from harness publicists across North America

Saturday’s (April 13) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, Saratoga Casino and Raceway, Buffalo Raceway and Vernon Downs.

Modern Family rallies for Preferred Handicap Trot win at Pocono

Wilkes-Barre, PA — Modern Family staged a furious rally in the stretch to come up with a victory in Saturday night’s featured $25,000 Preferred Handicap Trot at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs.

Modern Family (Cantab Hall-Domestic Diva) left from post position six in the field of nine as the 3-1 third choice, got away well, and settled second on the inside early.

The 4-year-old stallion saved ground and was shuffled back to fourth as the lead changed hands a few times. In the stretch, trainer and driver Daryl Bier was able to shift him to the outside and Modern Family barreled through the lane to nip Blacktuxwhitesox by a nose in a caareer-best 1:52.2. Uncle Peter finished third.

Modern Family, owned by Bier, Charles Dombeck and Richard Poilucci, won for the sixth time in nine races this season. It was his 10th career victory, pushing his lifetime earnings to $139,522.

— Jim Beviglia

Saratoga Casino and Raceway
Ethan Hanover took his three race win streak into the featured Open Two on Saturday night at Saratoga. The Scott Blackler trained pacer had recorded a hat trick in the optional $25,000 claimers but tried his hand in Open company, competing in Saturday’s $16,050 feature. Greg Merton moved the 4-year-old pacer out to the early lead and they would never look back. Ethan Hanover (Dragon Again) was dismissed at odds of 9-2 while 50-1 longshot Tireman (Billy Dobson) closed late for second to complete a $614 exacta. Denver Dolly (Shawn Gray) earned the show spot. The race’s trifecta returned a hearty $2,076. Ethan Hanover moved his win streak to four with the 1:54 victory.

Buffalo Raceway
Goodnite Goodluck, a 7-year-old pacing stallion by Bettor’s Delight, won the $11,000 Open Pace in 1:57.1 for owner Mark Jakubik at Buffalo Raceway Saturday night. It was the third win this year for Goodnite Goodluck, who registered seven wins in 39 starts last year. Goodnite Goodluck ($3.30), the prohibitive favorite in the race and driven by Kevin Cummings, settled in second from post four as eventual third place finisher Fantasypan (Jack Flanigen) set all the fractions in the race, :28.3, :58.1 and 1:28.3. As the field hit the top of the stretch, Goodnite Goodluck swung to the inside passing lane and with a :28.2 last quarter-mile beat second place finisher Machman (Ray Fisher, Jr.) by 1-3/4 lengths. Trained by J D Perrin, the $5,500 share of the purse put Goodnite Goodluck’s season’s earnings at $21,595 and $243,982 lifetime. Jack Flanigen and Kevin Cummings led all drivers with three wins apiece on the card.

Vernon Downs
Lulu’s Boy paced the fastest mile of the fledgling harness season, while provisional driver Justin Huckabone earned his initial pari-mutuel victory on Saturday night at Vernon Downs. Competing in the 10th event on Saturday’s 13-race card, Lulu’s Boy battled to a 1:52.1 score that made him the quickest of 23 winners during opening weekend of the track’s 60th season. With newcomer John MacDonald doing the steering over a “good” track, Lulu’s Boy raced out to the early lead, and then drafted along behind Checkinthebox, who showed the way through the middle portion of the mile. The hard-hitting 6-year-old gelding eventually roared back to the front in the stretch and drew off for a 3-1/4 length triumph. It marked the initial victory in four current outings for the quick-footed son of Art Major-DDI, who is owned and trained by Ronald MacDonald. John MacDonald had won the previous race with the Andy Gardner owned and trained pacer Sadler Hanover (1:55.2). Huckabone, an 18-year-old son of longtime Vernon veteran Claude Huckabone, Jr., guided his pacer Powerful Love to a 1:57.3 career-best score in Saturday’s last event. The third-generation horseman urged the 4-year-old pacing mare to the front entering the final quarter and on to a solid one length tally, her first in seven season’s starts. His dad conditions the bay daughter of Artiscape-Time Power.