Racing Roundup: Saturday, March 14, 2009
March 14, 2009,from Harness Publicists across North America
Saturday’s (March 14) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Saratoga Raceway, Dover Downs, Buffalo Raceway and Cal-Expo.
Four Starz Bling captures Saratoga Open
Saratoga Springs, NY — Four Starz Bling sparkled on Saturday night at Saratoga as he went wire-to-wire in 1:52.4 to take the night’s feature. Mark Beckwith piloted the 7-year-old pacer as they went start to finish and pulled off the minor upset in the $15,000 Open.
Dave Oxford photo
Four Starz Bling captured the Saratoga Open in 1:52.4.
Highlighted by a speedy :27.4 final panel, Four Starz Bling recorded his second win of the season and first Open score of the 2009 campaign. The impressive win time was the fastest thus far this season at the Spa and ended the chances for both track record holders to win in their returns to Saratoga.
Rare Jewel and Gimmebackmybullets, co-owners of the Saratoga track record of 1:51, were on hand together Saturday night for the first time. Rare Jewel, a beaten favorite in the Saturday Open, set the record in 2006 when he shattered the previous mark by stopping the timer in 1:51 with Frank Coppola, Jr. driving. The following year, ironically on the same date, Gimmebackmybullets sped away to a 1:51 victory.
On Saturday, “Bullets” made his first start at Saratoga since the 2007 season, the year of his historic win. Gimmebackmybullets was victorious in his return to the Spa as he handled a group of conditioned pacers to get the win in 1:56.2.
— Mike Sardella
13-1 Kamwood Warrior N wins Dover feature
Dover, DE — Pacer Kamwood Warrior N, overlooked at 13-1, won the $17,000 featured pace at Dover Downs on Saturday.
Kamwood Warrior N moved up on the outside heading to the final turn and when Kuai Diam N (Brandon Givens) broke stride turning for home, Eddie Davis, Jr. drove the Courage Under Fire-Kamwood Lass gelding into the lead and quickly opened up in the lane, reaching the finish line in 1:53.1 to score his first U.S. win. Roman Conqueror N (Tony Morgan) escaped from being locked in third and got loose late and rallied to finish second. Mattjestic Art (Frank Milby) was the show horse.
J&E Stable and trainer Bob Stevenson own the 6-year-old winner.
— Marv Bachrad
Oh Gee Whiz takes Buffalo Open
Hamburg, NY — Oh Gee Whiz, a 5-year-old Presidential Ball gelding, out of the Abercrombie mare Forabber N Abber, used the passing lane in the stretch and won for the second time this season in the $9,000 Open Pace for owner David J. Slyman in 1:57.4 at Buffalo Raceway on Saturday night.
Paul White photo
Oh Gee Whiz won the Buffalo Open in 1:57.4.
Leaving from post two in the field of six, Oh Gee Whiz ($16.40), driven by reinsman Ray Fisher, Jr., tucked nicely in second while last week’s Open winner Arm And A Leg (Kevin Cummings) was setting all the fractions, :29.2, :59, and 1:28.4.
Meadows invader Civil Attack (Matt Kakaley) made a strong backside brush to engage Arm And A Leg, and this battle set up the winner, who used a :28.4 last quarter to pass them both in the stretch. Civil Attack, who was the favorite in the race, finished second, while Clooney Drummond (Ron Beback, Jr.) came in third.
Trained by D J Millner, the $4,500 winner’s share of the purse put Oh Gee Whiz’s season’s bankroll at $15,690 and $109,758 lifetime.
— Sam Pendolino
Cowboy Hanover gets back on winning track at Cal-Expo
Sacramento, CA — Open 1 Handicap pacers, racing for a purse of $6,500, were in the spotlight at Cal-Expo on Saturday night, in which Cowboy Hanover recorded his fifth win of the year.
Coming away fifth and last from his assigned post five in the field of the same number, driver Luke Plano wasn’t too surprised when the first quarter came up in a deliberate :29.1.
“I sort of expected the slow quarter,” said the young Plano. “I was sort of taking it for what it was worth.”
Remaining at the caboose into a walking :30 second quarter, was Plano concerned off the :59.1 first half?
“We were going pretty slow as I thought and I knew it was going to be a sprint, but I thought my horse would be up to the task.”
Moving to third-over position at the five-eighths-mile pole, but gapping one length midway through the final turn, Plano had good reason not to be worried.
“The horses in front of me picked it up pretty quick and it took my horse just a second to get in gear so I wasn’t concerned.”
Back on at the three-quarter pole, timed in 1:27.2, but still last while four lengths back, Plano knew what he had, but still couldn’t predict victory.
“My horse felt good, but I knew it was going to be a sprint and I didn’t know what was going to happen from there.”
Following three-wide cover very late in the final turn and moving four-wide on his own with 3-16ths of a mile to go, Plano now had to deal with mother nature.
“He was pacing strong when I moved him off of cover and I thought I was going to blow by them all, but the headwind in the stretch kind of slowed him up and it concerned me slightly. But then when I pulled the earplugs at the seven-eighths he’d pace by everybody and finish pretty strongly considering the headwind.”
Taking the lead with a burst of speed to mid-stretch, Cowboy Hanover would go on to win ($3.00) by one length. Owned by Dave and Kimberly Haness in partnership with Maryann Plano, the Rick Plano 5-year-old gelding would stop the timer at 1:55.2. Ideally Magic (Steve Wiseman), who raced first-over, was game to be second, considering he came back for the place honors after being passed by the fourth-place finishing Ivegotwhatuneed (Lemoyne Svendsen). The pace-setting Cam’s Accord (Lou Pena) was just a neck farther back, while racing to a hard trying third.
“The horse has been in great form and hopefully he’ll stay with it,” finished the meet’s leading driver, who recorded four wins on the card.
— Scott Ehrlich