from harness publicists across North America
Thursday’s (Nov. 17) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Dover Downs, Plainridge Racecourse and Cal Expo.
Pacific Fleet N takes Dover Thursday feature
Dover, DE — Pacific Fleet N won the stretch battle to score a 1:53.3 victory in the $20,000 Claiming Allowance feature race at Dover Downs on Thursday, Nov. 17. Ross Wolfenden won four races and Corey Callahan had a driving triple.
Jeff Bartels’ Pacific Fleet N turned in a lifetime fastest clocking of 1:53.3 with Corey Callahan driving to notch his fourth win of the season.
Tyrex Jimmy (Vic Kirby) and Pair A Dice (Brad Hanners) were challengers down the lane and finished second and third, respectively.
In addition to Wolfenden’s four wins and Callahan’s three, Sean Bier had two wins, taking both ends of the daily double.
— Marv Bachrad
Plainridge Racecourse
Mario Martellotta Sr. has a reason to smile. The Worcester, Mass. owner-driver-trainer who came up through the amateur ranks at Plainridge, drove both ends of the early daily double Thursday (November 17). Adding to his accomplishment was both horses (Western Affluence (26-1) and Sometimes Amigo (5-1) are owned by Martellotta. They produced a $2 daily double payoff of $210. The two wins upped the 69-year-old harness reinsman to 10 in just 67 starts this season. He also has six seconds and seven third place finishes.
Cal Expo
A change in recent strategy and being at the top of his game made Franks Best way too tough. Winners over trotters, racing for a $4,500 purse, were featured at Cal Expo on Thursday night, in which Franks Best won for the 18th time in 48 career starts. Bred, owned and trained by Bob Johnson, Franks Best (Lemoyne Svendsen) won ($4.20) by 2-3/4 lengths in 1:57.1, equaling a lifetime best. Putoneonnetformom was clearly second best, and the Bob Johnson trained Giles L S Hanover finished four lengths farther back in third.