from Harness Publicists across North America

Thursday’s (April 9) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Dover Downs, Cal-Expo and Monticello Raceway.

PJ Camalike upsets in Closing Day feature at Dover Downs

Dover, DE — Longshot PJ Camalike pulled a 17-1 upset in the $25,000 Go The Distance II- Stamina 1-1/4-mile event on Thursday, the meet’s closing day at Dover Downs.

Fotowon photo

PJ Camalike (#7) was a half-length winner over Scootin Delta A.

Vic Kirby bided his time while race favorite Rare Bunny and Tony Morgan, winner of both the five-eighth-mile and one mile portions of the event, cut out the fractions and led until several of their rivals converged racing down the lane. Velvet Grace-owned and trained PJ Camalike reached the finish line first in 2:24.2, fending off Scootin Delta A and Corey Callahan and Rare Bunny in the winning photo.

The win was the second this year for the consistent Camluck-Keyed Alike 6-year-old. He also has three seconds and two thirds in eight races.

Kirby, who closed out the 133-day meet with four wins, also piloted Racsan John to a hard fought second win in his last three starts with a 1:52.3 victory in a $17,500 male pace. Music Man NZ (Callahan) was second in front of What A View.

Apache Dame, owned by Paul MacDougall and WJ McDougall Racing Inc., was voted Horse of the Meet by members of the Delaware Valley chapter of the U.S. Harness Writers Association. Tony Morgan won the leading driver award for the third time in four meets and Josh Green won the leading trainer award for the fourth consecutive meet.

Live harness racing now shifts to nearby Harrington Raceway for its opening day April 19.

— Marv Bachrad

Charter Ridge takes what they give her at Cal-Expo

Sacramento, CA — Conditioned ladies, racing for a $4,000 purse, were featured at Cal-Expo on a chilly and rainy Thursday night, in which Charter Ridge and Jim Lackey continued a solid association.

In advance of starting over a sloppy track from post two in the field reduced to six with two scratches, driver Jim Lackey was encouraged.

“She raced well the week before with kind of a tough last half,” said Lackey. “If she got a better trip tonight, I wasn’t sure if she could win, but I knew she could get a good piece of it.”

Coming away in the pocket, one would have assumed in the first turn that the 2-1 Little Bit Country (Steve Hyman) was going to clear the 8-5 Wooski (Rich Wojcio), but one can not always assume.

“It just didn’t seem like we were going that fast (:30.2) where Little Bit Country couldn’t clear. So if Little Bit Country wasn’t able to clear Wooski, that meant I was going to get a pocket trip and that certainly improves any horse’s chances especially when it appears the best horse is going to park the mile.”

Enjoying the Birdseye view from the garden spot while Wooski and Little Bit Country bickered in a reasonable second quarter, Lackey was respectful of his competition at the half-mile pole, timed in a deliberate 1:01.4.

“I was in as good a place as I could be, but I thought that I Give Youmy Word (Lemoyne Svendsen) — who ended up being second-over — was a live horse in the race, so certainly she figured to have a good chance from where she was now at.”

Now sitting loose at the three-quarter station, timed in 1:31.2, Lackey explained why.

“Sitting loose had more to do with visibility in the rain and me keeping my eye on Little Bit Country who I knew could make a break, and sure enough she did at the three-quarters. When that happened, that left Wooski as the horse to beat since I Give Youmy Word got bothered a little when Little Bit Country broke.”

Staying behind Wooski until the seven-eighths marker, Lackey was taking advantage of knowing his competition.

“Wooski has a bit of a sprint to her, so I figured I’d track for a while and make a move late depending upon how my horse felt.”

Moving quickly into the lead at mid-stretch, Charter Ridge would hold firm under urging.

“She kicked on pretty good once I got her straightened out and stayed right at it to the wire.”

Leased by trainer Rick Cisco, the 8-year-old mare would win ($11.80) by one length in 1:59.3, thus establishing a season’s mark. I Give Youmy Word finished in second and Dawnlikeslillies (Tim Maier) finished another three-quarters of a length farther back in third.

“There was a bit of good fortune involved, but it was still a good effort by an honest little racemare,” finished Lackey, who has now driven Charter Ridge ten times over her career and has recorded four wins, four seconds, and two thirds.

— Scott Ehrlich

It was father versus son for the big prize at Monticello

Monticello, NY — Occasionally, fathers compete against their sons in a harness race, but it is a rarity when it happens.

Geri Schwarz

Jimmy Marohn, Sr., with Artrisocracy (1), hooks-up in a stretch duel his with son, Jimmy, Jr., driving Woe I Will Stand (3)

Jimmy Marohn and his son Jimmy, Jr. are both competing at Monticello Raceway, and have gotten in against one another on occasion. But never have they both battled for victory against each other in any of the contests they were in.

So when Jimmy and Jimmy, Jr. hooked up in a stretch duel in the sixth race at Monticello Raceway on Thursday, Apr. 9, one was trying to beat the other — like a football team tries to defeat the Super Bowl Champion when they go head-to-head.

The elder Marohn handled Artristocracy, while the younger was up behind Woe I Will Stand, and as can be seen in the photo, both are all-out trying to beat the other.

The result: “Pop” prevailed by a head in 1:59.2.

Another other oddity here on the same card happened in the third race, when Cedric Washington was unseated and his horse Him N Me finished the mile — without him. Track photographer Geri Schwarz caught the driverless horse at the finish line.

To say Washington had a bad day on Apr. 9 would be an understatement.

In the first race on the card he was also unseated when the trotter he was a driving, Southwoodsgranslam, hooked wheels with Abaton Hanover, who was handled by Jody Riedel.

After the third race incident Washington had to call it a day, and after being checked by the paramedics and deemed alright he was sent home.

— John Manzi