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Friday’s (July 16) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Yonkers Raceway, Saratoga Gaming and Raceway, Vernon Downs and Buffalo Raceway.

Shacked Up, Pembroke Prayer win Friday night co-features at Yonkers

Yonkers, NY — Millionairess-in-waiting Shacked Up (Jason Bartlett) went up — and over — pace-setting favorite Symphony In Motion (catch-driver Steve Smith) on Friday night, winning Yonkers Raceway’s co-featured $42,500 Filly and Mare Open Pace.

Tom Berg photo

Shacked Up was a 1:53.1 winner in the Filly and Mare Open Pace.

Pole-sitting Symphony In Motion, at even money, sat pressure-free intervals of :28.1 and :58. Shacked Up, leaving from post position No. 4, moved to challenge down the backside. She engaged the leader at the 1:25.3 three-quarters, then rolled by in the early stretch.

Shacked Up defeated Hannah Isabel (Cat Manzi) by 3-1/2 widening lengths in 1:53.1, with Symphony In Motion tiring to third. Ramona Disomma (Jordan Straton) and Twin B Tiara (Stephane Bouchard) also made money.

Shacked Up, a 4-year-old homebred daughter of Western Terror trained by Paul Reid for Bulletproof Enterprises, returned $6.60 (second choice) for her first win in three seasonal starts (career earnings in excess of $961,000). The exacta paid $46.60, with the triple returning $100.50.

Friday night’s Open Handicap Trot saw 35-1 rank outsider Pembroke Prayer (Brent Holland) “run” away and hide.

Leaving from post No. 3, he took over from another longshot, pylon-proposition Swift Kid (Matt Kakaley) before a spiffy :27.4 opening quarter-mile, then just kept going. Lady In The Wind (Manzi) moved out about the same time Master Pine (Bartlett) found an early three-hole.

Meanwhile, a :57.2 intermission and 1:26.1 three-quarters give Pembroke Prayer a 2-1/2 length advantage turning for home. Lady In The Wind and Swift Kid were unable to do another with the leader, who easily held sway.

Pembroke Prayer beat Master Pine (Bartlett) by a couple of lengths in 1:55.4. Lady In The Wind, Shoeless White Sox (Smith) and 19-10 choice Hurrikanebiggeorge (Bouchard) completed the cashers.

Pembroke Prayer, a 6-year-old Like A Prayer gelding co-owned by (trainer) Mark Ford and William Varney, returned $73.50 for his seventh win in 28 ’10 tries. The exacta paid $277 with the triple returning $6,125.

— Frank Drucker

Saratoga Gaming and Raceway
McCoy became the latest to add his name to the ever growing list of Open Trot winners at Saratoga Gaming and Raceway on Friday night. The Dan Hennessey trained 6-year-old parlayed the pocket trip to his fourth win of the season and his first since coming north from Pompano Park in June. McCoy sat on leader The Windsurfer A’s (Darren Hancock) back before pouncing around the final turn to draw off for the open length win in the $16,500 feature for trotters. The Windsurfer A held strong for second while longshot Winbak Dream (Kim Crawford) earned the show spot in the 1:58 mile. With the exception of trotting star Prime Interest, very few local trotters have won multiple Opens this year. McCoy will look to add his name to that list in the coming weeks.

Vernon Downs
Armbro Doyle remained king of the trotting hill at Vernon Downs following a 1:56.2 victory in Friday night’s $11,000 featured ninth race. Fresh off a 1:57.2 triumph in last Saturday’s Miracle Mile-1 class here, Armbro Doyle raced as if he was the best and proved it with a front striding, 1-1/2 length score over Skad’s Winner in this week’s top trotting test. As second choice in the wagering, he paid $7.20 to win. Chuck Connor, Jr. drove for owner and trainer Scott West as the 7-year-old son of King Conch-Accompaniment secured his third season’s score (all at the Downs) and 18th overall, while lifting his career earnings to nearly $260,000. Drivers Dan Daley (Miss Conway in 1:58.1 and Cider With Ice in 1:56.3) and Rick Plano (Sweet Baby Jane in 1:58 and Mr Friendly in 1:57.3) each posted doubles during Friday’s 10-race program.

Buffalo Raceway
In the $9,000 Fillies and Mares Open Handicap Pace, Newberry Winner ($11.00), a 6-year-old Village Jove offspring, was hung on the outside for the first half-mile but with sheer determination she willed herself to a one length win in a season’s best 1:56.4 for owner Howard M. Ouriel. Capably driven by Jamie Dunlap, Newberry Winner hit the half-mile with the lead in :57.2 and the three-quarters in 1:27.3. Fast closing longshot Sophisticated Katy (Troy Boring) came in second, while Southwind Prairie (Tom Mays) came in third. Trained by Neal Russo, the $4,500 share of the purse put Newberry’s Winner’s season’s bankroll at $45,705 and $173,949 lifetime.