by harness racing publicists across North America

The Saturday (Aug. 11) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Vernon Downs, Saratoga Casino Hotel and Running Aces.

Lyons Johnny wins Vernon feature

Vernon, NY — Lyons Johnny (John Macdonald) won the featured pace ($6,000) at Vernon Downs on Saturday night (August 11). Macdonald also won four races on the card.

Fotowon photo

Lyons Johnny provided Macdonald with one of his four wins on the card.

JDS Brent N Sheree (Truman Gale) led to the first quarter in :26.3. Lyons Johnny ($3.20) then took over leading the group to a :56.2 half-mile and three-quarters in 1:24.3.

Owned by J P Stables and trained by Macdonald, he would have to hold off the late charge of second place finisher Redhot Romeo (Claude Huckabone III) to win in 1:52.0. Third best was Gypsey Leather (Claude Huckabone Jr.).

Lyons Johnny is a 10-year-old gelding by Mach Three. It was his sixth win this season. He now has 43 career wins.

Macdonald had a quadruple double as driver-trainer. His other wins came with Stonebridge Frosty ($4.30), Weapon To Win (($8.30) and Kabu ($6.10).

Live racing returns to Vernon Downs on Thursday (Aug. 16) with a post time of 6:10 p.m.

For more information go to www.vernondowns.com.

— by John Horne

Saratoga Casino Hotel

There were co-features on Saturday night at Saratoga Casino Hotel as the Fillies and Mares Open joined the regular Saturday feature the Open Pace to highlight the evening’s 13-race card. Each of the co-features went for a purse of $14,500 and each saw the favorite prevail. The Open Pace was won by Carolina Beach (Somebeachsomewhere) who was offensive minded from the get-go on Saturday night. Wally Hennessey overcame the outside post with Carolina Beach, the race’s 4-5 betting favorite, as he moved the Melissa Beckwith-trained pacer out to the early lead. Laying down fast fractions of :27 and :55.4 in lap one, Carolina Beach had something left for the stretch run to prevail in 1:52.1 while holding off Texas Terror N (Bruce Aldrich Jr.) and securing his second consecutive win in the Open and eleventh victory overall in the 2018 campaign. Texas Terror N was the runner-up while longshot Rise Up Now (Larry Stalbaum) earned the show spot. The Fillies and Mares Open, the regular Friday night feature at the Spa, was pushed back a night due to a New York Sire Stakes-filled card on Friday. Rene Allard’s Eclipse Me N (Real Desire) swooped the group to win the local Open for the first time. Leading driver Billy Dobson worked out a cover trip for the 6-5 favorite as Eclipse Me N drafted second-over behind the track’s defending Pacing Mare of the Year Truth And Liberty who was making her first local start of the season. Eclipse Me N made a powerful move around the final turn and drew out to win by 1-1/4 lengths stopping the timer in 1:53.2 for her sixth victory on the campaign. Regular Open star Spreester (Frank Coppola Jr.) came from last in the Open for distaffers before finishing second while longshot Better Said (Brett Crawford) earned the show spot. Live racing resumes on Tuesday evening at Saratoga with New York Sire Stakes competition highlighting the 13-race card. Two-year-old pacing colts and geldings will be featured in stakes action. First post time is set for 7:05 p.m.

Running Aces

The featured event on Saturday night (Aug. 11) at Running Aces was the $11,000 Open Handicap Trot. This week’s event drew a field of six of the best trotters with Preidecrest (Steve Wiseman) sent off as the 6-5 public choice while looking to extend a two-race win streak. Banker Volo had different ideas about who would reign supreme as the top trotter this week, and he gave notice immediately out of the gate that he was playing with his “A” game. Banker Volo (Rick Magee) sprinted from the gate and took control, posting a sharp :27.3 quarter with Silverlode (Lemoyne Svendsen) floating away into the pocket. Banker Volo settled down nicely for a big second quarter breather (:57) before turning the flames back on for the :28.2 third panel and trotting strong in the stretch to hold off a fast closing Silverlode to remain a neck in front at the wire in 1:54.1 for a sparkling new track record for older trotting stallions, which eclipsed his own previous record time of 1:54.2 from last June. For Banker Volo ($7.00) it was the fifth win in fifteen starts this year, and boosted his career bankroll to $396,248 for owner Jeralene Roland. Jenni King is the winning trainer. The $9,000 winner’s over pace went to Holdingallthecards (Dean Magee) in dramatic fashion, with a very talented field of six facing the starter. Bettor’s Promise (Lemoyne Svendsen) was fastest from the gate from post five and Holdingallthecards got away quickly as well to secure the pocket position. The fractions were solid, :27 and :56, and then the action began to sizzle with Bestinthebusiness (James Yoder) launching a strong first-over attack and creating an outer-flow, the field was stacked up three-by-three as they threw down a :26.4 third panel (1:22.4). Bettors Promise was still fighting strong turning for home, with Holdingallthecards exploding from the pocket and Whatchastarinat (Steve Wiseman) who saved ground throughout was angling to the outside for a three-horse battle to the wire. Holdingallthecards was fastest to the line, getting up by a neck over Bettor’s Promise, with Whatchastarinat a close third. The teletimer showed 1:50.4 which equaedl the fastest mile ever at Running Aces. Holdingallthecards ($21.40) is a 9-year-old gelding by Cam’s Card Shark, he is owned by William and Richard McIntyre of Wisconsin, and trained by Denise Maier. This was his 47th career win, and pushed his career bank account to $496,025. The $14,000 Minnesota-sired 3-year-old pacing event went to Ridonkuloso who picked up his fifth win in 10 starts this season. The gelded son of Voracious Hanover went gate-to-wire with a very impressive mile in 1:54.3 to complete a two-race win streak. Ridonkuloso is owned by Mathew Van Oterloo and trained by Brett Ballinger. Racing returns to Running Aces on Sunday night (Aug. 12) with first post at 6 p.m. CDT and a carryover in the 20-cent Jackpot Pick-5 wager of $11,949.88.