Wilkes-Barre, PA –— Neighsay Hanover capitalized on a bit or racing luck to rally and win the featured Open trot on Friday night at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. The race carried a purse of $60,000.

Neighsay Hanover, a 5-year-old stallion trained and driven by Ray Schnittker, sat in the middle of the pack for much of the race while Corleone Kosmos was doing the damage up front. The latter seemed headed to an easy win with a three-length advantage when he went off-stride in mid-stretch. That set up a mad dash for the finish between the trio of Neighsay Hanover, Winning Mister, and Four Starz Speed. Neighsay Hanover, a 7-2 shot, got up to win by a head on the outside in 1:52:2, the fastest mile trotted on any 5/8-mile oval this year and a new career-best for the stallion. Four Starz Speed just missed in second while Winning Mister was a close third.

Neighsay Hanover, sired by Muscles Yankee, now has an Open win at Pocono to complement several he earned at Yonkers this season racing at a distance of 1-1/16 miles. The win was his 5th in 13 tries this season and the 15th of his career. His lifetime earnings now stand $878,059.

In other action on Friday night at Pocono, Margarita Mary fought back from the pocket to surprise favorite Autumn Escapade in the Open trot for fillies and mares, which also carried a purse of $60,000. Driven by George Napolitano Jr. for trainer Steve Elliott, Margarita Mary, a 5-year-old mare sired by Andover Hall, shot up the passing lane to win by three-quarters of a length. The winning time of 1:53 was a new career best and the fastest time trotted on a 5/8-mile oval by an aged mare in 2011. Autumn Escapade settled for second while Mystical Starlight picked up the show.

— James Beviglia

Yonkers Raceway

Mike Lizzi Photo

Flirtiscape (George Brennan) won the co-featured $43,000 Filly & Mare Open Handicap Pace at Yonkers.

Flirtiscape (George Brennan), sent behind the Friday night eight-ball and double-parked to the lead, nonetheless kept the roll going, winning Yonkers Raceway’s co-featured $43,000 Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace. Flirtiscape defeated Run on Luck by a length-and-a-quarter, finishing the mile-and-one-sixteenth in 1:59.4, with Mememe (Eric Goodell), Symphony in Motion (Jeff Gregory) and Hula’s Z Tam (Pat Lachance) coming away with the remainder. For Flirtiscape, a 7-year-old daughter of Artiscape co-owned by John Darrah, Nick Rusigno & Lawrence Keethe and trained by Lou Pena, she returned $7 (second choice) for her sixth win (fourth consecutive) in 16 seasonal starts. Friday night’s co-featured $43,000 Open Handicap Trot was won by invading Flex the Muscle (Gregory) in track-record time. Assigned the pylons as the 3-2 favorite, Flex the Muscle elected to sit behind T J’s Mr. Lavec (Jason Bartlett) as the latter set sail through fractions of :27.4, :57.2 and 1:25.2. A match race ensued for the last portion, with “T J’s” owning a length-and-a half lead into the lane. He found the mile in 1:54.1, but the pocket-sitter was getting to him. Flex the Muscle was getting to the leader late, winning by three-quarters of a length an added-distance, all-age standard of 2:01.1. It was another four lengths back to Political Desire (Jordan Stratton), with Armbro Casino (Shaun Vallee) and Whata Winner (Jim Doherty) rounding out the payees. For Flex the Muscle, a 4-year-old son of Muscle Yankee, is co-owned by (trainer) Ray Schnittker, Jerry Silva and Arden Homestead Stable.

Scioto Downs
Astreas Notice, shipping in from The Meadows, won her first race in two months as she shot up the inside to win Friday’s Fillies and Mares Open Pace at Scioto Downs in 1:54.2 for driver Chip Noble. She edged out TT’s Little Lass, who took control in the third quarter with an impressive last-to-first brush in the six-horse field. TT’s Little Lass led into the stretch, but Noble positioned Astreas Notice on her back and then moved to the inside and prevailed in a driving finish. What’s The Hurry finished third. Favored Western Royalty took the lead after the opening quarter and led for the next half-mile before TT”s Little Lass swept by her to gain the lead. Western Royalty faded to fourth. The winner is 6-year-old daughter of Astreos. She’s owned by Ameer Najor of Michigan and is trained by John Ackley. It was only her third win in 19 starts this year and pushed her career earnings past $130,000.

Tioga Downs
Despite the driving rain and weather that delayed racing throughout the night, Hidden Touch and John Cummings Jr. took home the $16,500 Fillies and Mares open handicap pace. Hidden Touch used an off the pace tactic to pace home late in the lane to score in a seasonal best time of 1:54. The 8-year-old daughter of Cambest–Hidden Beauty is trained by Megan Wilson for owner Claude Bourgeois of Ballston Spa, NY. It was the thirty fourth career win for Hidden Touch and the fourth score of the season. Hello Great Mate (Lewayne Miller) closed late for second, while Leanback Coco (Phil Fluet) despite the first-over grind was third.

Vernon Downs
It took Blueridge Betty a while to get geared up, but she eventually was able to rally for a 1:54.2 victory in Friday night’s $10,000 featured ninth race at Vernon Downs. Facing five female foes on a deteriorating track due to a heavy thunder shower, Blueridge Betty ($17.00) laid back in last place for three-quarters of the week’s distaff Open, then powered up around the final bend and streaked through the final sixteenth to nip another closer, Hugs Again, by a nose at the conclusion of the mile contest. The win over a track labeled “good” was the second in a row, third at the 16-night meeting and 10th all-time for the hard-hitting 5-year-old mare, who is owned by the Big Sky Ranch. Trainer Joe Nassimos did the teaming as the bay daughter of Modern Art-Miss Megan E raised her career earnings to nearly $79,000.

Cal Expo
Conditioned pacers were featured at Cal Expo on Friday night (May 27), on which Whipped Dreams overcame his post. Taking over the lead with just under a sixteenth of a mile to pace, Whipped Dreams prevailed ($6.80) by a half of one-length. Bred in part by Gayle Cavner in partnership with Billie Schwartz and trainer Jim Wilkinson Jr., the gelding stopped the timer at 1:57.1, equaling a lifetime best. Spoons finished in second, and One And Only finished 1-1/4-lengths farther back, in third.

Saratoga Casino and Raceway
For the first time since coming to Saratoga Casino and Raceway last season, Braggart won the open trot on Friday night. Dismissed at odds of 16-1, Braggart (Broadway Hall) crept up first-over and continued to whittle away at the lead of front running Cassis (Cantab Hall) before getting the best of him and the rest of the trotters competing in Friday’s $16,000 feature. Brian Mattison was at the controls for trainer Paul Kelley as Braggart pulled off the upset. Princess Lindsay (Mark Beckwith), in her third start of the season was a strong second while regular feature favorite Prime Interest (Self Possessed) had to settle for third. Prime Interest saw his four race win streak fall by the wayside as he made his return following a four week layoff. The defending Horse of the Year at the track still put in a strong three wide move before ending up third on Friday night. Braggart, who stopped the timer in 1:56.4 on the warm spring night in Saratoga, returned $34.00 to win and led an exacta with Princess Lindsay that came back a healthy $487.00. The superfecta in the race returned a wholesome $10,805.