by harness publicists across North America

Thursday’s (July 22) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Yonkers Raceway, Saratoga Gaming and Raceway, Vernon Downs and Scioto Downs.

Manzi wins four and lights up toteboard at Yonkers

Yonkers, NY — To infer Yonkers Raceway called out the bomb squad Thursday night would be a cheap, attention-grabbing ploy — until you looked at Cat Manzi and the toteboard.

Tom Berg photo

Cat Manzi piloted Bambina’s Sorella to a 1:56.2 score — and a $141 win mutuel.

The 60-year-old Manzi, securely sequestered in second place in the local driver standings, threw down the gauntlet with four winners (from 11 drives) on the 12-race card. Two of Manzi’s wins — back-to-back, no less — lit up the landscape to the tune of 69-1 and 13-1, respectively.

Manzi guided rank outsider Bambina’s Sorella ($141) to a second-over victory in the $17,000 ninth race pace. The 7-year-old daughter of Space Shuttle nailed favored Rockaroundthetrack near the wire, winning by three-quarters of a length in 1:56.2.

Those who hopped aboard the Catello Caravan a race late had to settle for a mere $28.80, the win mutuel for Corregidore in the $22,000 10th race trot. That one went up and over the people’s choice, Lukas Rossi, then won handily in 1:58.3, matching his only other win time this season.

Manzi’s other victories came behind Sedona Canyon ($6.20) in the $14,000 fourth race trot (1:59.1) and odds-on Sand Shania ($3.70) in the $11,500 fifth race pace (1:55.1).

— Frank Drucker

Saratoga Gaming and Raceway
Ubetterthink Think took her first Saratoga Fillies and Mares Open on Thursday night as the Mark Ford trainee recorded her eighth win of the 2010 campaign. It wasn’t easy though. Ubetterthink Think was parked every step of the way before drawing clear in the stretch to record the 1:55.2 score in the $16,500 feature. An earner of better than two-thirds of a million dollars lifetime, the 6-year-old showed her backclass by overcoming the difficult trip and finishing well in the stretch. The feature victory for Ubetterthink Think (Brian Cross) was her second local win of the season as she prevailed in a conditioned race at the Spa back in May. The classy mare added her name to a long list of Open winners this year at Saratoga. Pebble Run (Billy Dobson) was second on Thursday night while Impressive Char (Chris Long) came up third best.

Vernon Downs
The favorite Chantal Hall came through with a 1:54 victory in Thursday night’s $8,000 featured sixth race at Vernon Downs. Drafting along in second behind the pacesetting fourth choice, Pickmeamerigold, through three-quarters in 1:24.3, Chantal Hall rallied in a :29.2 final panel to earn a one length victory in the week’s top Miracle Mile contest for female pacers. It marked the second score in the past three outings (both in this class), fifth this season (third locally), and 17th lifetime for the 5-year-old daughter of Pro Bono Best-Camus, who was driven by Jimmy Whittemore for his dad, owner and trainer Dennis Whittemore. The career winner of $157,566 returned $4.70 to win. It was also a successful evening for driver Rick Plano, who produced four triumphs during the nine-race program. He captured the Early Double with Franky Provolone (1:58.1) and Stick Up (1:54.2), and then finished first in catch drives behind St Lads Speedy (1:59) and Wygant Rose (1:55.1).

Scioto Downs
Defending Scioto Downs driving champ Chris Page entered the Thursday night program with a two-race lead over rival Dan Noble, but that edge had been whittled down to one by the end of the evening. Noble won the first race of the evening with CL Footloose and then again found the winner’s circle after the sixth race with Forever To The Top, who paid $24.80. That evened the drivers’ race as both Page and Noble then had 61 wins during the 2010 meet. Page gave notice that he was serious about defending his driving title by winning the next race with Summer Smile, who paid $19.40. Neither driver won again and so Page carries his one-race edge into the Friday and Saturday cards at Scioto. Intrepid Hall (Cambest) won a maiden event for freshman pacers as he scored by 2-1/2 lengths in 1:58.2 for driver Chip Noble, trainer Joe Paver, and owner James Dunn. Munster Buster (Mach Three) left fastest of all from his inside post position, but then driver Jack Dailey yielded to Intrepid Hall after three-eighths of the mile. Noble eased Intrepid Hall to the half-mile marker in 1:00 and to the third station in 1:29.2. Dailey then came out with Munster Buster to mount a challenge but couldn’t keep pace with Intrepid Hall. Sectionline Barack (Art Major) overcame interference to finish third. It was Intrepid Hall’s second lifetime start.