from Harness Publicists across North America

Friday’s (February 13) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from The Meadows, Yonkers Raceway, Buffalo Raceway and Cal-Expo.

Palone celebrates birthday with seven wins

Meadow Lands, PA — Dave Palone celebrated his 47th birthday in style on Friday at The Meadows, driving seven winners on the 14-race card, including a sweep of the three divisions of the Early Call, a late closing series for 3- and 4-year-old filly and mare pacers. Ron Burke trains all three division winners, giving him a sweep as well.

The fastest time of the three $12,000 opening leg divisions was turned in by JK Reunited, who endured a parked-out first panel yet scored in 1:55.2 by a widening 3-1/2 lengths. Playful Terror rallied from well back to be second while Gentle Dragon saved show. Sylvia Burke, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, JJK Stables and M1 Stable own JK Reunited, a 4-year-old daughter of Bettor’s Delight-JK On Broadway.

Star Of India and Serenity Hanover took the other series splits.

The $25,000 Preferred Handicap Pace was the icing on the cake for Palone, who worked out an effective cover trip for Beau Rivage N from post position eight. Beau Rivage N earned his second straight victory in the Preferred, prevailing by a head in 1:53.2. Biletnikoff and It’sjustabeginning finished in a dead heat for place.

Scot Davidson trains and Harry von Knoblauch owns Beau Rivage N, a 7-year-old gelded son of Village Jasper-Glimmering.

— Evan Pattak

American Lane, J K Pure Pearl win Yonkers co-features

Yonkers, NY — Consistent commodities American Lane (three wins in a row) and J K Pure Pearl (two in a row) maintained their Friday night form, winning Yonkers Raceway’s pair of $31,000 co-featured events.

American Lane, who has made winning from an assigned eight hole his life’s work, was the last of Cat Manzi’s four winners on the 11-race program. The 7-5 favorite in the Open Handicap Trot worked his way around Rushmore Hanover (Brent Holland), making the lead after a tepid :29 opening quarter-mile. Similar soft fractions (1:00.3, 1:29.1) gave American Lane a 1-1/4 length lead turning for home. He easily held off a closing Beach Nut Brand (Jeff Gregory) by a length in 1:58.3. Passito (Jordan Stratton), Oatmeister (Greg Grismore) and Rapid Strategy (Ryan Anderson) completed the cashers.

American Lane, a 7-year-old Primrose Lane gelding trained by Carl Cito, Jr. for co-owners David Scharf and Jerry Silva, returned $4.90 for his third victory in five seasonal starts. The exacta paid $22, with the triple paying $212. With the win, American Lane went over the $900,000 career cash plateau.

J K Pure Pearl (Jason Bartlett), assigned post position four after a week off, rolled from first-over in the distaff derby. She widened to three lengths at the wire in a season’s best 1:55.3.

Blissful Maddie (Holland) had control through early intervals of :28 and :57.4. However, when the eventual winner came calling, “Maddie” caved. Nip N Attack (Manzi), last week’s victress and this week’s 17-10 choice, was the best of the rest. Omen Hanover (Eric Abbatiello), Pancleefandarpels (Stephane Bouchard) and a returning Ramona Disoma (Stratton) grabbed the minor moolah.

J K Pure Pearl, a 5-year-old daughter of Bettor’s Delight, returned $8.00 (second choice) for her second win in five seasonal starts. Linda Toscano trains the winner for co-owners William Jacobowitz, Camelot and 3 Brothers Stables. The exacta paid $33.60, with the triple paying $385.50.

— Frank Drucker

Speed Pilot is tops in Buffalo feature

Hamburg, NY — Speed Pilot, an 8-year-old CR Aviator gelding, out of the Program Speed mare Devilish Speed, used a perfect garden spot trip and won the $9,000 Open Trot at Buffalo Raceway on Friday night.

Paul White photo

Speed Pilot rallied in the lane to win the Open Trot at Buffalo.

Owned by Francis Rapone and Thomas, Betty Lou and Christopher Buckley and driven by Robbie McNeight, Speed Pilot ($17.40), who left sharply from post four, received a two-hole trip behind eventual second place finisher Australian Stock (Ray Fisher, Jr.), who carved out fractions of :30.3, 1:01.3 and 1:32.2. Speed Pilot used a :29.3 last quarter to win by one length in a season’s best 2:02.2. Ready For Freddie (Billy Dobson) came in third.

“I knew if I sat on his back, I’d get him (Australian Stock) in the stretch,” said McNeight. “He’s (Speed Pilot) a really nice horse who gives his all every week.”

Trained by Lou Rapone, Jr., it was the first win this year for Speed Pilot and the $4,500 share of the winning purse put his 2009 bankroll at $6,750 and $159,141 lifetime.

The new 50-cent Pick 4, starting in race four, is quickly becoming a fan favorite and if you were lucky enough to have a winning ticket, you were rewarded handsomely. The winning combination of Ima Dyngus ($15.20), Mud Puppy ($7.20), Long Live America ($8.50) and Speed Pilot ($17.40) paid $1,103 for $1.00 and $551.50 for 50 cents.

— Sam Pendolino

Challenge The King scores again at Cal-Expo

Sacramento, CA — Open 1 handicap trotters, racing over a ‘sloppy’ track for a purse of $6,500, were featured at Cal-Expo on a cold and wet Friday night in which Challenge The King regained the lead for most wins nationally by a trotter.

Assigned post five in the field of the same number, driver Lemoyne Svendsen knew he had strategy choices with the now versatile 7-year-old.

“I was thinking a little bit about leaving depending on what Fox Harbor (Rocky Stidham) did,” said Svendsen. “But then when Girlie Tough (Rick Plano), Fox Harbor and TV Mom (Steve Wiseman) all left, I decided I better take back.”

Following front-seeking cover through a :30 first quarter, Challenge The King would be left uncovered to the three-eighths-mile pole before clearing to the front after 7-16ths of a mile. Did Svendsen use his charge into the second fastest first half (:58.4) of the night while trotting a :28.1 second quarter?

“Yes, I used him pretty good getting there, but it didn’t really concern me because I knew once I got there that I’d be able to give him a little breather. When we got to the half in :58.4, I said ‘Whoa boy’ and took a hold of him because he felt so good.”

With the field now headed toward the final turn, Svendsen would tap on his trotter when Girlie Tough would pull, but that’s all Svendsen did.

“I was sitting chilly in the turn; I didn’t ask him for anything. When he took off past the five-eighths and opened up right after that, he was doing it on his own. I wasn’t ever looking for anybody — I was just watching my horse.”

Opening up 2-1/2 lengths midway through the final turn before adding a quarter of a length more to that advantage at the three-quarter station, timed in 1:29, Svendsen had to make sure the track surface didn’t cause any problems.

“I could tell he was having a little bit of trouble at the three-quarters with the track condition because he was slipping all over and didn’t feel real real solid at that spot. As a result, I was just kind of hanging on to him while just driving on him enough to keep him honest and ahead.”

With the field now in the stretch and Girlie Tough narrowing the lead to the seven-eighths marker, Svendsen would take a look back and show his trotter the whip with light swishes.

“When Girlie Tough came at us, my horse did like he always does — he just took off. I could see Girlie Tough wasn’t going to make up any ground on me, so I just sat there with him from the sixteenth pole on while he was his usual good and strong self — all while he was going enough to win.”

Owned by Lisa Ehrlich and trained by Bob Johnson, Challenge The King would win ($3.00) by 1-1/4 lengths in 1:59, the second fastest mile on the 15-race card. Girlie Tough finished in second and Attika (Luke Plano) finished another 7-1/4 lengths farther back in third.

“It was a different win tonight because of the track condition and the footing, but it was still another very good race,” finished Svendsen, who had four wins on the card.

— Scott Ehrlich