulky with five wins on the night while Monti and Jim Morrill Jr. had doubles. Asher had four training victories with JD Perrin getting two.

Action will resume on Wednesday night at Buffalo Raceway with a 13-race card scheduled for 5 p.m. The New York Sire Stakes will roll into town for the first time this season with the 3-year-old colt and gelding pacers ready to battle in a trio of $40,600 events. There will also be competition in the Excelsior A and B Series.

For more information including the latest news, race replays, results and upcoming promotions, go to www.buffaloraceway.com.

— by Brian Mazurek

Saratoga Raceway

Saratoga, NY — Artful Way (Artistic Fella), the defending Pacer of the Year at Saratoga Casino Hotel, recorded the fastest mile of the year on Saturday (June 3) night when he won the Open Pace in 1:50.1. Frank Coppola Jr. went pedal to the metal in the early going with the 7-5 betting favorite in the $14,500 Open and Artful Way hit the quarter in :26.3. The tempo didn’t slow much and after checking in at three-quarters in 1:22.3, the star pacer had enough left to draw away and win in 1:50.1. Don’tcallmefrancis (Bruce Aldrich Jr) was the runner-up for the second consecutive time in the Open while JK Panache (Jim Devaux) earned the show spot. For Artful Way, it was the third victory in the local Open Pace this year. His trainer Jackie Greene now has recorded six wins in the regular Saturday feature at the Spa this season. It was the 26th win in just 80 career starts for the 5-year-old Artful Way whose 1:50.1 final time served as a new lifetime mark. Artful Way, who paid $4.80 to win, led an exacta and triple that came back $16.40 and $32, respectively. Live racing continues on Sunday afternoon at Saratoga with a matinee beginning at 12:15 p.m.

Tioga Downs

Tioga, NY — Golden Son (Mike Simons) wins the Tioga Downs Open trot Saturday night (June 3). The 4 -year-old Majestic Son gelding sat in the pocket following the favorite Sweet Thing (Fern Paquet Jr.). Sweet Thing led the field hitting the first quarter in :27.4, the half in :56.4 and three-quarters went in 1:25.1. Simons waited patiently in the stretch for an opening. Once he got it he guided Golden Son ($8.30) to the front for a three-length win in 1:54.1. Golden Son who is owned by John Devito and Rocco Maniello while trained by Jenny Melander, won for the sixth time this season. Sweet Thing finished second with Another Breath (Jim Meittinis) getting third. Mickey McNichol continues to soar at Tioga Downs this season. The 68-year-old trainer/driver has had a stellar start at Tioga Downs this season. On May 14, he piloted Maxdaddy Blue Chip to a mile in 1:49.3 during the Open Pace.. On Monday (May 29), he had another great drive when he guided the 31-1 long shot Good Luck to victory. Owned by Fred Monteleone, Good Luck escaped the pocket at the top of the stretch and surged by For A Bettor Time for an easy win in 1:52.0. Tonight he would add two more wins. In race number two, McNichol guided Blueberry Heaven ($7.90) to a win in 1:52.1. In race number nine he was victorious with the favorite Massive Lightning ($4.00). Fred Monteleone owned both horse who were trained by McNichol as well. Tioga Downs returns to action with an 11-race card on Sunday afternoon (June 4) at 1 p.m. For more information go to www.tiogadowns.com.

Vernon Downs

Vernon, NY — Golden Gun (Justin Huckabone) shocked a field of six in Vernon Downs pacing feature ($8,400) on Saturday night (June 3). Sassy Hanover (Claude Huckabone Jr.) set the pace with fractions of :27, :56.4, 1:24.4. Golden Gun who is a 7-year-old Headmaster gelding followed in the pocket before taking over in the stretch winning in 1:52.1. Owned by The Wiz Kids Stable and trained by Misty Carey, Golden Gun paid $32.60 for the win. The big favorite Dude’s The Man (Chris Lems) charged late to finish second. Sassy Hanover hung on for third. John MacDonald would add another four-win night to his resume. MacDonald would take race three with Fox Valley Cadet ($2.60) in 1:54.1. In race number six he would guide All Stienam ($4.00) to a stretch drive win in 1:53.3. In race number nine he would drive Forty Carrots ($5.40) to victory in deep stretch just nipping Cam’s Lucky Man (Andy Gardner) in 1:53.3. His fourth win would come in race 11 with Jojo Jove ($6.70) going gate-to-wire in (1:52.0). Vernon Downs returns to live action with a 10-race card on Thursday (June 8) at 6:45 p.m. For more information go to www.vernondowns.com.

Kawartha Downs

Fraserville, ON — There was a Gassien in the winner’s circle following five of Kawartha Downs 10 races tonight. Reg Gassien, one of the track’s top drivers for many years, had four winners while brother Dan captured the final race of the evening with his own Oakrock Eldorado. Reg recorded a natural hat trick with three straight winners starting with Bet Till Dawn who was home first in 1:58.2 to record her second straight for trainer Dave Gibson. Next was Four For Orr who gave Reg a 1:57.3 ride to win by seven. The 3-year-old Armbro Deuce son was also scoring his second in a row at the Fraserville oval. Royal Engagement also scored her second straight win with a 1:57.1 effort for Reg whose fourth victory tonight was also the fastest of the evening thanks to Battle Call who hit the wire first in 1:55.4. Trainer Tommy Riley had a pair of winners on the card. Reg piloted his Royal Engagement to the win while Nick Boyd brought home Millers Song in the seventh race to give the Riley barn the double. A 3-year-old daughter of Windsong Espoir, Millers Song won her first race of her career last week on Kawartha’s opening night. Trainer Stacey Reinsma, who will be at Kawartha next week with the always popular Hands On Horses, had a winner tonight with Gliding Senorita in the sixth race. In addition to Hands On Horses next Saturday night, for the annual Celebration of the Horse, Kawartha Downs will also host two miniature horse races. Post time is 7 p.m.

Hawthorne Race Course

Stickney IL — Three-year-old Illinois-bred colt and gelding pacers were the focus at Hawthorne on Saturday (June 3) evening as two divisions of leg one of the Robert F. Carey Memorial pace took place. Race six was the first division as a field of nine was sent to the gate. Royale Big Guy was the favorite as Jim Pantaleano flew into town for the drive. Leaving for the lead was Commondiscourtesy through a quarter in :28.1. On the backside, Gabe Henry moved to challenge and took over through the half in :56.3. On the turn, Royale Big Guy tipped out to challenge Gabe Henry as the two were head-and-head through three-quarters in 1:25.0. After a long stretch duel, Royale Big Guy led late and just held on as Captain Rhett closed with a rush to finish second. Gabe Henry held third. The stewards called an inquiry on Gabe Henry for a possible incident nearing the half-mile pole but no action was taken. Final time for the mile was 1:53.2. Royale Big Guy is owned by Megan Rogers Racing Stables Inc. and trained by Norm Parker. Race eight was the second division of leg one of the Robert F. Carey Memorial. Sporty Redhot was scratched, leaving a field of eight horses. Favored was Fox Valley Herbie for Mike Oosting. In Your Eye left for the lead, covering the quarter in :29.3. On the backside, second-choice Fox Valley Nemitz took over through a half in :58.1. On the turn, Fox Valley Nemitz held the lead through three-quarters in 1:26.2. In the stretch, Leonard roused Fox Valley Nemitz as In Your Eye tipped out and was asked but Fox Valley Nemitz was too good, winning going away. In Your Eye was second while Fox Valley Herbie was third. Final time for the mile was 1:53.1. Fox Valley Nemitz is owned by Fox Valley Standardbreds and trained by Nick Giberson.

The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono

Wilkes-Barre, PA — Driver George Napolitano Jr. and trainer Chris Oakes combined to take both $25,000 winners-over pacing features Saturday (June 3) night at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, scoring first with Scott Rocks and then with Split The House. Split The House was in the tougher of the two divisions, but nonetheless was sent off at 3-5 odds and justified the confidence of his backers by posting a 4-3/4 length victory in 1:48.2. Not only was this a personal mark, it was the fastest mile of the season at Pocono, and believed to be the fastest mile of the year on a five-eighths mile track, bettering by a tick the number put up by Rockeyed Optimist at Harrah’s Philadelphia last Sunday. The winning Rocknroll Hanover gelding was out-footed by Ideal Cowboy early, but Napolitano was soon doing his own rock-n-roll behind the horse. He kicked the plugs out before the first turn and urged the horse to go on to the top, which he made by the :26 first quarter. Split The House made the half in :53.3 and then opened a big lead down the backstretch to and past the 1:20.3 three-quarters, keeping the open margin to the wire. Barimah A, the Van Rose Pace winner here, nosed out The Real One for second behind the winner, who now sports a bankroll of $392,833 under the ownership of Crawford Racing Farms. Napolitano, Oakes, and Rocknroll Hanover also combined to take the other $25,000 pace, as the gelding Scott Rocks, an even money shot, quarter-moved to command, laid down a pedestrian half, then sprinted home in :54.1 to withstand the Pocono Pike charger Betting Exchange by a neck in 1:50. Scott Rocks, who took his mark of 1:48 here last year, shows earnings of $548,079 for the partnership of Susan Oakes and Chuck Pompey.