from Harness Publicists across North America

Saturday’s (December 27) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Pompano Park, Dover Downs, Northfield Park, and Cal-Expo.

Vapor In The Wind takes Pompano’s feature in 1:51

Pompano Beach, FL — Vapor In The Wind has visited the winner’s circle 12 times in his 32 starts this season. The 4-year-old Cole Muffler gelding made it four consecutive wins at Pompano Park by taking the $16,000 Open Handicap Pace in 1:51 on Saturday night.

Lap Time Photo – Skip Smith

Vapor In The Wind and driver Kevin Wallis captured the $16,000 Open Handicap Pace in 1:51.

It was JJ’S Gazette and driver Dan Clements that got the first call from post two, but by the time they rolled by the quarter in :26.4, I Can Only Imagine (Bruce Ranger) took over the lead. As the field went by the grandstand for the first time Kevin Wallis pulled Vapor In The Wind to the outside and they took the field by the half-mile marker in :55.

Wally Hennessey pulled D’Artagnan with a quick rush on the backside and went head and head with Vapor In The Wind to the three-quarters in 1:23.1. As the two battled it out and turned for home it was Vapor In The Wind that held on to win by a half-length. JJ’S Gazette finished second with Monet CC (Joe Pavia, Jr.) finishing third.

Vapor In The Wind is owned by the Tanah Merah Farms LLC of Illinois and trained by Richard Macomber.

Macomber also sent out the winner for the Tanah Merah Farms in the first race as 4-year-old Incredible Finale gelding Gotta Go Moe (Anthony Napolitano) had his picture taken.

— Debbie Schaut

Callahan wins four at Dover Downs

Dover, DE — Corey Callahan had a hot hand on the Saturday card at Dover Downs, driving four winners including To Much Fun in 1:52.4 to win the $25,000 Delaware claiming allowance.

Fotowon photo

To Much Fun was one of four winners for driver Corey Callahan.

Owned by trainer Art Brewer, To Much Fun won for the second consecutive start and third time in five races when Callahan took the 4-year-old altered son of Lislea to the lead in the stretch and won convincingly in a career-equaling best time of 1:52.4. Bail Bond Hanover (Ross Wolfenden) was runner-up. Pure Class (Tony Morgan) finished third.

Brandon Givens teamed with Nanticoke Snazz to win a $14,500 conditioned trot, flashing to a 1:59 score. The Loge-Snazzy Miss gelding overtook Frank Gifford (Wolfenden) and odds-on favorite Native Yankee (Morgan) in mid-stretch on the way to the victory for owners Ed Maas, Nanticoke Racing and driver Givens.

Owner Ken Wood and driver Jim Morand posted two wins each.

— Marv Bachrad

Northfield features to R Cowboy, State Of The Union

Northfield, OH — With temperatures in the upper 50s, the racing action was nearly as hot as the weather at Northfield Park on Saturday.

In the $6,000 Open Trot, Athlete In Action appeared home free after a leisurely 1:01 half that saw Classical Man make a break and the other top choice American Tribute have issues in the turn, but R Cowboy and Matt Kakaley got underway late to collar the leader in a 2:02 mile over a yielding track rated ‘good.’

Titus Schlaback owns and trains the winner, a 9-year-old Balanced Image gelding, who won for just the second time this year, but for the 38th time in his career. He has now banked $229,155. Athlete In Action was second, while former world champion Blastaway Sahbra got the show money.

The win gave the 20-year old Kakaley his third win of the night, through just nine races.

With the nearly unbeatable Lite Me Up taking a week off, the $6,000 Open Pace looked wide open and it did not disappoint, as there were five lead changes in the mile before 13-1 newcomer State Of The Union emerged victorious.

Lakeside Al took the first call, only to be supplanted by Dan Chaz and then Expresso Forte took charge. Lakeside Al rallied again to take the lead, with State Of The Union following as Dan Chaz also found room to the outside.

State Of The Union got by Lakeside Al in early stretch. Aaron Merriman drove the winner, a 5-year-old Presidential Ball gelding, for trainer Jodi Schillaci and owner Mihajlo Zdjelar, Jr. The win was his fourth of the year, as he pushed his career earnings to $88,941.

— Keith Gisser

It’s Shock And Awe at Cal-Expo

Sacramento, CA — Claiming handicap pacers, racing for a $4,500 purse, were featured Saturday night at Cal-Expo on the final card of the 2008 season, in which Shock And Awe was triumphant.

Leaving to push the pace from post one in the field of nine, Shock And Awe and driver Bruce Clarke would yield the lead to Laci’s-Town (Luke Plano) just before the field had traveled 3-16ths of a mile, but they wouldn’t sit for long.

“When Laci’s-Town made the front, I knew, having driven him two weeks ago and knowing him, that Luke didn’t want the front-end — so I went to the front,” stated Clarke.

On the move after the field had traveled 3-16ths of a mile into a :28.4 opening quarter, Shock And Awe would clear to the front at the 5-16ths pole, thus basically two-moving for the lead that he wouldn’t have for long.

“I looked over and saw that Deep Red (Rocky Stidham) was coming and that’s the horse I wanted to sit behind.”

Yielding after 7-16ths of a mile for the pocket into a :57.2 first half, Shock And Awe would sit a loose pocket going into the final turn as Stidham would successfully ask his pacer to go on.

Now getting his earplugs popped just to the three-quarter pole, timed in 1:25.4, Shock And Awe would respond and narrow the gap, then would move to the outside to the top of the lane. Pacing up to take a slim lead with an eighth of a mile to go, Shock And Awe would not draw clear, but Clarke wasn’t concerned.

“He drifted in a little in the stretch, which is why it may have appeared why he didn’t go on, but he was still strong to the wire.”

Holding off Laci’s-Town to win ($6.80) by a measured half-length, the normally closing Shock And Awe would sit up close to the pace while being used three times on his way to a victory in 1:54. Laci’s-Town completed the Bernie Wolin trained exacta, and Deep Red finished another 1-3/4 lengths farther back in third.

“He’s a nice racehorse,” finished Clarke.

— Scott Ehrlich