from harness publicists across North America

Sunday’s (June 7) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Buffalo Raceway, Saratoga Casino and Raceway, Vernon Downs and Running Aces.

Shawn Gray notches four-bagger at Buffalo Raceway

Hamburg, NY — It was the first Sunday matinee of the season at Buffalo Raceway and driver Shawn Gray sure did enjoy the warm, brilliant day.

Sitting in second place in the Buffalo Raceway driver’s standings with 102 victories, Gray put up a four-bagger Sunday (June 7) to highlight the 11-race card. He scored with Oceana ($2.10), Strung Out ($6.20), Artillery Major ($8.00) and Spring Terror ($4.00).

Ron Beback Jr., Kevin Cummings and David McNeight III each had doubles on the day.

Beback pulled a $31.80 stunner with Hawaiian Joe and also steered Almost Midnight to a popular $4.00 win. McNeight had a $50.00 shocker on Le Reina Road and followed that up with a $7.60 decision on Caddy Jeff. Cummings, who leads the way with 161 wins this year at Buffalo Raceway, posted wins with Sleep Talker ($9.60) and Safe Bet Hanover ($10.60).

Racing returns on Wednesday night with a 10-race card set for 5 p.m. For more information including the latest news, race replays, results and upcoming promotions, go to www.buffaloraceway.com.

— Brian Mazurek

Saratoga Casino and Raceway
Red Hot Herbie (Here Comes Herbie) scored his second Open Trot victory of the season at Saratoga Casino and Raceway on Sunday afternoon. The Rene Allard trainee got reeled in late when finishing third in last week’s feature but would not be denied in Sunday’s installment of the $18,000 Open. Billy Dobson sat patiently behind Red Hot Herbie at the back of the pack as the fractions in the feature were fast. Making a big move in the third quarter, the 5-year-old trotter surged late to score in 1:55.4. Open stalwart Slugfest (Jay Randall) continued his sensational stretch of finishing first or second every week as he closed from last to be the runner-up. On The Podium (Bruce Aldrich Jr.), who set the fast early fractions, held on to finish third. Red Hot Herbie, who along with stablemate Mack’s Gold Band (Band’s Gold Chip) provided trainer Allard and driver Dobson with a pair of victories on the matinee card, paid $7.60 to win and led an exacta and triple that paid $33.00 and $89.00, respectively. Live racing resumes on Thursday at Saratoga with a first post time set for 4 p.m.

Vernon Downs
After saving ground well behind a contested pace, UF Bettors Hanover ($6.10) found a seam in the final 70 yards, surging to the fore late in Sunday afternoon’s featured $7,000 upper-level conditioned pace at Vernon Downs. Jimmy Whittemore took the 5-year-old Bettor’s Delight gelding off the pace initially, rating well off dueling leaders Walks Of Life (Claude Huckabone III) and Lilys Real Boy (Fern Paquet Jr.) through a :54.3 initial half-mile. While continuing just worse than midfield the entire way around, UF Bettors Hanover found himself hard pressed for racing room on the final turn when A Fool For Mark (Dustin Ingraham) circled three-wide off a stalled Lilys Real Boy and Card Knock Life (Truman Gale) followed that live three-wide cover to head-stretch. Blocked at the pegs in upper stretch, UF Bettors Hanover had no shortage of pace, only able to use it in deep stretch when he found room to hook three-wide. His sudden turn of foot propelled him to a half-length win, beating Walks Of Life in 1:51.4. A Fool For Mark sustained his three-wide bid to hold third. Trainer Scott West shares ownership of UF Bettors Hanover with Katie Currie. Truman Gale led all drivers on the card with a grand slam, prevailing with Stettin Hanover ($20.20, 1:53.3), Flight Again ($4.70, 1:52.4), Tundra ($35.80, 1:52.1) and Vintage Fenom ($11.60, 1:54.1). Racing returns to Vernon Downs on Friday (June 12) evening, with first post at 6:45 p.m. (EDT).

Running Aces
It didn’t take Franky Provolone long to do what he often does at his favorite track by winning the featured trot on the Sunday night card at Running Aces. The 8-year-old son of Armbro Scribe, owned by Robin Clements, wired a compact field of accomplished trotters in 1:56.4. Trainer-driver Steve Wiseman pushed quickly off the gate and cut fractions of :29, :58.4 and 1:27.2 before kicking home in :29.2 to best Franks Best (Mooney Svendsen) and Jailer (Tim Maier) by 1-1/2 lengths. Franky Provolone has been the most consistent trotter during the past three summer sessions at Running Aces. A race earlier, Becky Badger Baby captured a $6,000 3-year-old Open Trot in 2:02.1, including a back half in :59. Nick Roland conditions and drove the sophomore daughter of Minnesota sire Rail Splitter for Royal and Barbara Roland and Dale Hein. Becky Badger Baby, who topped Brakensberg (Jenni King) and Sweet Nola Kate (Brett Ballinger) by a length, was the Minnesota state champion freshman filly trotter on the merits of a 2:03.3 victory in the $20,000 final at Running Aces last August.