Racing Roundup: Melvin’s Dream continues to roll
April 13, 2010,from Harness Publicists across North America
Monday’s (April 12) Racing Roundup features results stories from Dover Downs, The Meadows, Western Fair Raceway and Monticello Raceway.
Melvin’s Dream continues to roll at Dover
Dover, DE — Melvin’s Dream stepped up in class to win the $40,000 Preferred Pace on Monday at Dover Downs.
Fotowon photo
Melvin’s Dream won the final $40,000 Preferred Pace of the 2009-10 season at Dover Downs.
After winning last week’s 4-year-old Open in 1:49.3, Melvin’s Dream took on the top older pacers in the feature and with a patient drive from Tony Morgan the Gamblers Dream-KG’s Starlet gelding sprang out of third in the stretch to race to a 1:50 victory, his sixth success in a row.
Booze Cruzin and Tim Tetrick had led early, only to yield to the quick-stepping favorite Three Of Spaces during a :26.1 third quarter. In the stretch, Melvin’s Dream came on for the win with Booze Cruzin coming back to grab second place and Three Of Spades finishing a close third.
Melvin’s Dream has now won 10 of his 12 races this year, banking $118,460 for Ian Fromowitz, who purchased the Delaware-bred earlier this year.
Owner-trainer Brian Callahan’s Dontloseyourdayjob outdashed Kelly’s Spur, driven by Corey Callahan, to score a 1:52.2 triumph in the $37,000 Delaware Special. Daryl Bier drove the Life Sign-ICI Aussi 5-year-old to his fourth win of the year, raising his seasonal earnings to $67,330. Art Director finished third with Mike Cole in the bike.
Tim Tetrick, driving Ideal Vintage, had just enough to hold off a torrid close by Roll Call (Jon Roberts) by a nose in 1:51.2 to win the $30,000 Open Pace. Mr Excellent (Ron Pierce) was the show finisher. Arty Foster, Jr. owns and trains Ideal Vintage, a Western Ideal-Art’s Vintage gelding, now a three-time winner this season.
Zee Barber returned to winning form in the $28,000 4-year-old Open. Montrell Teague made the winner’s circle for the second time, piloting the Badlands Hanover-Scissor Magic horse, bred and owned by Gary and Barbara Iles, to his first win in four starts this season. He turned back seven rivals with a front-pacing 1:51.3 victory. Yankee Fortysix (Brad Hanners) closed strongly along the passing lane to finish second in front of Estero Bay (Morgan).
— Marv Bachrad
TSM Photo Bugger takes Meadows series opener
Washington, PA — TSM Photo Bugger had to work for the lead, but he dominated once he got there, drawing off to victory in Monday’s opening leg of the Michaelrowyourboat, a series for 3-year-old colt and gelding trotters, at The Meadows. Talladega Hanover captured the other $15,000 opening leg division.
TSM Photo Bugger moved to the leader, Photo Sport, past the quarter but encountered stiff resistance and needed a quarter- mile to clear. But he persevered for Dick Stillings, defeating Party Allstar by five lengths in 1:58.1, a career best. Mr Moonlight was third.
Jan Fread trains TSM Photo Bugger, a gelded son of S J’s Photo-Rewarding Wink, for Ted Tomson.
A nine-race maiden entering the series, Talladega Hanover enjoyed a kinder trip, saving ground for Dave Palone before brushing home in :29 to triumph in 2:00.2. Broadway Chip was 2-1/4 lengths back in second, with North Broadway third.
Dan Walski trains the Cantab Hall-Tags Sweetie gelding for Howard Millhime.
The series was named for Michaelrowyourboat, whose 2009 mile of 1:52.3 remains the fastest ever trotted at The Meadows.
In the $25,000 Filly & Mare Preferred Handicap Pace, Francie’s Dream converted a second-over trip to victory for Eric Ledford in 1:52.4, knocking two ticks from her lifetime mark. Spring Break extended her string of place finishes to three while Autumn Magic was third.
Ron Otto trains Francie’s Dream, a 6-year-old daughter of Dream Work-Design Two Scoot, for Shirley Otto.
Palone drove six winners on the 14-race card while Ron Burke fashioned a training triple.
— Evan Pattak
Second straight Preferred to Pacific Oak
London, ON — Last week’s Preferred Pace winner at Western Fair, Pacific Oak, found himself back in the winner’s circle on Monday, thanks to a come from behind, 1:54.3 effort.
Carnivore, the winner of last week’s Preferred 2 event, was the pacesetter for Doug McNair, carving out fractions of :26.3, :55.3 and 1:24.2. At the three-quarters the leader was battling Button Up but that pair could not hold off a hard charging Pacific Oak and Paul MacKenzie who prevailed by three-quarters of a length. Button Up was right there for second while Carnivore held for third.
A 7-year-old gelding by Pacific Rocket, Pacific Oak improved his 2010 summary to 3-3-3 in a dozen starts this year for $28,300 in earnings. Owned by Shirley and Kerry House and trained by Ken Oliver, Pacific Oak now has $251,574 earned in his career.
After finishing a very close second to Kasha’s Kid in last week’s Preferred Trot, Sand Wyndham got his revenge Monday as he bested that rival for Tom Strauss to win in 1:57.1. Kasha’s Kid was a close second while Connected Yankee took third. Brad Grant owns the winner, a 5-year-old son of Pegasus Spur trained by Ben Wallace.
In the Mares Preferred Pace it was Sammy Syd going gate-to-wire in 1:55.4 for Mike Whelan to defeat Keepers Destiny and Stonebridge Celest. Owned by trainer Jean and Gord Young, the winner is a 6-year-old daughter of Astreos who was notching her third win in six tries this year.
— Western Fair Media Relations
Parker wins pair; continues to close in on milestone
Monticello, NY — Billy Parker, Jr. is in his fifth decade but make no mistake about it, Zeke still knows his way around the racetrack and can still drive with the best of them. Now 56 years of age and still at the top of his game, last year Parker won the driving title at Monticello Raceway by reining 399 winners.
On Monday afternoon Parker reined two more winners at the Mighty M. He won the daily pacing feature with Dr. Scott Woogen’s Co Ed Desires with a gate-to-wire 1:57.4 triumph and then scored behind Diana Bartells’ Mare Supply in 2:00.2.
His 56 driving victories this season — all at the Mighty M — currently ranks him fourth on the local leaderboard but more importantly those triumphs are helping him reach his goal of 10,000 driving victories, a milestone shared by just eight other harness drivers. Currently with 9,965 career driving victories Parker foresees himself reaching 10,000 wins before summer.
“I’m not driving as many horses as I usually do, but if I win five races a week I should reach 10,000 in a couple of months,” he said. “Hopefully I’ll win more than five each week and that will help me reach 10,000 sooner.”
Parker has 14 driving titles under his belt at Monticello Raceway to go along with championships he’s won at Yonkers Raceway, Foxboro Raceway and Scarborough Downs.
— John Manzi