from harness publicists across North America

Wednesday’s (Jan. 5) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Dover Downs, The Meadows and Monticello Raceway.

Photo Maxx takes win picture in Dover feature trot

Fotowon photo

Photo Maxx was an impressive 1:55.1 winner in Wednesday’s Open Trot at Dover Downs.

Dover, DE — Photo Maxx stormed down the lane to overtake a wall of challengers in deep stretch to win the $26,000 Open trot at Dover Downs on Wednesday, Jan. 5.

As in his previous win two starts back, driver Mike Cole put Photo Maxx into high gear entering the stretch and the SJ’s Photo-Affinity gelding zoomed past a foursome of challengers to front-trotting Starsel and rolled on for an impressive 1:55.1 conquest in the week’s top trot. Libra Vita (Corey Callahan) burdened with post 8 also closed strongly to finish second. Cold Winner (Yannick Gingras) finished third while Starsel finished out of first or second for the first time in more than seven starts. Photo Max has now won $377,294 in his career.

— Marv Bachrad

The Meadows
Pilgrims Stunner unleashed a decisive first-over bid that erased a 4-1/2 length deficit in a heartbeat and carried her to victory in Wednesday’s $22,500 Preferred Handicap Trot at The Meadows. Facing colts and geldings for the first time in the track’s top trot, the 8-1 Pilgrims Stunner gobbled up the leader, newcomer TV Mom, and scored in 1:56 for Dave Palone, three-quarters of a length better than Diamond Hunter. Bettis was a rallying third. Bill Bercury trains and owns Pilgrims Stunner, a 6-year-old daughter of Broadway Hall-Armbro Stunning who extended her career bankroll to $177,327. Palone drove four winners and Mike Wilder three on the 15-race card.

Monticello Raceway
Samsawinner, a 5-year-old Victory Sam gelding, scored a stunning 1:58:4 triumph in the weekly trotting feature at Monticello Raceway on Wednesday, January 5. A recent purchase by Woody Hoblitzell of Destin, FL., Samsawinner was reined to victory by Bruce Aldrich Jr. Sent off the second choice from post position 6 in the nine horse field Aldrich sent the trotter to the lead as the wings of the mobile starting gate folded and they had command on the first turn. Samsawainner passed the quarter in :29 and rambled by the half in :59:3, at which point Brandon Simpson moved favored Benns Sure Thing out to challenge but they could only get within a length of the leader. The three-quarter time was 1:29:1 and with a :29.3 final stanza Samawinner defeated Benns Sure Thing by 1-1/4 lengths. The final time was 1-1/5 second off the track record of 1:57:3 for older trotting geldings. Third place went to Sam’s Honeybee and driver Jimmy Marohn.