from harness publicists across North America

Sunday’s (June 8) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Tioga Downs, Harrah’s Philadelphia, Running Aces and Buffalo Raceway.

Prairie Jaguar back to his winning ways in Tioga feature

Nichols, NY — Accelerating clear on the backstretch in a :26.4 third quarter, Laurie Lee Poulin and Mike Deters’s Prairie Jaguar ($7.70) returned to his winning ways, holding clear in the $14,000 Open 1 Pace on Sunday afternoon at Tioga Downs.

Fred Brown photo

Prairie Jaguar prevailed in the $14,000 Open 1 Pace.

The 6-year-old Spy Hard gelding was eager to set an ambitious pace, but was rated by Jim Marohn Jr. through a :56 half-mile. On the backstretch, Prairie Jaguar edged clear of Electrofire (John Cummings Jr.), while Glass Prince (Rick Dane) made a first-over rally into second.

With the remainder of the field struggling to keep pace with Prairie Jaguar through three-quarters in 1:22.4, the battle was mainly for minor spoils. Prairie Jaguar held clear to the line, but was kept to task in his 1:51 victory, with Glass Prince holding second and Electrofire staying on to be third.

The $11,000 Open 2 Pace was taken by Golden Gun ($31.00) in similar fashion, pushing clear on the backstretch en route to a 1:52.2 win with John Cummings Jr. in the bike.

— James Witherite

Harrah’s Philadelphia
Joe Muscara’s Dream Out Loud N put forth another speedy performance to win the $30,000 winners over pace at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Sunday afternoon. The 7-year-old son of Bettor’s Delight was fast off the wings to clear to the lead in an opening quarter of :26, before yielding to favorite Allstar Legend. He drafted in the pocket until the top of the stretch, when driver Brett Miller sent him wide to win the sprint home in a final time of 1:49.1. Allstar Legend was a game second while Voice Of Truth rallied for third. Dream Out Loud N has won two in a row, with both wins going under 1:50. He is trained by Darran Cassar. Driver George Napolitano Jr. had five driving wins on the card, while David Miller had three.

Running Aces
Threestepstoheaven, the longest shot on the board, captured the $8,500 Open Pace at Running Aces on Sunday night. The 8-year-old Rambaran gelding, trained and driven by the meet’s second leading reinsman Jason Ryan, bested Canadian Touch (Steve Wiseman) and Restless Yankee (Nick Roland) in 1:52.2. The longshot winner was last in the field of six until the top of the stretch when he swung four-wide and exploded past the others with a :28.3 final panel. Quickest mile of the evening, however, belonged to Del Rio Seelster who won a $7,500 race mixing non-winners of $5,000 last five starts with $12,500 claimers in 1:52.1. With leading driver Tim Maier guiding his son Daniel’s 6-year-old son of Western Maverick, the pair downed R Gauwitz Hanover (Kim Pluta) and Mystical Valentine (Ryan) with a brush from fourth to first in the third panel and a closing :27.3 quarter to seal the deal. Maier visited the winner’s circle four times on Sunday while Ryan managed three triumphs and Nick Roland scored a double. A pair of $6,500 Minnesota-sired races for trotters were also featured. Chewy Dunkerton (Roland) won the colts and geldings split with a 2:01.2 clocking to beat TURB (Ryan) and Al Mar Passion (Rick Magee). The fillies division was captured by Al-Mar Pizzazz (Maier) over Majestic Lady Jo (Brett Ballinger) and Montana Eclipse (Lemoyne Svendsen) in 1:59.3. Benjamin DeLong owns Chewy Dunkerton and the partnership of Ulf Holm-Johansen and Vernon Devine own Al-Mar Pizzazz.

Buffalo Raceway
Barn Babe has won $338,167 in her first two seasons, but the start of her 4-year-old campaign has begun slowly. That changed on Sunday afternoon as Barn Babe circled the field and cruised to a convincing 1-1/4 length decision over Haste in the $4,500 conditioned trot in 2:04.4 over the sloppy track at Buffalo Raceway. It was Barn Babe’s first win of the season in seven starts. Sitting sixth, three-wide at the three-quarter marker, Barn Babe ($5.00) made a slight bobble but driver Shawn McDonough managed to get her back onstride and roared through the stretch to trot past Haste (Jim McNeight) and Accrual Girl (David McNeight III). Owned by Steven and Nancy Pratt, Barn Babe now has 13 victories in 32 career starts and has earned $340,417 lifetime. David McNeight III and Jim McNeight each posted driving triples on the matinee card.