from harness publicists across North America

Friday’s (Oct. 25) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Yonkers Raceway, Batavia Downs and Saratoga Casino and Raceway.

Rock N Load, Likeabatoutahell win Friday co-features at Yonkers

Yonkers, NY — Yonkers Raceway’s Friday night $37,000 co-featured Open Handicaps — pace for the ladies and a trot for all with proper credentials — were won by a wiring Rock N Load (Dan Dube, $10) and newly-minted millionaire Likeabatoutahell (George Brennan, $13.40).

Rock N Load was a 1:53.4 winner.

Rock N Load, involved at the start from post position No. 3, made the lead around Classy Lane Rose (Jason Bartlett) after a :26.3 opening quarter-mile. Dawn’s Legacy (Jordan Stratton) was third, with 11-10 choice, last week’s winner Rock N Soul (Brennan), away fourth.

That one, caught wide early, was on the move again at the :56.1 intermission, while Royal Cee Cee N (Brian Sears) was second-over. Rock N Load was maintaining her lead in and out of a 1:24.4 three-quarters, up a length tuning for home.

Royal Cee Cee N launched her wide bid, but could not reach, missing by a half-length in 1:53.4. Third went to Classy Lane Rose, with Dawn’s Legacy and Campanile rounding out the payees. Rock N Soul tired to last among the octet.

For third choice Rock N Load, a 5-year-old daughter of Rocknroll Hanover trained by Danny Gill for co-owners Edward Hall and James Hall, Jr., it was her seventh win in 34 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $64.50, with the triple returning $440.50.

Sean Hamrock photos

Likabatoutahell went over the million-dollar mark in career earnings with a 1:56 victory.

The weekly trotting feature saw Likeabatoutahell — doing his bidding from post No. 6 — work out a second-over trip. He watched early as a threesome — Somebody AS (Mark MacDonald), 3-2 favorite Zooming (Bartlett) and Brando’s Muscle Man (Eric Goodell) — had designs on leaving.

Soon after a double-parked Brando’s Muscle Man made the lead (:27.2 quarter), Somebody AS broke. That one caught back to race first-over, with Likeabatoutahell slipping out from sixth.

It was Brando’s Muscle Man finding a :57 half and 1:26.1 three-quarters, but he was about done in and out of the final turn.

Likeabatoutahell was widest and fastest in 1:56. Melady’s Monet (Stratton) was a cone-skimming second — beaten 1-1/4 lengths — with Zooming, Watkins (Sears) and a recovering Somebody AS settling for the remainder. Brando’s Muscle Man tired to eighth and last.

Fourth choice Likeabatoutahell, a 10-year-old S J’s Caviar gelding trained by Trond Smedshammer for owner-breeder Michael Andrew, is now 6-for-29 this season (40-for-165 lifetime with earnings of $1,005,393) The exacta paid $123, the triple returned $363 and the superfecta paid $2,183.50.

Also note that since no one took down Friday night’s Pick-5, Saturday’s rendition (50-cent base wager, races five through nine) offers a $10,000 guaranteed pool.

— Frank Drucker

Batavia Downs
It was ‘Ladies Night’ at Batavia Downs Friday evening as the 4-year-old mare Mystical Escapade (Greg Merton) beat the boys in the $8,500 Open Trot in 1:58.3. In her last appearance on Oct. 11, Mystical Escapade rolled to a 2-1/4 length win in the Open Trot. After a week off, she returned ready and rolled to a 1-1/2 length victory as she easily held off Absolutely Certain (Jim McNeight) and Headingforaruckus (David McNeight III). The heavily-favored BZ Glide (Mike Caprio) made a rare break in stride at the start and lost all hope. Lutetium (Ray Fisher, Jr.) had set the tempo and posted fractions of :28.2, :57.3 and 1:27.4 but threw in the towel at the three-quarter pole. Mystical Escapade was poised on the outside and trotted strongly in the stretch to notch her second consecutive win in the Open Trot. It was the seventh win of the season for Mystical Escapade ($8.10) who is owned by the Empowered Racing Stable and trained by Carl Smith. The victory sent her 2013 winnings to $82,721 and $143,321 lifetime. Provisional driver Drew Monti had a big Friday night, guiding home four winners.

Saratoga Casino and Raceway
Tac’s Delight (Self Possessed) won the Open Trot for the second time in four tries at Saratoga Casino and Raceway, cruising to a front running victory on Friday night. Billy Dobson piloted the 8-year-old trotter in the $15,000 feature and moved him out to the early lead. The Rene Allard-trained Tac’s Delight stopped the timer in 1:56.3 for his second win of the season, besting Slugfest (Phil Fluet) who finished second and Keystone Wyatt (Bruce Aldrich, Jr.) who earned the show spot. Tac’s Delight was the race’s 3-5 favorite.