from harness publicists across North America
Tuesday night’s (Aug. 23) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, Running Aces, Saratoga and Hippodrome 3R.
Lispatty scores in Pocono feature
Wilkes-Barre, PA — It may not be the optimal way to get tight — making two moves in a Sire Stakes race against Valley Forge winner Darlinonthebeach — but the McArdle filly Lispatty was certainly ready in her next start, the $15,500 featured distaff pace on Tuesday at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, quarter-moving to the lead and then winning by five lengths in 1:50, knocking more than two seconds off her lifetime mark.
Envious Hanover and Single Me were a distant next-closest at the wire to Lispatty, who was driven by Anthony Napolitano for trainer Gilbert Garcia-Herrera, who was completing a training double, with his winning chargers driven by different Napolitano brothers — George had guided the early winner.
Lispatty, who has an outside chance to make her Sire Stakes final and a very good chance to make her Sires consolation, is owned by Garcia-Herrera’s son Gilbert Garcia-Owen, who got his trainer’s license recently and is doing well guiding the fortunes of the Garcia-Herrera string at Philadelphia.
The 1:50 clocking of Lispatty was bettered in a $14,000 conditioned pace for females, as Gallie Bythe Beach posted her second straight victory, with her Tuesday time of 1:49.1 just a tick off her lifetime mark. Mike Simons moved the impeccably-bred Somebeachsomewhere-Galleria mare to the lead past the quarter, and Gallie Bythe Beach took it from there, storming home in :54.2 to win by six lengths for trainer Jim Campbell and Fashion Farms LLC, who saw their mare come within an eyelash of the $750,000 career earnings plateau ($749,898 is now her actual number).
— PHHA/Pocono
Running Aces
The $8,000 Minnesota-sired 2-year-old male pace was one of the featured events on the Tuesday night program at Running Aces and it would mark a return to the winning ways by the sharp gelding by Voracious Hanover, Deweydiddonegood, who rallied from off the pace to pass all his rivals and score a one length victory in 1:57.1 with driver Dean Magee in tow for trainer David Flynn, This tally was his fifth victory in eight lifetime starts, and boosted his bankroll to $24,840 for his owner Richard Davelaar. He paid $3.80 to his many backers. In the $8,000 Minnesota-sired 2-year-old filly pace, Van Otterloo Stables’ Whatitdo Babyboo, another David Flynn trainee, notched another impressive win into her winning streak (now at five), all of them in the same come-from-behind fashion that has become her signature style. As the heavy favorite, she paid just $2.60 as she and driver Rick Magee were nine lengths behind at the half-mile pole, but had already started her usual sweeping rally and she then easily paced by her rivals to pull away by two lengths in the homestretch in 2:01.1. Owner/trainer Wendy Haberberg had another big night at Aces as she visited the winner’s circle with both of her entries, with her 8-year-old trotter Switcheroo ($6.40) posting his second huge win in a row with a 1:59 score by 6-3/4 lengths for Rick Magee and her 8-year-old gelding pacer Ya You Bet Cha (Brian Detgen) also delivered a big win, by 3-1/2 lengths in 1:54.3, paying $5.00 at the windows. Rick Magee posted his third consecutive driving triple on the card, while Dean Magee picked up a driving double.
Saratoga
Deadhead Royalty (RC Royalty) kept his win streak alive on Tuesday night at Saratoga Casino Hotel as the Don Sherman trainee completed a double for his trainer on the card. Deadhead Royalty drew the outside post position in the $6,400 trotting event and after dropping in third in the early going cruised to a first over win with Bruce Aldrich Jr. in the sulky. For Deadhead Royalty, it was the fourth consecutive win and sixth on the season. Earlier in the night, Sherman’s Scarlatti (Conway Hall) prevailed in his division of a $5,900 race for trotters. Scarlatti parlayed a pocket trip to victory in 1:59.1 to record his second win in the last three weeks. His race’s 1-2 betting favorite, the Sherman-trained Scarlatti was driven to victory by Austin Siegelman. With the Tuesday night training double, Sherman climbed back into the top five in the local trainer standings for the 2016 season.
Hippodrome 3R
Unable to finish better than fifth place in three prior tries, Bastiano put it all together Tuesday evening at the Hippodrome 3R, winning the fourth and final preliminary round of the Future Stars Series. It was perfect timing for the victory as it comes with a spot for Bastiano in the C$55,000 final on Sunday (Sept. 4) at 3R for the Future Stars final. His victory came in the colt division for 2-year-olds. Leaving from post two for driver Rheo Filion, Bastiano went right to the early lead. But a stubborn Sometimes When and driver Guy Gagnon came right after Bastiano and Filion and those two raced side by side for rest of the mile. As they continued to race head and head down the stretch, it was not until the final strides that Bastiano sealed the victory by a quarter-length in 2:03.1. Kinnder Dangerous (Justin Filion) was third. It was the maiden victory for Bastiano in just his fifth lifetime start. The gelded son of Angus Hall is trained by Eric Gnocchini and co-owned by Gnocchini with Paul Lavigne and Gestion Marc Lemay, Inc. In the filly division, Joyce Lavec and driver Pascal Berube won in a romp by the length of the stretch for her third win in just four lifetime starts. But it was not that good at the start of the race as Joyce Lavec broke and spotted the field more than 10 lengths by the opening quarter-mile. Once Berube had his filly back on stride, she tore after the race leaders, caught them by the second turn and then pulled away from the field to win by 21-1/2 lengths in a slow 2:09.3. Muscle Do (Gaetan Lamy) was second with KFB Filante (Jonathan Lachance) third. Trained by Dany Fontaine, Joyce Lavec is a daughter of Mr Lavec, bred and owned by Jean Berthiaume. Both of the races Tuesday were non-wagering events. Driver Louis-Philippe Roy increased his lead as the top dash winning driver at the Hippodrome 3R this season, scoring four winners on the night.