The Friday (Oct. 4) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Plainridge Park, Batavia Downs, Harrah’s Philadelphia and Vernon Downs.

Nows The Moment back to winning at Plainridge 

Plainville, MA — Nows The Moment hasn’t won a top-class trot at Plainridge Park since May 31. But after almost a month layoff and a sharp return victory last week in Maine, the Massachusetts drought ended Friday (Oct. 4) after he scored a convincing four-length victory in the $14,000 Open Handicap Trot at The Ridge.

Shorething Fashion (Nick Graffam) and Nows The Moment (Mike Stevenson) left from post eight and seven respectively and settled in the front of the pack by the quarter. Shorething Fashion, who came in with a four-race winning streak, cut the quarters in :27.2, :56.3 and 1:26.3 with Nows The Moment on his back just waiting to pounce.

It was by that last station that Stevenson pulled his gelding and Nows The Moment engaged the leader in the last turn. The two trotted side by side through the apex until Nows The Moment pulled away from a tiring Shorething Fashion at the head of the stretch. From there he just trotted away effortlessly to win in 1:55.4.

It was the sixth win of 2019 for Nows The Moment ($4.20) who is owned by Sonya Mac Donald and trained by Allison Mac Donald.

In the co-featured $12,000 conditioned trot, Ethoca (Drew Monti) bounced back from a perilous parked-out journey last week to go gate-to-wire in handy fashion to score his fifth win in his last seven starts, timed in 1:58.4.

Ethoca ($6.40) is owned by Greathorse of Massachusetts, David Anderson and John Fielding. Domenico Cecere is the trainer.

Racing resumes at Plainridge Park on Sunday (Oct. 6) at 2 p.m. and will feature the second leg of the Massachusetts Sire Stakes for 3-year-olds.

— by Tim Bojarski

Batavia Downs

A pair of $9,000 claiming/conditioned trots topped the card at Batavia Downs on Friday night (Oct. 4) and the winner of each took a different route to victory. Call My Broker (Jim Morrill Jr.) took full advantage of his pylon post position and seated the field off the gate. Then, after cutting moderate fractions of :28.4, :59.3 and 1:29.1, Morrill kept Call My Broker rolling down the lane and held off the pocket-sitting Barn Winner (Ray Fisher Jr.) to win by three quarters of a length in 1:58.3. Call My Broker ($3.60) scored his fourth win of the year for owner Frank Meier and trainer Angelo Nappo. Later in the other division, Alert Hanover (Shawn McDonough) started from post two and opted to stay there, taking the garden spot trip behind Golden Tate (Jim Morrill Jr.) from the start to the top of the lane where Golden Tate made a break he did not recover from. McDonough directed his horse around the off-stride trotter and cruised home on top by a length, also in 1:58.3. Winning his fourth race of the year as well, Alert Hanover ($6.80) was owned by Carl Kuepfer and trained by Patrick Shepherd until the race ended when he was claimed. Racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Saturday (Oct. 5) with post time at 6 p.m.

— by Tim Bojarski

Harrah’s Philadelphia 

Driver Tony Morgan and trainer Jennifer Bongiorno combined on their third win of the program as the Bettor’s Delight mare Divas Image closed stoutly to take the $18,000 feature for pacing mares in 1:52.2 during a special Friday night (Oct. 4) card at Harrah’s Philadelphia. Morgan kept the winner, who pushed her career earnings to $604,627, next-to-last in the field of seven early as several horses traded the front spot in the field, then moved with cover down the backstretch. The 2-5 favorite showed her class by coming home powerfully to hold off the horse on her back and the longest shot in the field, 42-1 Slick Artist A, by 1-1/2 lengths for the partnership of Joseph Bongiorno LLC, Howard Taylor, Thomas Lazzaro, and J&T Silva Stables LLC. Morgan went on to win the last race on the card to end the night as leading driver with his four victories.

— by PHHA/Harrah’s Philadelphia

Vernon Downs

Only Pass Thru (Jimmy Whittemore) captures the $7,000 featured trot at Vernon Downs on Friday (Oct. 4). Hammer Time (John MacDonald) went straight to the front and hit the first quarter in :27.3. He used a :28 quarter to hit the half in :55.3. He led by three lengths as they hit three-quarters in 1:23.3. Only Passing Thru ($7.00), who is owned by Diane Whittemore and trained by Marissa Chadbourne, was third and eight lengths back at three-quarters. Hammer Time led by two lengths as they reached the stretch. Only Passing Thru blew right on by to win easily by equaling a career best time of 1:54.2. Sky Crest (Sean McAleese) came up to finish second. Hammer Time settled for third. Only Passing Thru is 5-year-old horse by Muscle Hill. It was his seventh win this season. He now owns 18 career victories. With just nine live racing dates left John MacDonald leads all drivers with 99 wins. Veteran reinsman Howard Parker has had a terrific season. He is currently in second with 76 trips to the winner’s circle. Jimmy Whittemore is third with 73 driving wins. Leon Bailey is holding on to fourth place with 37 victories. Claude Huckabone Jr. and Claude Huckabone III are tied for fifth with 33 wins each. The trainers title is still wide open. Marissa Chadbourne leads with 39 wins. John MacDonald is just one behind with 38 tallies. Homer Hochstetler is third with 33 victories. Jessica Okusko is in fourth place with 30 wins in 94 starts. Claude Huckabone III is fifth with 28 first place finishes. Vernon Downs returns to live racing on Saturday (Oct. 5) with a 13-race card starting at 6:10 p.m. For more information go to www.vernondowns.com.

— by John Horne