from Harness Publicists across North America

Thursday’s (July 2) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Monticello Raceway, Yonkers Raceway, Harrah’s Chester, Vernon Downs, Saratoga Raceway, Ocean Downs, Cal-Expo and Scioto Downs.

Kyle DiBenedetto wins four at Monticello

Monticello, NY — Kyle DiBenedetto, a two-time driving champion at Monticello Raceway, reined four winners on the nine-race card at the Mighty M on Thursday afternoon and now needs just 19 more to reach a career milestone of 5,000 driving victories.

Kyle DiBenedetto won four races on Thursday afternoon at Monticello.

DiBenedetto began the afternoon winning both ends of the early double. He scored a 2:02.4 victory behind Vernon Beachy’s Willie’s Chica ($4.80), a 3-year-old daughter of Whalen Willie, and came back the next race to rein R Little E ($4.60) to a wire-to-wire, 2:03 trotting victory. The 3-year-old Credit Winner gelding is owned by John Dwyer and Laurie Whittemore.

DiBenedetto then won the fourth race with Bill Mintz’s Rueba Palooza ($9.90) in a time of 2:00.4 and he capped his day with a 2:03.2 trotting victory behind Margaret Olmstead’s Bowl Lane ($5.60).

The 41-year-old reinsman began his career at Monticello Raceway at 18 and over the years he has won two driving titles here. In 1997 his 304 winners topped the local leaderboard and again the following year (1998) DiBenedetto’s 242 driving victories captured the dash-win crown.

— John Manzi

Sorentino is back in the winner’s circle at Yonkers

Yonkers, NY — The start of Yonkers Raceway’s summer meet Thursday night brought with it an all-too-rare sight of late — driver Mike Sorentino, Jr. in the winner’s circle.

Sorentino and 12-1 Kris’s Legacy ($26.60) teamed for a decisive, 4-1/4 length win in the $14,500 second-race trot. The pair sat second-over behind a wicked speed duel and took full advantage, busting the race wide open past the three-quarters and winning as they pleased in 1:58.3.

Mike Lizzi photo

Mike Sorentino, Jr. piloted Kris’s Legacy to a 1:58.3 win.

That effort matched the career best for the 5-year-old daughter of Ilooklikemymon, trained by Sorentino for his father. It was also the lady’s first victory in 15 seasonal starts after a five-win, nearly $55,000 season in 2008.

Sorentino has been “just” a trainer while battling recurring back problems. It was his first driving victory since Dec. 4, 2007, when he guided Ain’t No Stopn Us — another horse he trained — to a handy victory in a claiming pace here. He had made only one driving start in both 2008 and 2009 prior to Thursday night’s win.

“The back has been feeling better, so I figured I will drive a bit during the summer,” Sorentino said. “Everything worked out perfectly tonight. We claimed this mare (in April of) last year, and she became very sick…colic. I thought she raced well last week, but the mile (1:57.4) was just too fast for her. She made it look easy tonight, and winning always feels better than losing.”

Despite the impressive performance, Sorentino stopped short of soliciting his services for nightly catch-driving duties.

The affable 46-year-old Sorentino, a resident of nearby Bronxville, has won more than 1,600 races and banked $9.5 million in a driving career which began in 1980. He strung together consecutive million-dollar purse seasons in 1999-2000.

— Frank Drucker

Four in a row for All Shuttle

Chester, PA — Another jump in class didn’t seem to bother All Shuttle ($7.40), who won his fourth straight at Harrah’s Chester on Thursday evening, taking the $35,000 Committeeman in 1:50.2.

The 6-year-old Space Shuttle gelding controlled the pace throughout, facing just mild pressure from Next Adventure (Eric Goodell) on the far turn after reaching three-quarters in 1:22.3.

With Next Adventure stalling at the head of the stretch, All Shuttle was put to the task by Montecito N (Richie Silverman), who swept up three-wide off the far turn, giving chase in deep stretch. All Shuttle prevailed by a half-length under moderate urging from driver Corey Callahan, with Montecito N finishing second. Atochia (Yannick Gingras) rode the pocket throughout, and closed up the open stretch for third.

Casie Coleman trains All Shuttle for the A&G Stables.

— Harrah’s Chester Publicity Department

Prettyasapageant captures Thursday feature at Vernon

Vernon, NY — Prettyasapageant came from off the pace to record a 1:55.2 triumph in Thursday night’s $5,000 featured sixth race at Vernon Downs.

Fotowon photo

Prettyasapageant won Thursday’s feature at Vernon in 1:55.2.

While Lesley’s Jlo Belle (Howard Okusko, Jr. driving) took the seven-filly/mare field to the half in :57.1 over a track labeled sloppy, Prettyasapageant paced along in sixth place. Entering the final turn of Vernon’s seven-eighths-mile oval, the 6-year-old daughter of Tune Town-Swinging Meg began a three-wide rally that resulted in her taking the lead entering the homestretch, where she drew off to defeat Bille Bella Chick by a little more than two lengths.

Thursday’s tally was the fourth locally, the fifth this season and 12th lifetime for the career-winner of $67,205, who is owned by the In Front Racing stable. Fern Paquet, Jr. did the driving for Jamie Paquet.

Paquet also piloted the Indigo Racing Stable’s pacer It’s Been Real, conditioned by Adam Capizzano, to a lifetime best 1:57.4 score in Thursday’s seventh session.

Okusko, Jr., the meet’s leading driver with 48 victories through 31 programs, and Jimmy Whittemore, second with 43 first-place finishes, also doubled during the nine-race card.

Red Brandy, newcomer Jimmy Whisman teaming for trainer Brenda Ohol and owner Mike McDanel, followed up her 2:47.2 record performance in a 1-3/8 mile race here on June 25 with a lifetime best 1:59 tally in Thursday’s eighth event. It was the 4-year-old mare’s seventh score in 20 trips to the track this season.

— Jim Moran

Ctus Z Tam scores at Saratoga

Saratoga Springs, NY — Ctus Z Tam made only his second local start on Thursday at Saratoga Raceway but after an ultra impressive performance on the summer night, the pacer certainly appears poised to have plenty of local success in the future.

Dave Oxford photo

Ctus Z Tam was a 1:55.4 winner on Thursday night at Saratoga.

The Dustin Miller trainee moved into the rail for the Thursday tilt after a tough trip from post eight in his local debut two weeks ago. In his first start, Ctus Z Tam left and got away third before pulling first over as a 35-1 longshot. After toughing it out in a fourth place finish in a mile paced in 1:56.1, it was apparent that this pacer was poised for a big effort should he draw a better post in his next start.

Claude Huckabone III was in the sulky on Thursday and was indeed aggressive, putting the 5-2 second choice on the front end in the evening’s tenth race. Ctus Z Tam drew away late to record a five length win while stopping the timer in 1:55.4, the fastest mile of the night. For the 4-year-old pacer, it was win number five on the season and his first ever at the Spa.

— Mike Sardella

Alan Myer Memorial Series continues

Berlin, MD — Racing at Ocean Downs on Thursday night featured three divisions of the second leg of the Alan Myer Memorial Series.

Alan Myer was born in 1926 and was on the harness racing scene his entire life. He raced at Ocean Downs the day it initially opened and in his illustrious career had driving titles races at various tracks across the nation, including Roosevelt Raceway, Liberty Bell, Brandywine, and Ocean Downs. “He lived for the sport,” said his son Dan Myer.

Winsmith Twister ($9.80) won the opening $3,000 division of the Myer in 2:04.1 for driver Jack Baumann. The 3-year-old CR Commando gelding led every step of the mile and held off Hey No Annie by three-quarters of a length.

The 3-year-old gelding Fox Valley Scorch ($13.80), won his second race off the year in the second division of the series. The Michael Hall trainee sat third most of the race, but made a late push to win by a head at the wire.

Driver Jack Baumann felt that the young horse is a good racehorse. “I eased him out of the gates and we waited until one of the leading horses in the second hole fell out and we took that opening” he explained. “After that it was just a race to the wire.”

The third division race in the series was also a dandy. Pick Me A Rose ($17.80), a 5-year-old mare, won this race in stylish fashion. Driven and trained by Ron Abott, the mare left from the gate and didn’t relent the lead, despite late pushes from other horses.

“Things really went our way,” said Abott. “I took her to the front and she wanted to stay up there.”

Red-hot driver Chuck Perry, Jr. was busy Thursday night recording a driving triple. He currently sits atop of the driving title race at Ocean Downs with 15 wins. Mark Gray, second in the title chase, was also putting in work, grabbing a driving double during the course of the evening.

— Ozi Menakaya

Mama wins one for the boys at Cal-Expo

Sacramento, CA — She’s the mascot and hero of the USS Boxer, the USS Comstock, and the USS New Orleans in the Marines 13th MEU, and Mamahaswhiskerstoo didn’t disappoint.

A field of ten ladies, nine in on the condition and one to be claimed, were featured at Cal-Expo on Thursday night for a $5,300 purse, in which the right trip on a very favorable bias worked out well for Mamahaswhiskerstoo.

Leaving and getting into the pocket an eighth of a mile after the start, driver Rick Plano, at the quarter-mile pole, timed in :29, had no intentions of moving from behind Misdori (Lemoyne Svendsen).

“I was content to sit second because we were going very, very slooooow, that is until the half (:59.2) when Gilbert (Herrera) popped out with Lil Deuce Coup, then we started to go very, very faaaaast,” laughed Plano.

Gapping two lengths at the five-eighths pole as a result of a strong duel between Misdori and Lil Deuce Coup, Plano couldn’t do much more. “I was going all I could at that point and didn’t think I’d be able to gain on those two in front of me.”

With Misdori having shrugged off the attack of Lil Deuce Coup and now drawing clear in a blistering :27.2 third quarter, Plano felt no better while 2-1/2 lengths back at the three-quarter marker, timed in 1:26.4. “At that point, with Misdori opening up, I was just trying to get a check, plus I was in-tight because Lil Deuce Coup had drifted in a bit.”

Now under a drive in the stretch, but not yet making any headway, Plano would soon be able to be optimistic. “I pulled the earplugs at the head of the stretch, but it wasn’t until I looked up and saw that Misdori was coming back to me around the sixteenth pole that I figured I now had a chance — at which point I started driving harder on my mare.”

Gaining now on Misdori in deep-stretch, the 5-year-old would wear down the game leader with ten yards to go. “I think that Misdori came back to me more than I got to her.”

Bred and owned by Wendi Wiener, and trained by Nathalie Tremblay, Mamahaswhiskerstoo would win ($6.60) by one length in 1:56.2. Misdori won a tight photograph for the place honors, and Little Bit Country (Steve Hyman) finished just a nose back in third.

“I was very, very fortunate to get an inside run on a track bias that absolutely didn’t favor speed at all,” concluded Plano.

For the meet’s leading driver, the victory was one of four winners, giving him ten triumphs over the last two cards.

— Scott Ehrlich

Forever Showin Off fastest at Scioto

Columbus, OH — Forever Showin Off easily bested a field of filly and mare pacers at Scioto Downs on Thursday night with a 1:55.2 win, fastest of the evening.

Driver Kayne Kauffman drove her with confidence, shooting the 5-year-old daughter of Allamerican Ingot straight to the front from post seven and never yielding the lead. The heavy favorite won by three lengths over Towner’s Great Lady and Endeared Hanover.

It was the fourth win of the seasons for Forever Showin Off, who is trained by Chris Conrad for owners Fred Schroeder, Jr. and Donald Conrad.

Earlier in the evening driver Charles Neff won his first drive of the Scioto season behind Pocket Express N as the 7-year-old scampered to a 2-1/2 length win at odds of 17-1. Neff drove for owner-trainer Roger Bartley, Jr.

The 13 races on Thursday at Scioto were won by 13 different drivers.

— Dean A. Hoffman