from harness publicists across North America

Saturday’s (June 28) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Yonkers Raceway, Saratoga Casino and Raceway, Buffalo Raceway, Vernon Downs, Scioto Downs and Kawartha Downs.

Pancetta wins Yonkers feature

Yonkers, NY — Pancetta (Jordan Stratton, $26) went from first-up to first home, winning the $44,000 Open Handicap Pace in 1:52.4 on Saturday at Yonkers.

He defeated a second-over Take It Back Terry (George Brennan) by three-quarters of a length in 1:52.4, matching a season’s best effort. Life Up Front (Eric Carlson) was third, while P H Supercam (Jason Bartlett) was a belated fifth as the 7-5 choice.

Bartlett did win five races on the dozen-race card.

— Frank Drucker

Saratoga Casino and Raceway
Panocchio (No Pan Intended) recorded his first local Open Pace victory on Saturday night at Saratoga Casino and Raceway. The 4-year-old pacer won the undercard to the Open two weeks back and last Saturday finished a close second in the $17,000 feature. This week, driver Gerry Mattison moved Panocchio out to the early lead before giving way to the race’s favorite Anderlecht (Billy Dobson). Patiently sitting in the pocket throughout brisk fractions, Panocchio pounced in the passing lane and surged by the leader under the shadow of the wire to register the win in 1:52. It was the sixth victory in 10 starts in 2014 for the Jimmy Mattison-trained pacer. Anderlecht finished a strong second in his local debut while Island Jet (Stephane Bouchard) came on for third. Panocchio, who paid $13.60 to win on Saturday, becomes the 14th different horse to win the Open Pace in 17 installments this year.

Buffalo Raceway
An inside starting position, a new front-running style and a sloppy race track. Salazar faced those new challenges in the $10,500 Open Pace at Buffalo Raceway on Saturday night and passed with flying colors. After starting his last seven races from the five post or out and over fast tracks, Salazar got the rail, a sloppy track and tossed out his late-closing style. Battling Western Alumni to the quarter marker in :29.4, the pace-setting Salazar (Ron Beback Jr.) was the one to catch down the stretch. Western Alumni, who sat the pocket the entire mile, failed to produce a late charge thanks to the :28.3 last panel put up by Salazar ($4.90). Western Alumni finished three lengths behind in second while Best Ears (Jack Flanigen) took the show spot. Owned by Lisa Denison and trained by Lisa Lederhouse, the 8-year-old Salazar (McArdle-January Spur) now has won four times in 22 starts in 2014, earning $45,872 and upping his career total to $264,456.

Vernon Downs
Some Or Lis (Lis Mara-Grabbersome) was the longest shot on the board in the $7,200 featured race at Vernon Downs on Saturday night, but that did not prevent him from storming past the entire field to score an upset win in 1:51.4. The early stages of the race featured a speed duel between You Bet Your Glass (Frank Davis) and I Do Hanover (Chris Lems), who was parked on the outside for the majority of the mile. Those two set some fast fractions early on, covering a quarter in :25.4 and a half in :53.4. That early speed ended up being the undoing of the duo, both of whom finished out of the top three. After hitting the three-quarters in 1:22.4, You Bet Your Glass and I Do Hanover faded in the stretch and Some Or Lis (Claude Huckabone III) came all the way from last in the field of six at the top of the stretch to win at 20-1 odds. The second-longest shot in the field, The Green Knight (John MacDonald) at 14-1 finished second. The exacta ended up paying $240 with the two longshots comprising it. Buckeye Baddler (Truman Gale) sat behind the early speed battle in third position and started to rally through on the inside in the stretch as the leaders fell back, but the closers also passed him by and he had to settle for third. The complete order of finish was Some Or Lis, The Green Knight, Buckeye Baddler, I Do Hanover, You Bet Your Glass, and Stonebridge Master. Some Or Lis is owned by Richard Dow and trained by Stephen Marsh. The driving star of the night was John MacDonald who scored three victories and three seconds on the 11-race program. He was a winner with Bandini in the first race, MacKenzie’s Bliss in the seventh race, and That’s Ideal in the ninth race. He was second with The Green Knight in the second race, Beignet in the eighth race, and Tactical Attack in the 11th race.

Scioto Downs
JJ Hall and Ronnie Wrenn Jr. set a new track record for older gelding trotters of 1:54 on Saturday night. The previous record of 1:54.1 was held by Dunkster, Hesza Laser and JJ Hall. JJ Hall is a 6-year-old gelded son of Jailhouse Jesse and he’s no stranger to the spotlight. He’s trained by Ohio native Scott Mogan for owner Doug Millard and has earned more than $240,000, racking up 21 victories in the 65 times he has hit the track. JJ Hall started from post seven in the field of nine after the scratch of Southwind Pepino in the conditioned trot going for a purse of $18,000. He’s usually driven by Kayne Kauffman, but Kauffman had one of his own trainees in the field, so Mogan called upon Wrenn for the assignment. Wrenn wasted no time as the pair left hard for early position and they found it right on the front end. They trotted the first quarter in :27.4 and grabbed a breather to the half in :57. Wrenn and JJ Hall were well in hand and trotted past three-quarters in 1.25.1 and the pair had it wrapped up from there. Touchmymuscles and Randy Tharps grabbed the place spot and Countmymuscles for trainer/driver Kayne Kauffman was third. The very next race on the 14-race card was the Filly and Mare Open Pace. TT’s Little Lass and Jeremy Smith won in a mild upset in a career best effort of 1:52. She’s Shocking with post four was the post time favorite in the short field of six. She’s Shocking was driven by Kauffman and they pushed the gate away, determined to set the pace. After clocking fractions of :26.4, :54.4 and 1:23.1, it was TT’s Little Lass who was sitting in perfect striking position behind She’s Shocking to benefit from the quick pace. She’s Shocking finished second and Eve Marie Seelster completed the trifecta. Carol’s Comet and Aaron Merriman prevailed in the $20,000 Open Pace in 1:50.4. Carol’s Comet is a 5-year-old gelded son of Yankee Cruiser. He’s trained by Ron Potter for his connections. Carol’s Comet started from post eight in the field of nine, but Merriman still said ‘go’ when the wings folded. They landed right in the two hole behind the 6-5 favorite Rockin Wizard, driven by Wrenn. Rockin Wizard set the hot fractions of :26.2, :55.3 and 1.23.1, but couldn’t fend off the closing Carol’s Comet when he ducked in to the super stretch. Rockin Wizard and Special Forces (Greg Grismore) couldn’t be split and they wound up in a dead heat for place.

Kawartha Downs
Sassafras Girl won the very first race of her young career in Saturday night’s third race at Kawartha Downs, the second program of the track’s summer race meet. Fred Brethour drove the young filly to a come from behind victory as she came from eighth to first in the final quarter of the mile to win in a quick 1:57.3. The daughter of Badlands Hanover is trained by Brethour’s cousin Murray Brethour for owners Hutt Racing. She is a half-sister to $419,026 winner Rub N Tug. It was another packed house at the Fraserville oval on the perfect summer evening as the track celebrated Canada Day a few days early.