from harness publicists across North America

Saturday’s (Aug. 2) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Yonkers Raceway, Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, Saratoga Casino and Raceway and Tioga Downs.

Pancetta wins Saturday night Open Handicap Pace at Yonkers

Yonkers, NY — Pancetta (Jordan Stratton) prevailed from third-over Saturday night, winning Yonkers Raceway’s $44,000 Open Handicap Pace.

Sitting chilly early from post position No. 6, Pancetta saw Great Vintage (Larry Stalbaum) take over from pole-sitting Safe Harbor (Dan Dube), Great Vintage then put up intervals of :27.2, :56 and 1:24.

A first-up Shock it To Em (Eric Carlson) dueled the leader into submission early in the lane. At that point, it was a second-up Frankie’s Dragon (Eric Goodell) and a third-up Pancetta chiming in. It was the latter whipping the former by a half-length in a season’s-best 1:52. Third went to a from-last, 17-10 choice P H Supercam (Jason Bartlett), with Shock it To Em and The Real One (Pat Lachance) rounding out the payees.

For second choice Pancetta, a 5-year-old son of No Pan Intended trained by Jennifer Sabot for California co-owners Richard Morita and David Yamada, he returned $7.10 for his fourth win in 16 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $95, with the triple returning $332.50.

— Frank Drucker

Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs
Mach It So rallied from near the back of the pack early to score in the featured Preferred Handicap pace on Saturday night at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. The race carried the night’s top purse of $25,000. Leaving from post position six in a field of seven as the 3-1 third choice, Mach It So (Mach Three-Beach Dancer), a 4-year-old gelding trained by PJ Fraley, sat sixth early on as the lead changed hands twice on the front stretch. That created a fast pace, allowing driver Andrew McCarthy to move Mach It So steadily past several tiring horses on the outside behind cover. At the top of the stretch, the path was clear for Mach It So and he steamed past Ideal Matters to win by 1-1/2 lengths in a career-best 1:48.2. Domethatagain finished third. Owned by Bamond Racing, Mach It So won for the fifth time in 13 2014 starts. It was his 15th career win, pushing his lifetime earnings to $528,104.

Saratoga Casino and Raceway
That Man Of Mine won his second local Open Pace at Saratoga Casino and Raceway on Saturday night. The Mark Ford-trained pacer hit the board in his three tries in the Open before starting from post three in the $17,000 this week. Showing uncharacteristic early speed, That Man Of Mine (Panspacificflight) and driver Billy Dobson sat the pocket behind front-running longshot D Terminata (Frank Coppola Jr). D Terminata set fast fractions throughout and looked like he may have it won before a late surge just before the wire by That Man Of Mine who hit the line first in a career best 1:52.1. D Terminata was a strong second while Panocchio (Gerry Mattison), the race’s favorite, had to settle for third. That Man Of Mine won for the ninth time this season as the 5-year-old has established himself as a weekly threat in the Saturday night feature.

Tioga Downs
After enjoying a cozy pocket trip, Stitch in Time ($19.20) made a late push to the front, collaring 6-5 favorite Wisenheimer to take the $14,000 Open Handicap Trot at Tioga Downs on Saturday (August 2) evening. Brandon Simpson floated forward with the 4-year-old Keystone Nordic gelding, settling behind House Money (Aaron Byron) on the first turn. As Wisenheimer brushed to the front through a :28 first quarter, House Money broke stride, enabling Stitch in Time to inherit the pocket with just over a circuit to go. The two would continue as an uncontested leading pair throughout, but Stitch in Time was able to benefit from his tracking trip in the final eighth. Off the far turn, Simpson angled him wide, and the response was instant. Stitch in Time wore down Wisenheimer, prevailing by three-quarters of a length in 1:54.1. I Love New York (Bruce Clarke) was carried to the grandstand side off a stalking trip, staying on for third. Amber Buter trains Stitch in Time for owners Lynette Buter, Carol Fuhs, and William Fuhs.