from harness publicists around North America

Tuesday’s (Feb. 2) Racing Roundup features stories from Dover Downs and Monticello Raceway.

Lofty Widget scores in Mares Open at Dover

Dover, DE — For the third time in four starts Lofty Widget won the $26,000 Mares Open/Handicap on Tuesday, Feb. 2 at Dover Downs.

Fotowon

Lofty Widget won the $26,000 Mares Open/Handicap on Tuesday, Feb. 2 at Dover Downs.

Ron Pierce took Lofty Widget into the lead early and the fought off a stiff challenge from Apache Fame, the winner of the previous two distaff Opens. The 7-year-old daughter of Pacific Fella-Lofty Aspirations pulled away to score a 1:51.2 triumph for owners trainer Brit Evans and Foulk Stables. Boots Place finished second for Eric Goodell while Alice’s Restaurant and Tony Morgan were third. Thus far this meet, Lofty Widget has won four times, with two seconds and two thirds in eight races.

This week’s qualifying races rescheduled to Thursday

With expectations of one to two inches of snow overnight Tuesday with snow ending Wednesday by midday, the eleven qualifying races that already have been drawn have been re-scheduled for Thursday morning, Jan. 4 beginning at 10 a.m.

— Marv Bachrad

Hat tricks galore at The Mighty M

Monticello, NY — Many times a driver will win a multitude of races on a single card but how many times are there three drivers — all of whom have a hat trick on a single program?

Though it’s probably not a record — but certainly an oddity — it happened at Monticello Raceway on Tuesday when three Mighty M reinsmen each scored three victories. They included Billy Dobson, Jordan Stratton and Greg Merton.

Dobson started it with a 1:58 victory with Moen Stables’ Blue Collar Worker ($2.20) in the first race and then he came back to win the sixth with Mary Starkley’s Pumpkin Eater ($6.20) in a 1:58.1 clocking. Dobson’s final victory on the card was a 2:01.4 triumph with Steve Moore’s My Mate Larry ($15.20) in the 12th.

Not to be outdone, Jordan Stratton scored a hat trick of his own. His first victory came in the third race when he guided Dean Malin’s Cool Operator ($54.50) home first in 1:58.3 and then he won the fifth race with Mike D’Abbraccio’s Behind Enemy Lines ($5.50) in a 1:58.2 clocking. Stratton’s last victory of the day came in the 11th race when he won with Josh Wharton’s Yankee Vigilante ($2.80) in 2:00.

Merton’s first winner on the card came in the second race when he guided Greg Decker’s Full Of Heart ($7.90) to a 1:58.4 triumph. He reached the winner’s circle again in the tenth race with a 1:58.3 victory with Barry Charles’ Noble Wabbitt ($21.80) and Merton’s final triumph on the card came in the 13th and final race when he reined Joe Trice’s Sun Beau Slick ($10.00) to victory in a time of 1:59.3.

Though the aforementioned drivers didn’t leave much for the rest of the local colony, Bruce Aldrich, Jr. did manage to add two more victories to his seasonal total.

— John Manzi