Yonkers, NY — P H Supercam (Jason Bartlett, $18.40) sat, sat, and sat again Saturday night, before eventually angling out and winning Yonkers Raceway’s $44,000 Open Handicap Pace.

Assigned outside his seven foes after winning this race a week ago, P H Supercam watched as Dream Out Loud N (Eric Goodell) paid a :26.2 opening quarter-mile price to get around pole-assignee The Real One (Pat Lachance).

Dream Out Loud N then hung 6-5 choice Easy Again (George Brennan) through a :55.2 intermission. Moving toward the 1:23.3 three-quarters, the leader was tiring and the peoples’ choice stopped. Casimir Jitterbug (Dan Dube) went wide, while a parade of ponies extricated themselves from the cones.

First The Real One, then Fameous Western (Larry Stalbaum) and finally a ground-saving P H Supercam, who had advanced taking the inside route. That one widened to win by a couple of lengths in 1:52. Second went to a last-over Pancetta (Eric Carlson), with Fameous Western, The Real One and Casimir Jitterbug rounding out the payees.

For fifth choice P H Supercam, a 7-year-old Million Dollar Cam gelding owned by Bamond Racing and trained by PJ Fraley, it was his ninth win in 30 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $79, with the triple returning $602.

A $25,000 Open Handicap Pace for 3-year-old colts and geldings–leading to the Messenger Stakes here later this month–was won by All Bets Off (Brennan, $3.60). That one defeated over a fast-closing McWicked (Bartlett) in 1:52.4.

— Frank Drucker

Vernon Downs
Despite racing from well off the pace, No Monkeys Allowed ($4.00) emerged victorious, uncorking a rally through the stretch for a 1:55 win in Saturday (October 4) evening’s featured $6500 pace at Vernon Downs. The 7-year-old Rocknroll Hanover gelding had no hand in the pacesetting duties, as long shots Dragon Fever (John MacDonald) and Avantage (Daniel Harvey) disputed the early pace. After Avantage was used to clear in a :57 half-mile over sloppy going, he immediately found pressure from the first-over Moonlight Ransom (Jimmy Whittemore) on the far turn. Meanwhile, Fern Paquet, Jr. commenced his rally with No Monkeys Allowed from the back of the pack, fanning four-wide off the far turn. The response was instant, and No Monkeys Allowed kicked to the lead with a sixteenth to go, subsequently drawing clear for a four-length victory. Moonlight Ransom held second and Dragon Fever checked in third. Edgar “Sparky” Clarke handles the training duties of 26-time winner No Monkeys Allowed for owner Robert Orr. Paquet and Chris Lems each scored three driving wins on the evening’s 10-race card.

Batavia Downs
The Saturday night (Oct. 4) Open pace at Batavia Downs provided one of the most exciting finishes racing fans have seen at the oldest lighted harness track in North America this year. The top three horses finished a neck apart and when the photo was examined, What The Sheik and Fireyourguns tripped the light at the exact same time. When the race got underway, Western Alumni (Jim McNeight) took an early lead as What The Sheik (Jim Morrill Jr.) and Fireyourguns (Mike Caprio) got away fourth and sixth respectively. The order stayed unchanged to the half when Fireyourguns pulled from the rear and flushed What The Sheik for live cover. That outer flow made minimal progress pacing towards the three-quarters as Western Alumni was sitting on a two-length lead. At the top of the lane it appeared as if the leader was home-free, but when Fireyourguns tipped three-wide he prompted What The Sheik to pace on and the pair hit the wire in tandem just a head in front of Western Alumni, who hung on for third. The mile was timed in 1:56.1. It was the sixth win of the year for What The Sheik ($2.90) who is trained by Gerry Sarama for owner Mike Torcello and the twelfth win of the year for Fireyourguns ($2.50) who is trained by Terence McClory who owns the horse with Jennifer and Robert Lowe. A pair of drivers accounted for seven of the 12 winners during the night. Jim McNeight recorded a grand slam with Maradona ($9.50), Hopskipanajump ($8.70), The Maniac ($4.20) and Flight Crew ($19.40) and Jim Morrill Jr. had a three-bagger with Unicorn Hanover ($20.00), What The Sheik ($2.90) and Muncie ($4.30). It was a natural hat trick that occurred in races six, seven and eight for driver Morrill, trainer Gerry Sarama and owner Mike Torcello.

Saratoga Casino and Raceway
Bet On Roulette (Bettor’s Delight) had been the runner-up in the Open Pace for four consecutive weeks at Saratoga Casino and Raceway coming in to his try in the $17,000 feature on Saturday night. The Paul Kelley-trained pacer was the race’s favorite this week as he once again moved out to the early lead and had to endure some fast early fractions over the sloppy track. Hall of Famer (and birthday boy) Wally Hennessey asked Bet On Roulette for all he had heading to three-quarters as he was confronted by Vernon Downs invader JK Panache (Billy Dobson). Those pacers went back and forth in the final quarter of a mile and were joined by Ronny Bugatti (Austin Siegelman) and three-time defending Open winner Panocchio in the stretch in what wound up being a blanket finish. Bet On Roulette had enough to hold off his rivals in the final strides en route to a 1:53.3 score while JK Panache came up second best and Ronny Bugatti had to settle for third. The defending Aged Pacer of the Year at the Spa, Bet On Roulette won the Open for the fourth time in the 2014 campaign.