from harness publicists across North America

Thursday’s (June 12) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Vernon Downs, Northfield Park and Saratoga Casino and Raceway.

Rocks N Bagels scores in Vernon feature

Vernon, NY — Rocks N Bagels (Rocknroll Hanover-Plant A Kiss) returned to her winning ways in the Thursday night feature at Vernon Downs with a purse of $9,500.

Fotowon photo

Rocks N Bagels was a 1:52.2 winner in the Vernon feature.

Her last time out on May 29 was a disappointing fifth-place finish, but on Thursday, after trailing through the first half-mile, she rallied from last to score her fifth win in six starts at Vernon Downs this season.

Rocks N Bagels (Aaron Byron) posted a final time of 1:52.2, but Love You Bye (Jimmy Whittemore) set the early fractions of :26.1 for the quarter and :55.1 for the half.

Market Dynamics (Rick Plano) made the first challenge to the leader and actually led into the stretch after three-quarters in 1:24. Asset Management (Fern Paquet Jr.) attacked Market Dynamics after a first-over trip around the far turn, but Rocks N Bagels just charged past everyone in the lane to win going away.

Rocks N Bagels is owned by Kelly Dawn Hope and is trained by Jordan Hope.

The complete order of finish for the Thursday feature was Rocks N Bagels, Asset Management, Artic Byrd, Market Dynamics, and Love You Bye.

Live racing at Vernon Downs will resume on Friday night at 6:45 p.m. with a nine-race program. The featured race on Friday is the seventh race, an Open Trot with a purse of $10,000. The 7-2 morning line favorite in that feature race is A Penny Earned, who drew post position number five.

— Michael Chamberlain

Northfield Park
Sweetheart Dance was successful, despite being parked the entire mile, in the $12,000 Fillies and Mares Open Handicap Pace on Thursday in Northfield Park’s 10th race. She is trained by Kent Sherman for owner Keith Kippi. Dan Rawlings was aboard for the winning drive. Sweetheart Dance (Yankee Cruiser-Somkindasweetypie) started from the outside and was parked every step of the way, through fractions of :27.3, :56.1 and 1:24.4. Sweetheart Dance struck the lead at the top of the stretch and bested her competition by three-quarters of a length in 1:53.4. Completing the race were Ride A Cowboy, Eradikate, Ashtoreth Hanover, Viewish, Stacked Deck, African Violet, So Long My Love and Haley Louise. Thursday’s win was the fifth victory this year in 13 starts. It bolstered her career win tally to 17 and her lifetime earnings to $193,491. She returned $20.80 to win.

Saratoga Casino and Raceway
High Blue (Majestic Son) continued his strong season on Thursday night at Saratoga Casino and Raceway. The Dan Hennessey-trained trotter hit the board in his first six starts this year before his Thursday try in the $6,500 feature. Wally Hennessey moved the sharp 4-year-old first over and wore down the frontrunner before stopping the timer in 1:59.2 over a sloppy track for his third victory of the year. High Blue was the race’s 2-1 second choice in the betting and was followed at the wire by the favored Stirling Cadet (Jim Devaux). Royal Max (John Stark Jr.) held on for third. High Blue’s owners Paul and Patricia O’Neil also got a winner later in the card with their claiming pacer Enee Weenie And Me with Bruce Aldrich Jr. in the sulky.