Racing Roundup: New millionaire American Lane wins Yonkers Open
May 1, 2009,from Harness Publicists across North America
Friday’s (May 1) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Yonkers Raceway, Saratoga Raceway, Hazel Park, Scarborough Downs, Vernon Downs, Buffalo Raceway and Cal-Expo.
New millionaire American Lane wins Yonkers Open
Yonkers, NY — American Lane, who gets his mail sent to the eight hole, once again made his appointed rounds Friday night, winning Yonkers Raceway’s featured $40,000 Open Handicap Trot. In the process, he became harness racing’s newest millionaire.
Mike Lizzi photo
American Lane went over the million dollar plateau with his Open Handicap win at Yonkers.
With Cat Manzi escorting for trainer Carl Cito, Jr., American Lane — as the 3-2 favorite — was in play early from his assigned eight hole. He stepped around pole-sitting Stunt Man Hall (Pat Lachance) before a :28.4 opening quarter-mile. He then rated a :59.2 intermission and 1:28.3 three-quarters while dealing with the unwanted advance from a first-over Grain Of Truth (Steve Smith).
American Lane had a 1-1/4 length lead turning for home, then held sway. He defeated the stubborn Grain Of Truth by a length in 1:57.4. Rushmore Hanover (Brent Holland), Galleon’s Assassin (birthday boy Greg Grismore) and Stunt Man Hall completed the cashers.
American Lane, a 7-year-old Primrose Lane cash-cow gelding co-owned by David Scharf and Jerry Silva, returned $5.10 for his eighth win in 14 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $68.50, with the triple paying $833.
American Lane’s career numbers now read 45 wins, 25 seconds and 22 thirds in 127 starts for earnings of $1,007,981 ($165,180 this season).
— Frank Drucker
Pablo Angus scores in 1:56.2 in Saratoga Open
Saratoga Springs, NY — Pablo Angus was sensational on Friday night at Saratoga Raceway in recording his first win in six weeks. A winner of ten races in 2008, Pablo Angus registered his fourth victory of the season in the $17,000 feature.
Dave Oxford photo
Pablo Angus crossed the finish line in 1:56.2 in the Open Trot.
The Bert Belanger trained trotter went out to the front end on Friday and pulled off the mild upset, wiring the Open trotters in 1:56.2, the second fastest trotting time of the year thus far at the Spa.
The win was one of four on the night for driver Dan Cappello, Jr. Cappello, who opened the week third in the driver standings, swept the late double with Ilikethewayumove and Uncork New York and piloted Reece Lightnin home to his second consecutive win on Friday to comprise his driving “grand slam.”
Cappello will look to take back to back Opens as he will drive Rare Jewel, the morning line second choice, in Saturday’s Open Pace.
Live racing will start at 7:20 p.m. on Saturday night and will return on Sunday for a matinee starting at 12:45 p.m.
— Mike Sardella
2009 season opens at Hazel Park
Hazel Park, MI — The 2009 harness meet at Hazel Park Raceway kicked off on Friday as a crowd of approximately 2,300 people braved chilly conditions to enjoy the return of harness racing to Metro Detroit’s five-eighths-mile oval.
The seventh race featured a few of Michigan’s top older trotters, including heavy favorite Home Stretch, who set an overall track record of 1:54.3 a year ago.
At the start it was Coach Fox showing the best speed. The 6-year-old son of Keystone Nordic made the lead before the turn, but was tackled just beyond the quarter pole by Home Stretch. The first quarter went in a fairly quick :28.1. They raced one-two with little opposition until the turn for home. Joe Casagranda tipped the Coach out for the drive, and they outkicked Home Stretch in a thrilling stretch battle, stopping the timer in 1:58.
Coach Fox has now won two of his last three, and has 29 career wins. It was one of two driving wins for Casagranda.
The very next race was a $9,700 Filly and Mare Preferred event. The fans sent 6-year-old Renaissance Woman out as the heavy 3-5 favorite.
Off the wings, it was Allen Sisco’s Queen Of Royalty who struck the lead first. She held it to the half, and that’s when Renaissance Woman cleared to the lead. She was outside nearly the entire second quarter and had to be urged along by driver Wally McIlmurray, Jr. to clear. Once clear, she faced immediate opposition from Ellaraider who in turn brought up third favorite Jump Start.
Into the stretch, Renaissance Woman put away the tiring Ellaraider, but could not hold off the open stretch move of Queen Of Royalty, who tripped the beam in 1:56.
Queen Of Royalty picked up career win number 17 and continues to climb towards the $200,000 mark in career earnings.
— Mike Bozich
Velocity Hall defeats Kerogen at ScarboroughScarborough, ME — A battle of titans took place at Scarborough Downs on Friday (May 1) as the Grand Circuit-tested Velocity Hall and two-time state of Maine Trotter of the Year Kerogen matched strides for the very first time at the southern Maine harness venue.
Michael Newman photo
Velocity Hall was a 1:59 winner on Friday at Scarborough Downs.
In a bold opening gambit, driver Kim Ireland hustled Kerogen smartly off the gate and held a determined Velocity Hall parked out and at bay until well past a :27.4 quarter clocking.
Driver Donald Richards was finally able to wrestle command of the raceway and throttle down just a notch as he and Velocity Hall entered the paddock turn. Kerogen remained a major danger with his nose seemingly glued to Richards’ helmet as the tandem streaked before the fans in the stands at the midway point of the mile.
In hot pursuit throughout, Kerogen pounced to the outside to challenge the pacesetter as the combatants rounded the seven-eighths-mile marker, only to fall 1-3/4 lengths shy of Velocity Hall when the dust had settled and the cheers had quieted.
Locally owned by Thomas Dillon and Walter Hight, Velocity Hall trotted the mile in 1:59 to remain undefeated in two seasonal contests while Kerogen tasted defeat for the first time in his three 2009 outings.
The mile was the fastest trot contested in the three-week-old state of Maine harness season.
— Michael Sweeney