from harness publicists across North America

Friday’s (June 27) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Yonkers Raceway, The Meadows, Saratoga Casino and Raceway, Tioga Downs, Vernon Downs and Harrah’s Philadelphia.

Sears sweeps Yonkers co-features

Yonkers, NY — Yonkers Raceway’s Friday night $44,000 co-featured Open Handicaps, for distaff pacers and all-welcome trotters, were won by millionairess Monkey On My Wheel (Brian Sears, $3.40) and Lorenzo Dream (Sears again, $12.80).

Mike Lizzi photo

Monkey On My Wheel was a 1:53.3 winner for Brian Sears.

Odds-on choice Monkey On My Wheel, whose assigned eight hole became post position No. 7 after Krispy Apple came up ill, was immediately put in play. She worked around pole-given Handsoffmycookie (Daniel Dube), taking the lead before a :28.2 opening quarter-mile.

From there, it was a :57.3 half before Road Bet (Eric Carlson) moved from fifth. Monkey On My Wheel then found a 1:25.4 three-quarters, a couple of lengths to the good turning for home. An off-cover Virgin Mary (Eric Goodell) closed stoutly, but the people’s choice was tough. She held sway by a neck in 1:53.3. Road Bet, Camille (George Brennan) and Robin Cruiser (Jordan Stratton) came away with the remainder.

For Monkey On My Wheel, a 6-year-old homebred daughter of Mach Three owned by Mac Nichol and trained by Casie Coleman, it was her seventh win in 16 seasonal starts (career earnings just shy of $1.5 million). The exacta paid $26.60, with the triple returning $156.50.

The week’s marquee trot saw Lorenzo Dream make the first lead from post No. 7. He then had a wide-early 3-5 choice DW’s NY Yank (Brennan) get around a breaking Tober (Jason Bartlett) and make the lead before a :27.4 first sub-station. DW’s NY Yank then found next intervals of :57.4 and 1:27.2, taking a length lead in and out of the final turn.

However, Lorenzo Dream edged in and went by late, picking off the favorite by a neck in 1:55.4. Harbor Point (Dube), a tough-trip Zooming (Goodell) and Hoorayforvacation (Carlson) settled for the small change.

For third choice Lorenzo Dream, a 7-year-old Taurus Dream gelding owned by Vincent Laurenzo and trained by Julie Miller, it was his sixth win in 17 ’14 starts. The exacta paid $23.80, the triple returned $263.50 and the superfecta paid $463.50.

Note that since no one hit Friday’s 50 cent Pick-5, Saturday’s wager offers a $10,000 guaranteed pool (carryover of $2,728.32).

— Frank Drucker

The Meadows
Visible Gold stalked patiently from the pocket, then brushed through the Lightning Lane to capture Friday’s $18,000 Winners Over $10,000 Life/Preferred Handicap Pace at The Meadows. Visible Gold hustled to the lead for Dave Palone but was content to yield to Sam Hill, who needed the entire opening quarter to make the front. The 6-year-old son of Bettor’s Delight-Gabrielle blazed by the tiring Sam Hill and scored in 1:50.2, 1-1/2 lengths better than Dew N Doughnuts, who raced well first over. Southern Allie was third. Ron Burke trains Visible Gold, who now boasts $275,284 in career earnings, for Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi LLC and RTC Stables. Tony Hall and Palone each drove three winners on the 15-race card.

Saratoga Casino and Raceway
Obrigado became a rare trotter to win back-to-back Opens at Saratoga Casino and Raceway as he out closed his rivals on Friday night in the $17,000 feature. The Paul Kelley trainee set a lifetime mark last Friday with a 1:55.3 score and this week had to overcome the outside post. Kim Crawford sat patiently behind Obrigado (Boy Band) and asked him for his best around the final turn. Fanning four wide in the lane, Obrigado trotted by his rivals to record the 1:56 victory. Count Speed (Wally Hennessey), another closer, came on to be second while the favorite Political Desire (Billy Dobson) had to settle for third. Obrigado has now won 24 of his 32 lifetime starts and three local features in nine tries here in 2014.

Tioga Downs
Upsets abounded early on the Friday evening card at Tioga Downs, with four of the first six winners returning at least 10-1 odds. In fact, two of four odds-on favorites on the 10-race card were handed defeat. However, the featured $11,000 Miracle Mile 2 distaff pace was taken by one of its 9-5 co-favorites. Summer Snow ($5.70) took the night’s top pacing event, passing all five of her rivals en route to a 1:53 victory. The striking 7-year-old grey Admirals Galley mare settled at the back of the pack early on, floating second-over to track the cover of Seascape Hanover (John Cummings Jr.) after the pace-setting Hayworth Blue Chip (Jim Marohn Jr.) clicked off a sharp :55.3 half-mile. On the approach to the far turn, Mike Simons angled Summer Snow three-wide off a stalling Seascape Hanover, sustaining a push to the lead at head-stretch and edging clear to a 2-1/4 length triumph. Antigua Hanover (Brandon Simpson) saved second off a pocket trip, while Last Minute Cindy (Aaron Byron) re-rallied between rivals after traffic trouble to take third. Trainer Jennifer Lappe co-owns Summer Snow with the Squawk Box Stable, LLC.

Vernon Downs
Ilovemymommy (Inquirer-Alpine Goal) got back to the winner’s circle at Vernon Downs on Friday night in the $8,000 featured race after being unable to pick up a victory thus far in June. The win on Friday ends a three-race losing streak for the mare. Ilovemymommy (Jimmy Whittemore) settled in third after Canadian Sunset (Roman Lopez) forged to the front at the start and set the pace through the opening quarter of :26.4. Ilovemymommy then moved to the outside as the field entered the backstretch and made an aggressive move to the front, taking control of the race and never relinquishing it. She remained in front through a half-mile of :56.4 and three-quarters in 1:26. Painite (Frank Davis) made a valiant try first-over entering the far turn, but didn’t threaten the leader and was passed late in the stretch by Long Island Tea (Chris Lems) for second. The complete order of finish was Ilovemymommy, Long Island Tea, Painite, Alarming Quick, MC Tiny’s Hope, Stell R Time and Canadian Justice. The final time for the mile was 1:54.2. Ilovemymommy is owned by Karen Smith and is trained by Andy Gardner. The win in the feature by driver Jimmy Whittemore was one of his two victories on the night. Whittemore is now just nine victories away from 1,000 in his career.

Harrah’s Philadelphia
The featured race on Friday afternoon at Harrah’s Philadelphia was a winners over $25,000 lifetime pace for fillies and mares. The wagering public was split between last week’s winner at this class, Royal Cee Cee N, and the Ron Burke trainee Continual Velocity. As the wings closed it was Regil Elektra who fired fast for the lead, but yielded the lead to Continual Velocity just beyond the quarter. The leader received mild first-over pressure from Royal Cee Cee N, but she eventually tired, leading to a stretch duel between the pacesetters. At the end, it was Regil Elektra coming through the open stretch to barely beat Continual Velocity by a nose in a time of 1:52. It was Regil Elektra’s first win at this class in 2014. She is owned by the Monteleone Stables, trained by Monte Gelrod and was driven by Brett Miller. In other news, George Napolitano Jr. had six driving wins on the card.