Racing Roundup: Primo Spur rebounds, takes $25,000 Meadows trot
May 6, 2009,from Harness Publicists across North America
Wednesday’s (May 6) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from The Meadows, Pompano Park, Pocono Downs, Hoosier Park and Monticello Raceway.
Primo Spur rebounds, takes $25,000 Meadows trot
Meadow Lands, PA — Primo Spur, rebounding from two disappointing races, used a pocket trip and a late brush to capture the $25,000 Preferred Trot in a career best 1:54.2 on Wednesday at The Meadows.
The beaten favorite two back, Primo Spur suffered broken equipment in his most recent start, a mishap that cost him the lead. On Wednesday, trainer/driver Dick Stillings hustled him to the pocket, where he enjoyed escort service provided by the well-meant Prism K. Primo Spur charged in the lane to down that rival by a neck, with Oatmeister a closing third.
Roy Davis owns Primo Spur, a 5-year-old gelded son of Pegasus Spur-T Tar’s Shadowmio who won for the 25th time in 70 lifetime outings.
In the $25,000 Filly & Mare Preferred Handicap Trot, Hidden Viggorish was parked for three-eighths of a mile before grabbing the lead but prevailed for Brian Zendt in 1:54.3, just two ticks off the track record for older mares she established last week. Tom’s OK Lady came from well back to be second by 2-1/4 lengths while Go Get Blanche was third.
Bill Zendt trains Hidden Viggorish, a 6-year-old daughter of SJ’s Caviar-Tia Maria who pushed her career bankroll to $385,879 for Harmony Spring Stable.
Randy Tharps drove three winners on the 15-race card.
— Evan Pattak
Too Salty and Crystal Chris take twin features at Pompano
Pompano Beach, FL — Too Salty ($2.60) and Crystal Chris ($4.60) each captured their respective $20,000 co-featured Open races on Wednesday at the Isle Pompano Park.
Lap Time Photo – Skip Smith
Too Salty held off pacesetter O-Georgie to win the $20,000 Open Trot in 1:54.1.
Too Salty started off the evening in fifth place at the beginning of the fifth race Open Trot as O-Georgie (David Ingraham) and Indian Hill Rocket (Kevin Wallis) battled to the opening quarter in :27.4 with Indian Hill Rocket going off-stride and then re-grouping to settle into second place behind O-Georgie.
After leading the field to the half in :57, O-Georgie faced his second challenge of the night as race favorite Too Salty started up first-over and began grinding his way on the outside towards O-Georgie. At the three-quarter marker, O-Georgie still held a two length lead, but Too Salty was not through yet.
As the field started down the stretch, O-Georgie could not maintain his advantage as Ranger urged Too Salty on to a one length triumph in 1:54.1. O-Georgie was second with Indian Hill Rocket third.
It was a lifetime mark for Too Salty, who just last week won the $42,500 final of the Trots N Slots Series. A 5-year-old gelding by SJ’s Caviar, William Weaver, III co-owns Too Salty with trainer Doug Miller.
In a dramatic four-horse photo finish, Crystal Chris and driver Tom Sells were able to come back after being passed in the backstretch to post a nose victory in 1:54.3 in the sixth race $20,000 Mares Open Pace.
Hypnotize (Bruce Ranger) led the field to the opening quarter in :27.4 as Sells and Crystal Chris then quarter moved to take command. After the half-mile pole in :58, Atlantic Filly (David Ingraham) came charging up first-over and they cleared to the lead right before the three-quarters in 1:25.2.
As the field came down the stretch, Sells was able to find clearance and come back with Crystal Chris while M A Jackie (Fern Paquet, Jr.) swung to the outside from sixth place and nearly caught Crystal Chris at the wire. Atlantic Filly was right there along the rail to be third and Hypnotize stayed close to the finish for fourth place.
It was the third win in the last four starts for Crystal Chris, a 5-year-old mare by Dragon Again, owned and trained by Ned Simmons. Last week Crystal Chris missed by a neck in trying to make a clean sweep in the $40,000 final of the Girls Night Out Pacing Series.
— Steve Wolf
Amora Hanover wins Pocono late-closer final
Wilkes-Barre, PA — Amora Hanover completed a sweep of the Wilkes-Barre Pace late-closer series for 3-year-old fillies by winning the final on Wednesday night (May 6) at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. The race carried a purse of $18,000.
The 3-year-old filly from the Mark Harder barn came into the race on a four-race winning streak, which included the first two legs of the series. Leaving from post position 8 in a field of nine at odds of 5-1, Amora Hanover and driver Jim Morrill Jr. saved ground early in the middle of the pack while Everymileamemory set the pace. Amora Hanover sat third around the final turn when Morrill tipped her to the outside. She easily sped by the pacesetter in the stretch to win by two lengths in 1:53:1. U Foria BB finished second while Kiss Me Kate rallied for third.
Amora Hanover, owned by Garth Bechtel of Caledon, Ont., won for the sixth time in 16 lifetime starts. The win pushed her career earnings over $54,000.
— James BevigliaMe And My Baby and my Hoosier feature win
Anderson, IN — Me and My Baby didn’t disappoint, repeating as the week’s top performer in the $23,000 Fillies and Mares Invitational Pace Wednesday (May 6). Accompanied by driver Mark O’Mara, who earned his third win on the evening, Me and My Baby scored the win over the sloppy surface in a time of 1:54.4.
Linscott Photo
Me And My Baby won the Fillies and Mares Invitational in 1:54.4 or a track rated “sloppy.”
It was a perfect journey from the start as O’Mara placed Me and My Baby right in the two-hole behind IYQ and Walter Haynes Jr., watching as fractions of 28.1 and 57.4 were recorded. The pace quickened around the final turn as IYQ tried to put distance between her and the field to get the jump on everyone for the stretch drive. Me and My Baby followed suit, keeping tabs on the leader to the three-quarter mile marker in 1:26.2.
In the stretch, Me and My Baby popped out of the hole and began to show her best stride, moving by her opponents with ease and cruising to the wire by 1-3/4-lengths ahead of Kelly’s Keepsake and Trace Tetrick. Rodaeo Raider and Peter Wrenn pulled in for third.
Now seven, Me and My Baby increased her career bankroll to more than $575,000. The daughter of Artiscape earned her fifth win in 12 outings for 2009. She is owned by Glenby Farms of Boynton Beach, Fla. Brooke Nickells has trained the veteran mare her entire career.
The trotting mares were represented by another veteran on the night as Dynamite Diva and Wrenn scored a gate-to-wire effort in the $23,000 Invitational Trot. Starting from the inside post 1, Dynamite Diva exploded to the lead, leaving the others at her heels through fractions of 28.2, 58.3, and 1:29. In the stretch, the tempo picked back up as Dynamite Diva scooted home for the two-length win, unchallenged in a time of 1:57.1. Wigwam Baby and Dan Shetler moved into second over Brighten Up and Tetrick, who maintained ground for third.
Dynamite Diva now has four wins in nine starts for 2009 and increased her career total to 25 victories. The daughter of Davanti is closing in on $200,000 in her career for Wrenn, who trains and also owns a portion of her with Eugene and Steve Oldford along with Kales Co.
Wrenn scored three wins on the program, continuing his dominance in the driver standings. He was joined by O’Mara, who is in second place, and Macomber, who is in third, as triple-win drivers on the night.
–Tammy Knox
Self Professed cops top Monticello trot
Monticello, NY — Last season Self Professed was one of the better trotters racing on the east coast, amassing more than $177,000, basically in overnight events, and winning eight races, the fastest in 1:54.1. This year, however, the altered son of Self Possessed hasn’t hit high gear yet, although he did defeat the best trotters on the grounds at Monticello Raceway on Wednesday.
Attesting to Self Professed’s inability to put it all together this year — one win in six starts — the bettors sent him off at odds of more than 7-2 in the short six-horse field of the best the Mighty M had to offer.
Undaunted by the patrons’ lack of faith, driver Greg Merton took Self Professed back at the start and was content to follow the leaders in fifth position past the quarter pole. The trotter was still seven lengths off the pacesetter, Witch And Famous, at the half in a :58.1 clocking.
At that point Merton moved his charge to the outside and by the three-quarters they were third on the far outside and three deep. Still three lengths from the top at the head of the stretch, Merton asked Self Professed for more and the trotter responded and cruised by the leaders. At the finish Self Professed was a two length winner in a time of 2:00.2. Second place went to Getthemoney, driven by Jimmy Marohn, and Caviar Kid (Zeke Parker) took home the show dough.
Self Professed, trained by Mark Ford for owner Martin Scharf, paid $9.40 for win. The victory with Self Professed was one of three on the card for Greg Merton.
— John Manzi