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Saturday’s (Oct. 3) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, Balmoral Park, Saratoga Casino and Raceway and Vernon Downs.

Mach It So is powerful in feature victory at Pocono

Wilkes Barre, PA — Mach It So, the veteran Mach Three gelding coming off a late-charging victory in the Quillen Memorial at Harrington, used speedy tactics Saturday night at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, overcoming less-than-ideal conditions and a good field to take the $24,000 featured pace in 1:49.4.

Curtis Salonick photo

Mach It So was a 1:49.4 winner for driver Andrew McCarthy.

Driver Andrew McCarthy sent Mach It So to the lead after the :27.1 quarter and the career winner of $1.09 million took it from there, putting up middle splits of :55.3 and 1:22.4, then booking home in :27 over a ‘good’ track in 46 degree temperatures to win by six lengths for trainer Jeff Bamond Jr. and Bamond Racing LLC.

The winner certainly seems to like the Pocono surface — he took his mark of 1:48 here last year, and he certainly doesn’t seem to mind traveling, now having consecutive wins at Mohawk, Harrington and Pocono.

Scott Rocks, who had a series of “close but no cigar” finishes in his most recent starts prior to the $20,000 co-feature, finally got home first by using pocket rocket tactics under the guidance of George Napolitano Jr. to tally in 1:50.2 for trainer Chris Oakes and owners Susan Oakes and Chuck Pompey.

The winner was the fourth on the card for “George Nap,” giving him 15 trips to Victory Lane in the first three days of October, an average of 3.75 wins per card (two at Philly and two here).

— PHHA/Pocono

Balmoral Park
Clinard Properties’ Time To Roll lived up to name on Saturday night at Balmoral Park as the 6-year-old son of Rocknroll Hanover etched his name in the Balmoral Park record books for an older pacing horse with a 1:48.4 clocking in the $9,400 Winners Over Pace. Confidently handled by driver Mike Oosting, the Tom Simmons trainee sat just off a torrid pace being set by speedball Ice Scraper. Hitting full stride as the field turned for the money on a cold blustery night the career winner of $800,147 exploded home in :26.4 to notch his 32nd career victory. The previous mark of 1:49.1 had been shared by Big Tom, Sagebrush, He Wants It All and Western Trademark and dated all the way back to 2000 with the Big Tom mark.

Saratoga Casino and Raceway
Spinarama (Cam’s Card Shark) changed tactics to secure the win in the $19,250 Open Pace on Saturday night at Saratoga Casino and Raceway. It was the fifth Open victory of the year for the Chris Marino-trainee who usually does his best work on the front end. On Saturday night, driver Austin Siegelman got a pocket trip for the 6-year-old pacer who rode the coattails of defending track Horse of the Year Panocchio (Gerry Mattison) before poking his nose out in time to win by the slimmest of margins in 1:52. Panocchio finished second while the race’s favorite, Hot Roddy (Stephane Bouchard), had to settle for third. Spinarama, who is owned by Mike Casalino Jr., was dismissed at odds of 6-1 and won for the eighth time in 2015. Returning $14.80 to win, Spinarama led an exacta and triple that paid $51 and $131.50, respectively. Live racing continues on Sunday afternoon with a matinee beginning at 12:15 p.m.

Vernon Downs
Donn Lewandrowski and Gail Farrell’s Card Knock Life ($42.60) cleared his five rivals and never looked back in Saturday evening’s $8,000 Open II Pace at Vernon Downs, sprinting off late for a 20-1 upset in the featured event. Trainer-driver Truman Gale left aggressively with the 5-year-old Western Ideal gelding, clearing Sassy Hanover (Claude Huckabone III) and Golden Gun (Tyler Freese) in the opening furlong. Card Knock Life managed to rate a :56 first half-mile before accelerating through the far turn, posting a :27.3 third sectional while edging clear of Sassy Hanover. Meanwhile, Greg Merton commenced a first-over rally with odds-on favorite No Monkeys Allowed, slow to gain through the far turn but improving drastically upon turning for home. Despite No Monkeys Allowed’s late rally, Card Knock Life held clear by 1-3/4 lengths, driven to prevail in 1:51.1. Fresh off his 3,000th career driving win, John MacDonald registered a grand slam on the evening’s 11-race program. The Prince Edward Island native teamed up with Fox Valley Cadet ($4.10, 1:58.2), Shock N Rock ($2.60, 1:53.3), Tarport Andy ($5.30, 1:55), and HMS Firecracker ($14.00, 1:57.3). Live racing returns to Vernon Downs with an eight-race program on Wednesday (Oct. 7) evening. Post time is 6:45 p.m. (EDT).