Mystical Valentine scores in Vernon feature

Vernon, NY — The veteran Mystical Valentine displayed the most foot when it counted and came through with a 1:51.3 victory in Monday afternoon’s $9,500 featured ninth race at Vernon Downs.

Fotowon photo

Mystical Valentine was a 1:51.3 winner in the Open Pace.

Competing in the Memorial Day Open Pace, the favorite Mystical Valentine ($3.90) dropped in behind the hard-charging Pacinello shortly after the start, and then sat in the cat-bird’s seat until the stretch drive.

The speedy 6-year-old sashayed to the front in the final quarter (personally timed in :28 seconds) and defeated his mile-cutting wagering rival by two lengths.

Frank Milby drove for trainer Dave Dewhurst as the steady-going son of Dream Work-Sneakheravalentine joined fellow pacer Cheap N Easy and trotter Ziegler Hanover as the meet’s only three-time winners after 14 programs. The sizzling score, which missed his lifetime mark by two ticks of the timer, gave the bay battler five first-place finishes in nine current outings, and increased his all-time win count to 26. Philip K. Hale owns the career winner of $346,091.

Roman Lopez, steering his trotter Glorious Winner and pacers Shum Fu and Miracle Freeluck, captured three of the afternoon’s 13 races.

— Jim Moran

Harrington Raceway
Rodney Hundertpfund, Jr.’s Bad Rusty ($7.20, Ross Wolfenden) rallied with authority in the final eighth of a mile to prevail in the featured $18,000 Open Pace on Monday at Harrington Raceway in 1:54. The 7-year-old Badlands Hanover gelding mounted his attack on pacesetting favorite Jolt in the final quarter-mile and surged by that rival at the top of the stretch for a decisive score. Jolt held second, while Braden finished third. Bad Rusty, trained by Joe Hundertpfund, Jr., earned his third win of the season and increased his lifetime earnings to more than $368,000. Wolfenden won three races on the card. The fastest mile on the program came in the eighth race when Ted Gewertz, Fannin Racing, Robert Feldman and George Teague’s Wind Me Up ($2.40, Montrell Teague) uncorked a vicious 1:52 front end score in a $10,600 conditioned event. The 4-year-old Bettor’s Delight stallion earned his first win in limited action this season after a banner 3-year-old campaign in which he won $223,265.

Pompano Park
A sudden tropical downpour just before post time delayed by a few minutes the start of the Monday evening program at The Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park. The field for the $8,500 Isle Mile Mares Open Pace had to be fitted with mud fenders and it all turned out to be bad news for 1-9 favorite Bombilla Hanover who made a very uncharacteristic break in stride at the gate. The unexpected development left the duty of cutting the mile through the driving rain to Nillabomb with Tom Sells in the bike through the suddenly sloppy conditions in :28.2, :58 and 1:26.2 as second choice Major Trap also made a mistake at the gate alongside Bombilla Hanover. Lurking behind Nillabomb all the way was 15-1 longshot Gold Star Glitter partnered by Walter Ross, Jr. and she was calmly wheeled out in the stretch to win in 1:55.1. Another longshot, Angela, completed the ticket with Bob Roberts in the bike. Tom Audley is the breeder, owner and trainer of Gold Star Glitter, a winner of more than $100,000 in purses in her 2010 and 2011 campaigns at ages 2 and 3 in the Florida bred program. Now 4, the daughter of Squaw’s Fella-Squisita has amassed 12 career wins for a career bankroll of more than $109,000.