from harness publicists across North America

Saturday’s (September 10) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Yonkers Raceway, Cal-Expo, Saratoga and Batavia.

Southern Allie wins Open Handicap Pace at Yonkers

Yonkers, NY — Southern Allie (Jim Pantaleano) did his damage from off the pace Saturday night, winning Yonkers Raceway’s $52,000 Open Handicap Pace in divisional-record time.

Tom Berg photo

Southern Allie was a 1:58 winner in the Open Handicap Pace.

Leaving from post position No. 6, Southern Allie watched early as first Shoobee’s Place (Cat Manzi), then Valentino (Pat Berry), took turns on the lead (:26.2 quarter, :55.1 half). Down the backside, longshot Grab Your Keys (Brent Holland) moved from fourth, with 11-10 favorite Ideal Matters (Jordan Stratton) gapped behind that one.

Ideal Matters actually went back to the cones as Southern Allie began his wide move from sixth. He had some work to do at the 1:23 three-quarters, going around Grab Your Keys and advancing to second entering the lane.

Valentino, a length to the good turning for home, was about to get some unwanted company around the 1:51 mile marker. Southern Allie tagged the leader, then edged away. He won by 1-1/2 lengths, negotiating the mile and-one-sixteenth in 1:58. That effort set a new local standard for his weight class going the added distance. Valentino saved second, with Ideal Matters back out for third. Shoobee’s Place and Scotty Mach N (Eric Goodell) rounded out the payees.

Southern Allie, a 4-year-old Allie’s Western gelding co-owned (as Burke Racing) by (trainer) Ron Burke and Weaver Bruscemi, returned $7.40 (second choice) for his sixth win in 21 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $38.60, with the triple returning $127.50.

— Frank Drucker

Cal-Expo
Her trainer thought she needed the start, but a perfect trip and being a quality mare provided a different outcome. Winners-over pacers, racing for a $4,500 purse were featured at Cal-Expo on Saturday night, on which Haggin Oaks was clearly the pocket-rocket. Under minor tap urging at times in the third quarter while driver Luke Plano had a very good hold of his 10-year-old in a :28 third split, Haggin Oaks gave a signal to her pilot with a quarter of a mile to go. On the move just to the top of the stretch while Got The Giggles went on into the lane, it sure looked like there could be a battle of the only two ladies in the race. That duel, however, was for naught as Haggin Oaks, in the blink of an eye, quickly took over the lead at the seven-eighths mile pole. Responding nicely to urging, the 9-5 morning line second choice drew away nicely to win ($14.20) by four-lengths. Owned by Shari Burns, Ferris Funk and Gerald Cimini, the daughter of Hi Ho Silverheel’s stopped the timer at 1:55.3. Got The Giggles finished second, and Stanza (Steve Wiseman) finished in third, another 1-1/4 lengths farther back. “She’s a nice horse that does everything I ask of her. I’ve said this before, it’s a privilege to have her in my barn,” a proud winning trainer James Kennedy said. On the 15-race program, driver Steve Wiseman had five wins, while Luke Plano had four. Live racing will resume at Cal-Expo on Friday and Saturday at 6:00 p.m., Pacific. Cal-Expo offers a reduced, 15 percent takeout rate every Saturday for both Pick-4s with a $15,000 (guar.) pool on every Saturday Late Pick-4. In addition, there will be no takeout on successful Late Pick-4 tickets wagered on-track or at Twinspires.com.

Saratoga
Flexjet won Saratoga’s Open pace for the first time this season on Saturday night, as the 16-1 longshot charged down the center of the track late to register the upset win. Brian Cross sat behind the 4-year-old pacer, who recorded his second-straight win by taking the evening’s $18,000 feature. Flexjet (Village Jove) had finished second in two Opens in July but wound up dropping in company to score a victory in Open II competition last week. On Saturday night, the Chet Poole, Jr. trainee wound up getting a second-over journey and pounced in the stretch before stepping away to win by better than one length, in 1:54.1. Kelly’s Noah (Jay Randall) charged up the passing lane late in the mile to finish second, while Outa My Head (Jim Devaux), the race’s leader throughout the majority of the mile, held on for third. Flexjet, a former New York Sire Stakes competitor, moved his career bankroll to just a few dollars shy of the $200,000 mark with the Open score. Live racing will continue at Saratoga Casino and Raceway on Sunday afternoon, when matinee racing begins at 12:45 p.m., eastern.

Batavia
On a special night when reinsman Ben Webster and Patsy C. Rapone were inducted into the Batavia Downs Casino Hall of Fame and five area high schools dashed for cash in the $7,500 College Scholarship Race, it was Cam Patch and Kevin Cummings who took advantage of an easy trip to win the $9,000 featured Open pace on Saturday night. Approaching the top of the stretch, Cam Patch decided to take the lane three-deep and charged for the win. With a final time of 1:54.3, Cam Patch finished first by one-half length. Following in second was the pacesetter, Nifty Prescott, and Precious Medal (Jack Rice) pushed up for third. Cam Patch notched his fifth win of the season and raised his season’s earnings to $29,254 for owners David Ball and Jerry Reinhart. He’s trained by Alex Guiliani. This was a driving double for Cummings who also won the fifth with Redford Hall ($4.70). Live racing will resume on Tuesday, Sept. 13, at 6:40 p.m., eastern. Live streaming video is available at www.bataviadownscasino.com.

Paul White

Scholars (l. to r.) Conor George, Kendra Wall, Natalie Tuites, Wyatt Chittenden and Elizabeth Shuknecht were all smiles on Saturday</TD

Elizabeth Shuknecht, representing Elba High School, with professional Jim Graham assisting, won the $7,500 College Scholarship Race. Leaving from the rail, Elizabeth driving “Betsy Ross” went wire-to-wire, holding-off “Wyatt Night” with Pembroke High’s Wyatt Chittenden and professional Dave McNeight III. The final time of 2:13 was a new record for the scholarship race. Finishing third was Natalie Tuites fom Batavia High with Jim Mulcahy, they just nosed out Kendra Wall of Notre Dame of Batavia and Mike Pokornowski in a photo finish, while Conor George from Oakfield High and professional Mike Baumeister completed the field. All the teens were winners, receiving scholarship funds of $3,000, $2,000, $1,200, $800 and $500 for their efforts. Each was required to attend at least five training sessions to learn the full equine experience associated with the racing industry. The college race is a partnership of the Harness Horse Breeders of New York, Western New York Harness Horsemen’s Association, Buffalo Raceway and Batavia Downs Casino.