from harness publicists across North America

Saturday’s (June 14) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Hoosier Park, Scioto Downs, Yonkers Raceway, Buffalo Raceway, Vernon Downs, Tioga Downs, Running Aces and Saratoga Casino and Raceway.

Penn trots to track record at Hoosier

Anderson, IN — Penn made his second start in the top trotting ranks at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino a winning one as he pulled off the 22-1 upset in the co-featured event of the evening, a $22,000 Invitational trot, on Saturday, June 14. Guided by Brad Hanners, Penn equaled an 8-year-old track record for older geldings on the trot when he powered home in 1:53 and established a new lifetime mark in the process. The previous record of 1:53 was established by Hesza Laser and David Miller on June 25, 2005 at Hoosier Park.

Linscott photo

Penn equaled Hoosier Park track record with a 1:53 score.

Starting from post two in the talented field of eight, Penn was unhurried off the gate and settled along the rail in fourth. Martz Time and Trace Tetrick left alertly to dictate early fractions of :27.3 and :56.4 while Somebody As and Ross Leonard benefitted from a pocket seat. Verlin Yoder had the post-time favorite, Natural Herbie, nicely placed along the rail in third but wouldn’t stay long as they began their long, first-over bid approaching the final turn.

Martz Time continued to call the shots around the third panel in 1:24.3 but was engaged by Natural Herbie on the outside as the field turned for home. Martz Time was able to put away Natural Herbie but the biggest threat was still behind him. Somebody As tipped from the pocket and made a strong bid at the leader but it was Penn who was widest and strongest of all.

Using a :27.3 last quarter, Penn tipped four-wide and found another gear to the win in the final strides of the mile. Somebody As finished second at odds of 36-1 while Martz Time rounded out the trifecta that paid $3,483.20. Penn returned $46.40 to his backers.

Trained by Bobby Brower, Penn scored his sixth win from eight seasonal starts. The 4-year-old gelded son of Master Glide-Photo Queen scored his 18th career victory and has now earned $75,875 for owner, Barkley Counts.

The victory was one of three wins for driver Brad Hanners on the evening’s 14-race card. Hanners also scored with Rocknroll Band for trainer Keith Richeson and then once more with Grant Wilfong’s Jade Mountain.

— Emily Gaskin

Scioto Downs
Beach Memories set a new track record at Scioto Downs in Saturday’s $20,000 Open Pace. Beach Memories is a 4-year-old gelded son of Somebeachsomewhere out of the Western Ideal mare, AllAmerican Memoir. He’s trained by Brian Brown for owners, Strollin Stable, Aws Stable, King McNamara and Country Club Acres. Beach Memories was driven by Josh Sutton and started from post 4 in the full field of nine. Sutton pushed the gate away to gain command before they hit the first turn. The first quarter was a fast- paced :26 flat. Rockin Wizard made a quick move to the front for Ronnie Wrenn Jr and gave Beach Memories a perfect two-hole trip. The pace was still quick at the half which was paced in :53.4. Then the outer flow started to develop down the backside with Rockin Wizard taking the field to the three-quarters in 1.21.4. Rockin Wizard carried the pocket-sitter, Beach Memories, all the way before pulling in the stretch and cruising to a 2-1/2 length victory in 1.49.4 over Rockin Wizard. Ardyne Ace was a wide and fast-closing third.

Yonkers Raceway
George Brennan rolled a Yonkers Raceway foursome Saturday night, including both $32,000 co-features. Odds-on Aracache Hanover ($3.40) gave nothing else a chance in the winners-over event. From post position No. 3, he snapped through intervals of :27.1, :56, 1:23.4 and 1:52.1. The margin at the wire was a length-and-a-quarter over a first-up Connery Blue Chip (Eric Carlson), with Panongahela (Jason Bartlett), Mach’s Beach Boy (Pat Lachance) and Fat Man’s Alley (Brent Holland) rounding out the payees. For Aracache Hanover, a 7-year-old son of Dragon Again co-owned by William Switala & James Martin and trained by Ron Burke, it was his fourth win (third consecutive at three different venues) in 15 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $18.20, with triple returning $55.50. The co-featured Preferred Handicap saw Take it Back Terry ($5.20) gut it out in 1:52.4. Take it Back Terry, from post No. 4, moved to attack 3-2 favorite China Grill (Lachance) as that one laid down the law with sub-sections of :27.2, :56.3 and 1:24.3. Take it Back Terry survived the long grind, whipping the horse on his back—Fameous Western (Bartlett)—by a head. Code Word (Brent Holland), China Grill and Malak Uswaad N (Eric Goodell) settled for the remainder. For second choice Take it Back Terry, a 5-year-old Western Terror gelding co-owned (as Burke Racing) by (trainer) Ron Burke, Weaver Bruscemi, Larry Karr Phil Collura, he’s now 4-for-10 this season. The exacta paid $56.50, the triple returned $231 and the superfecta paid $513.

Buffalo Raceway
The explosion heard at Buffalo Raceway was the tote board in Saturday night’s (June 14) featured $10,500 Open Pace as What The Sheik pulled the $51.50 upset over long shots Salazar (13-1) and Western Alumni (23-1). The 7-8 exacta paid $592.00 and the 7-8-all trifecta $909.50. A big reason for the huge prices was the fact that the rail-sitting and heavily-favored Best Ears (4-5) broke stride around the opening turn. After dropping back to eighth, Best Ears did manage to climb into second place in the lane but stalled as the break took its toll. What The Sheik (David McNeight III) was more than 10 lengths behind past the opening quarter, but a slow, steady trip just before the half got the 7-year-old horse in contention. The closers made their mark the final panel as What The Sheik rolled to a two-length edge while Salazar (Ron Beback Jr.) took second and Western Alumni (Jim McNeight) rallied for third place. The final time was 1:56.2 over the fast track. What The Sheik (Western Hanover-Radiant Heiress) is owned by Mike Torcello and is trained by Gerry Sarama. It was his second win in eight starts and moved What The Sheik’s earnings to $15,169 in 2014 and $367,500 lifetime.

Vernon Downs
I Do Hanover (Shark Gesture-I’m Married) romped to a three length victory in the $8,000 featured pace at Vernon Downs on Saturday night. Driven by Chris Lems, I Do Hanover sat third in the early stages of the 9th race before tipping out and charging up to take the lead just before the half-mile mark. From there, the issue was effectively settled as I Do Hanover built a large lead before the field reached the top of the stretch and won impressively in a time of 1:51.4. The overall split times for the race were 26.2 for the quarter, 55 seconds for the half, and 1:22.4 for three-quarters. Some Or Lis (Claude Huckabone III) angled off the pylons in the stretch to get racing room and split horses late to get up for second. Some Or Lis was the longest shot in the six-horse field at 10-1 and completed the $30 exacta with the favorite. I Do Hanover is owned by Philip Hale of New Hartford, New York and David Dewhurst of Clinton, New York. Dewhurst is also the horse’s trainer. The complete order of finish for the feature was: I Do Hanover, Some Or Lis, Whitemountainpower, Stormin Rustler, Dragon Fever, and Oozie’s Bad Boy. Vernon Downs also hosted a CKG Billings Amateur Trot on Saturday night. The 3rd race was won by I’m Fabulous, driven by part-owner Scott Woogen, in a time of 1:57.4. I’m Fabulous had to rally past Celtic Merchant (Stephen Oldford), who had maintained the lead throughout the mile until getting passed in the shadow of the wire. I’m Fabulous has now won two of her last three starts, including a Miracle Mile 5 score at Tioga Downs on June 1. She is owned by Scott Woogen of Mechanicsville, Virginia and Brenda Messenger of Monticello, New York. The trainer is Gary Messenger.

Tioga Downs
After being pushed to a :26.4 first quarter, Neighsay Hanover ($6.40) dug in to hold off a barrage of late threats, prevailing by three-quarters of a length in Saturday (June 14) evening’s $11,000 Miracle Mile 2 trot at Tioga Downs. The 8-year-old Muscles Yankee dueled with Wisenheimer (Mike Merton) on the first turn, sprinting clear through a torrid early tempo before rating a :56.2 half mile. On the backstretch, Neighsay Hanover had to deal with Wisenheimer again, facing pressure again to a 1:25.1 three-quarter split. With Wisenheimer starting to fade, Cathy’s Princess (Jim Meittinis) gearing up three-wide and I Love New York (Bruce Clarke) readying for a stand-side rally, Ray Schnittker implored Neighsay Hanover for all he had in the stretch, getting a bit of separation off the turn. He turned in a 1:55.2 victory, holding off a late inside rally from Oh No Three O (Jeffrey Long). I Love New York, carried wide off the corner by a breaking Cathy’s Princess, rallied for third past the pocket-sitting A Lister. Schittker, the winning trainer-driver, co-owns Neighsay Hanover with Ted Gewertz, Charles Iannazzo, and Fam Alber Horse Racing. A pair of first-round divisions of the M&J Oil and Lube late-closing series for distaff pacers were contested earlier in the card, with Godiva Seelster (Fern Paquet, Jr., 1:53.4) and Jets Are On (Corey Braden, 1:54.1) victorious in their respective events.

Running Aces
A torrential downpour, combined with significant and persistent lightning, caused the judges at Running Aces to cancel the Saturday night program halfway through the ten-race card. Radar charts had the storm continuing well past midnight contributing to the decision. Before the deluge, a $13,000 Minnesota-sired 3-year-old pacing event was contested with stablemates V Mack (Steve Wiseman) and Flick A Fly (Rick Magee) finishing first and second. Waltzacrossthewire (Nick Roland), The Wizsell of Odz (Tim Maier) and Tebow Time (Brandon Jenson) earned the minor paychecks in the lucrative race. Heavily favored Bunkerhill Bill (Rob Dinning) made an untimely break in stride approaching the half and finished sixth. Both V Mack and Flick A Fly are owned by Van Otterloo Racing Stable of Iowa and trained by David Flinn.

Saratoga Casino and Raceway
Island Jet (Jereme’s Jet) out-closed his rivals in the final sixteenth of a mile to score a victory in the Open Pace at Saratoga Casino and Raceway on Saturday night. Stephane Bouchard piloted the 4-year-old rising star for trainer Geoff Howles and after shaking loose at the three-quarter pole, surged into the lead in the stretch before stopping the timer in 1:53.3. Achilles Blue Chip (Mark Beckwith) was the runner-up in the $17,000 feature while longshot Grab A Crab (Austin Siegelman) came on for third in his first try in the local Open. Island Jet was dismissed at odds of 7-1 and led an $84 exacta and $395.50 trifecta. The win was one of three on the night for the veteran Bouchard.