from harness publicists across North America

Friday’s (Nov. 25) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Saratoga Casino and Raceway and Batavia Downs.

Pembroke Prayer dominates in Saratoga Open

Saratoga Springs, NY — The Friday night Open Trot at Saratoga Casino and Raceway was as star studded as any local feature this season.

Dave Oxford photo

Pembroke Prayer was a 1:56 winner in the Saratoga Open.

This year’s winningest horse at the Spa, Lorenzo Dream, led a talent laden field in the $16,000 Open. The race also consisted of last week’s Open winner, Flex The Muscle, local trotting star Russ N Us and classy veteran Pembroke Prayer. The longest shot of that bunch wound up not only winning the evening’s feature but dominating his competition.

Pembroke Prayer (Like A Prayer) has raced at Saratoga on occasion and has had mixed results when in town. On Friday night, though, there was nothing mixed about it as the Mark Ford trained 7-year-old put in one of the most convincing wins in an Open that we have seen all year.

Dan Cappello, Jr. was at the lines as Pembroke Prayer fired out at the start, capturing the early lead through a quarter in :28.3. The classmaster would draw away to win the Open by a commanding 8-1/4 lengths in 1:56.

Now over the $830,000 mark in career earnings, Pembroke Prayer dominated while dismissed at odds of 8-1, returning $19.80 to win. The race’s favorite Flex The Muscle (Phil Fluet) closed for second while Lorenzo Dream had to settle for third.

The victory was one of three on the night for trainer Mark Ford.

— Mike Sardella

Batavia Downs
The old-timer Fifty Two Finn notched the 53rd win of his career when he pulled the upset at odds of 10-1 in the featured $8,100 Open Trot at Batavia Downs Casino on Friday night. Again proving age is just a number, the 11-year-old Movie Mogul stallion fired out of the starting gate to sit the two-hole as Vernon Downs invader Forever Bachelor (Keith Kash, Jr.) fired to the top in :28.3. By the grandstand the first time, reinsman Mike Baumeister moved Fifty Two Finn to the front and they opened up an insurmountable six length lead past three-quarters in 1:27.4 and trotted clear to the wire to win by two lengths in 1:59 for owner-trainer Ronald Stebbins. Fifty Two Finn ($23.80) has earned $479,474 lifetime. Tuesdays With Mom (Jack Flanigen), making her final career start, tipped three deep around the last turn and nipped Perfect Man (Dave McNeight, Jr.) for the place spot. The Queen of Western New York trotting didn’t go out a winner, but she was certainly a remarkable racemare. She ends her 34 race career with 19 wins, 10 seconds, two thirds and lifetime earnings of $468,306 for breeder/owner/trainer Peter Arrigenna. She”ll be bred to Donato Hanover next year. The Pick-6 wager ended for the season with one winner taking home the entire pool for picking five of six winners in the Pick-6 sequence. The winning ticket, purchased at a Western OTB branch in the Buffalo area, was worth $10,379.