from harness publicists across North America

Friday’s (Sept. 5) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Harrah’s Philadelphia, The Meadows, Vernon Downs, Batavia Downs, Hoosier Park and Tioga Downs.

Monkey On My Wheel defeats top mares at Harrah’s Philadelphia

Chester, PA — A field of eight filly and mare pacers who are winner’s over $25,000 in their lifetime squared off at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Friday. The wagering public put their support behind million dollar mare Monkey On My Wheel (Tim Tetrick), who was sent off as the 7-5 favorite.

At the start, the favorite left aggressively and cleared the lead before the quarter, which was achieved in :27. After a rated :28.4 second quarter, pressure arrived in the form of another millionaire mare, Drop The Ball (Corey Callahan), but she could get no closer then a length. The three-quarters went in 1:22.4.

The leader sprinted clear at the top of the stretch, outlasting a fast closing Regil Elektra (Victor Kirby), who finished second. Pocket-sitter Set Me Up (Matt Kakaly) finished third. The winner paced the mile in 1:50.4 and paid $4.80 to win, keying an exacta that paid $48.40 and a trifecta that paid $317.40.

Monkey On My Wheel is owned by Mac Nichol and is trained by Casie Coleman. She now has 31 career victories in 87 starts.

— Mike Bozich

The Meadows
Trailing by four lengths at the top of the stretch. Windsong Jack blazed through a wide-open Lightning Lane to capture Friday’s $18,000 Preferred Handicap Pace at The Meadows. Southern Allie opened a daylight lead with an uncovered backside burst but weakened late, leaving him vulnerable to Windsong Jack’s rally. The 4-year-old Santana Blue Chip-Milliondollarsmile gelding triumphed at 7-1 in a career-best 1:49.2 for Mike Wilder, trainer Ron Burke and owners Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi LLC and Stable 45. Carol’s Comet closed well for second, 1-1/2 lengths back, while Southern Allie saved show. Windsong Jack now boasts lifetime earnings of $534,948. Three drivers — Tony Hall (five), Wilder (four) and Dave Palone (three) — accounted for 12 wins on the 15-race card. Live racing at The Meadows resumes Monday, when the card features a quartet of $40,000 Pennsylvania Stallion Series championships for 2-year-olds. First post is 12:55.

Vernon Downs
Baby Boy Grin (Grinfromeartoear-Orillia Babe) held off the challengers in the $10,000 Open I Trot feature at Vernon Downs on Friday night. Driver Stephane Bouchard made an aggressive move as the field left the first turn and moved to the backstretch with Baby Boy Grin, taking a lead he would never relinquish. That isn’t to say it was a walk in the park for Baby Boy Grin. Evil Urges (Jimmy Whittemore) had been racing in mid-pack during the early stages of the race and came charging after the leader in the stretch, just missing by a neck. Pollux Blue Chip (Claude Huckabone III) had been caught four-wide coming off the final turn, but still rallied well enough to finish third. Baby Boy Grin was able to hold off all the closers in a finish that resembled a cavalry charge and prevail in a final time of 1:53.2. He is owned by Geoffrey and Mary Howles of Saratoga Springs, New York. Geoffrey Howles doubles as the trainer. The complete order of finish was: Baby Boy Grin, Evil Urges, Pollux Blue Chip, A Penny Earned, War Hero, Lucid Thoughts, Cash Poor, and MC Tiny’s Hope.
Live racing resumes at Vernon Downs on Saturday night with a 13-race program. The feature event is a $10,000 Open I Pace, carded as the eighth race. The 2-1 morning-line favorite is JK Panache, whose last victory came the last time he raced at Vernon Downs on August 2nd. Post time is 6:45 p.m.

Batavia Downs
Sometimes victory is hard fought and other times it comes without effort. This week, BZ Glide cruised from second last to the winner’s circle in the $9,000 Open trot at Batavia Downs with nary a nudge from driver Mike Caprio. At the start of the race, Armed Dangerously (Shawn McDonough) made a break almost immediately as the rest of the field pulled away in post-position order. Dartmouth Hall (Kevin Cummings) then led the troops through a pedestrian :29.1 quarter and 1:00.1 half, where Caprio pulled BZ Glide just before that station.
The 5-year-old son of Yankee Glide slowly and methodically gained ground on the leader without much urgency displayed from his driver. As the bunch hit the three-quarter pole in 1:29, BZ Glide had pulled even with Dartmouth Hall and then forged ahead from that point forward. Caprio hand-drove the gelding from there winning by a widening two-length margin in 1:58.2. The 1-2 favorite paid $3.00 to win. Sack Full of Gold (Jim McNeight) who had followed the winner second over was second and Serious George (Jack Flanigen) snuck up the rail to be third. This was the fifth win in 16 starts for BZ Glide and raised his yearly earnings to $42,605 for his owner Mike Caprio and trainer Alana Caprio.
Reinsmen Ron Beback Jr., Jack Flanigen, Shawn McDonough, Jim McNeight and Drew Monti all scored driving doubles on the card.
Racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Saturday night (Sept. 5) and features the $109,000 New York Sire Stakes for 2-year-old pacing colts and geldings. Post time is 6:35.

Hoosier Park
Lucky Jet, guided by LeWayne Miller, pulled a stunning 27-1 upset to take home top honors in the featured event of the evening, the $22,000 Rosie Harness Memorial Pace, at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino on Friday, September 5. With a final time of 1:50.2, Lucky Jet took advantage of a pocket trip to score his fourth win of the season. Leaving from post three, Lucky Jet left just enough to protect his position as Ricky Macomber Jr. sent Sweet Talkin Satin away from the gate firing. Sweet Talkin Satin reached the front through the opening panel in :26.3 and remained uncontested down the backside, hitting the half in :55.2. Some Kinda Beach and Ed Hensley began the long, first-over journey as the field approached the final turn with the heavily favored, Night Pro and Peter Wrenn in tow. Sweet Talkin Satin continued to call the shots around the third station in 1:23.2 and was able to fight off Some Kinda Beach turning for home. While the top pair battled it out on the front, Lucky Jet was looming large in the pocket. Miller was able to find late racing room up the rail and Lucky Jet found another gear. Using a :26.3 final quarter, Lucky Jet exploded from the pocket to finish three lengths in front of Night Pro who closed hard for second. Sweet Talkin Satin held on gamely to round out the trifecta. As the longest shot on the board at odds of 27-1, Lucky Jet returned $56.00 to his backers at the window. Trained by Tom Harmer, the son of Jereme’s Jet-My Metallica has now won four of 23 outings in 2014 while earning $62,560. Lucky Jet pushed his career bankroll to $286,995 for owners Ciara Stable and Edward Kollross.
The race was held in honor of the late Rosie Harness, who tragically passed away on Friday, August 30. A long time member of the horse racing community, Rosie trained a stable of horses with her husband Carl “Olin” Harness that raced at Hoosier Park and throughout the state of Indiana. Friends and family members of Rosie gathered on the track after the race to remember their special friend.
Live racing resumes at Hoosier Park on Saturday, September 6 with a stakes filled card as “Hoosier Champions Night” returns. The 14-race card will feature the fourth round of five $75,000 Indiana Sires Stakes finals with a daily post time of 5:15 p.m.

Tioga Downs
On the Cusp ($7.80) seized the lead and never looked back, making every pole a winning one in Friday (Sept. 5) evening’s $15,000 Open Handicap Pace for fillies and mares at Tioga Downs. Shawn Gray sent the 7-year-old Camluck mare immediately to the fore, tracked throughout by Inittowinafortune (Aaron Byron). With 1-2 favorite Pan Luis Obispo (Jim Meittinis) away just worse than mid-pack, On the Cusp maintained an honest pace through a :55.2 half mile, far from grueling. While Pan Luis Obispo never proved a threat, stalling at head-stretch amid her three-wide bid off cover, Inittowinafortune chased stoutly in the final eighth, but On the Cusp had plenty left in reserve to stave her off. On the Cusp prevailed by 1-1/2 lengths in 1:51.1 over Inittowinafortune. Southwind Trini (Jim Marohn, Jr.) rallied late off a stalking trip to hold third. Dylan Davis trains On the Cusp for owner Kapildeo Singh.
While visiting driver Shawn Gray took the evening’s featured event, Phil Fluet won four of the night’s nine races to lead all drivers for the evening. Fluet proved victorious with Weekend Getaway ($15.20, 1:54), Martha Michelle ($8.50, 1:56), Cashamatic ($10.80, 2:00), and Princess Bliss ($10.60, 1:54.4). Blows Me Away nearly gave Fluet a fifth win on the card, but the pair were outkicked by Aint Got a Home and Aaron Byron in the final yards of the evening’s eighth event.
Live racing returns to Tioga Downs on Saturday (Sept. 6) evening, with first post at 6:15 p.m. EDT.