by harness racing publicists across North America

Sunday’s (June 12) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Saratoga, Running Aces and Dresden Raceway.

Just Make Believe scores at Saratoga

Saratoga, NY — Just Make Believe (Kadabra) paid immediate dividends for his new connections on Sunday afternoon (June 12) at Saratoga Casino Hotel as the 6-year-old prevailed in the $15,000 Open Trot.

Melissa Simser-Iovino photo

Just Make Believe adds another triumph to his resume.

Just Make Believe was assigned post position one in the 1-1/16 mile feature as he was moving up in company off a claim for trainer John DiStefano. Jimmy Devaux received the driving assignment and got the razor sharp trotter away well early.

Just Make Believe sat the pocket to Stirling Cadet (Frank Coppola Jr), last week’s Open winner, who was setting sizzling fractions on the lead. Softened a bit by an opening quarter of :26.2, Stirling Cadet tired late and Just Make Believe slid out of the pocket around the final turn.

Favored Boli (Wally Hennessey) was closing sharply but after getting away last and had them all to beat if he was going to secure his second victory in the local Open.

Just Make Believe stopped the timer in 2:03.1 to prevail at odds of 18-1.

Boli closed sharply for second while Stirling Cadet held on for third.

Just Make Believe returned $38.20 to win and led an exacta and triple that came back $145 and $714, respectively.

Live racing resumes on Thursday (June 16) at Saratoga with a 4:00 p.m. first post.

— by Mike Sardella

Running Aces

On the Sunday card at Running Aces, the 6-year-old gelding Ideal Art ($20.20) paced to a new 1:52.2 lifetime best in a talented field of conditioned pacers. He is owned by Kathy Plested, Mark Benvenga, and Tyler Wiseman, and was driven to victory by his trainer Steve Wiseman. The talented son of American Ideal got away from the gate sharply from post four and found the two hole early, waited patiently until the stretch and converted the pocket trip into his fourth win of the season and pushed his seasonal bankroll to $15,316. The featured $11,000 Open Pace was another sharp win at the top level for Jazzmanian Devil ($4.60), pacing in 1:53.1 with Lemoyne (Moonie) Svendsen aboard, for owner William Condon and trainer Steve Wiseman. This was his second win in a row and ninth win in 19 starts this year. Comes Home First (Jim Marino) was second best, while Del Rio Seelster (Nick Roland) checked in third. The $7,500 Minnesota-sired 3- year-old filly Trot went to Whatevershesgot (by SOS Lunar Eclipse), driven to a 2:00.4 new life’s mark by Gerald Longo for owner/trainer Jenni King. She paid $3.40 to win. The $7,500 Minnesota-sired 3-year-old gelding trot went to The Winnin Dollar (Nick Roland), for his second consecutive score, this one in 1:59.4. He paid $6.80 to his backers and is owned by Jesse DeLong and trained by Justin Anfinson. Steve Wiseman had a driving double on the card and three training wins as well, and Gerald Longo posted his second double of the season. The next card of live harness racing at Running Aces Casino & Racetrack will go to post on Tuesday night (June 14) at 7 p.m. (CDT) with a carryover in the 50-cent Jackpot Pick-6 wager of $8,323.10.

Dresden Raceway

Cat Four didn’t need nine lives Sunday (June 12) as the 12-year-old Camotion gelding was the winner of the inaugural “Little Saratoga” Dresden Raceway Cup. Andy Moore went right to the front and cut out fractions of :28.4, :58, 1:28 and 1:58.2 with Cat Four, who was claimed out of the race. He returned to Jim Watt’s stable for owner Alisha Williams. The big bay gelding was claimed last week in Hanover by Derek Latour of Sarnia and raced out of Lloyd Mansfield’s stable today. The Little Saratoga Dresden Raceway Cup is dubbed the “working horse’s race”.

“We decided that regular overnight horses work just as hard and sometimes have more to overcome than some of the star horses that race in the big races like the North American Cup or the Little Brown Jug so we presented a trophy for a regular blue-collar horse” explained Gary Patterson, the track announcer and publicity director.

Magnum Seelster was second for Tyler Borth while On Golden Ponder and Donnie Rankin paid the show price. Moore and Brad Forward had the hot hands of the day as they each chalked up three winners. Moore hit the winner’s circle with PJ Lucky Lass, Cat Four and Big Is Better, while Forward’s winners included Fortune New Moon, Lady With A Weapon and Big Diva. Nearly 720 people wagered $19,751 on a picuresque day at the track.