from harness publicists across North America

Saturday’s (July 16) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Yonkers Raceway, Saratoga Casino and Raceway, Tioga Downs and Vernon Downs.

Real Nice wins $52,000 Open Handicap Pace at Yonkers

Yonkers, NY — Real Nice (Jordan Stratton) was much the best Saturday, winning Yonkers Raceway’s featured $52,000 Open Handicap Pace.

Had it been any easier, Real Nice could have sent out for refreshments.

Tom Berg photo

Real Nice was a 1:57.2 winner in the Open Handicap Pace.

Leaving from post position No. 5 as the 7-10 favorite, Real Nice stepped around pole-sitting Domitian Hanover (Cat Manzi) before a :26.1 opening quarter-mile. From there, Real Nice posted a :55.2 half and 1:23.1 three-quarters, with MacRaider N (Jeff Gregory) doing the first-over labor. Real Nice opened up 2-1/2 lengths turning for home, then hit the mile marker in 1:50.3 (one-fifth faster than the all-age, flat-mile track record).

The final margin was 3-1/4 lengths as Real Nice negotiated the mile and one-sixteenth in 1:57.2, a tick shy of Giddy Up Lucky’s all-age track standard for the distance. MacRaider N fought the good fight and held second, with Wholly Louy (Jim Pantaleano), Domitian Hanover and This Is Wyatt (Eric Goodell) rounding out the payees.

Real Nice, a 6-year-old Real Artist gelding trained by Rich Banca for co-owners Gary and Beverly Paganelli and Anthony Scussel, returned $3.40 for his ninth win in 18 seasonal starts. The exacta (two wagering choices) paid $9.40, with the triple returning $70.

Saturday night also featured the Raceway’s continued participation in the U.S. Trotting Association’s “Back to the Track” weekend. There was a popular T-shirt giveaway, a driver meet-and-greet autograph session (featuring Stratton, Manzi and Daniel Dube), equine-related information booths, drawings for Empire City restaurant gift certificates and a USTA-sponsored trip to the Little Brown Jug.

— Frank Drucker

Saratoga Casino and Raceway
Four divisions of the New York Sire Stakes Late Closers served as co-features on Saturday’s Back to the Track night at Saratoga Casino and Raceway. Driver Stephane Bouchard dominated the action with the 3-year-old colt and gelding pacers, winning three of the four divisions. Bouchard, who secured four total wins on the night, piloted Bubbie Boy (Artiscape) to a victory in the evening‘s opener, pulling off a mild upset with the Cory McGivern trained pacer. Bubbie Boy picked a good time for his career best effort as he withstood a first over journey to stop the timer in 1:54.2. Bouchard came right back to win with favorites Nukes Art (Artiscape) in 1:53.4 and Colossal (Art Major) in 1:56.4. The only Late Closer in which Bouchard did not trek to the winner’s circle was the fastest one of the night. The Jordan Rubin trained Art Z (Artiscape) continued his strong season with a dazzling 1:52.4 score in the final Late Closer on the evening. Vinny Ginsburg was at the lines for the 3-year-old’s fifth win in seven 2011 tries.

Tioga Downs
Howd That Feel and Kyle Di Benedetto took home Saturday night’s $18,000 Open Handicap Trot at Tioga Downs. Leaving from post position three, Howd That Feel settled in third behind Whata Hustler (Corey Braden) and Grey Ice (Fern Paquet, Jr.) through fractions of :27.1 and :57. As the field headed down the backside, Di Benedetto waited patiently, not pulling first over, and turned that duty over to Winning Fireworks (Phil Fluet) as the field struck three-quarters in 1:25.3. Around the final turn Howd That Feel edged off the pylons and tipped three high down the lane to swoop them all in 1:56. The win was the third of the year for the 5-year-old son of Muscles Yankee–Rose De Vie Stena for trainer Matthew Butcher, Jr. Grey Ice used a pylon skimming journey to finish second, while Whata Hustler hung on for third.

Vernon Downs
Frank Milby put on a driving clinic at Vernon Downs on Saturday evening, visiting the track’s winner’s circle five times in 10 races, including a featured pace win with Pro Bono Frank. Milby, a newcomer to the track this season, increased his win total after 39 programs to 41, second only to two-time defending champion and current leader Jimmy Whittemore (65 tallies). Steering Pro Bono Frank ($23.40) for trainer Patrick Galbraith and owner Nikki Kosciolek, Milby kept the gritty 7-year-old gelding in seventh place through most of the $8,000 seventh session. Together, they rallied to fifth at the top of the stretch and then powered home in a :28 final quarter to win by three-quarters of a length in 1:52.4. Pro Bono Frank’s career-fastest performance marked his second win in succession and sixth at the meet, tying him with fellow side-wheeler Johnny Midnight for most equine tallies at the track thus far this season. The brown son of Pro Bono Best-Frankie Kash now sports 12 lifetime victories and earnings of more than $43,000. Milby’s other first-place finishers included Fox Valley Lee in the fifth race, Bettor’s Curse in the sixth session, What It Means in the ninth event and Hero’s Cavalcade in Saturday’s nightcap. Rick Plano, with three tallies, and Frank Davis, with a pair of first-place finishes, were also multiple winners during the final night of Back to the Track weekend at the Downs.