by harness racing publicists across North America

Thursday night’s (Aug. 25) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Vernon Downs and Saratoga.

Southern Girl rebounds in Vernon distaff

Vernon, N.Y. — Availed a clear pocket trip by Chris Lems, Connie Hochstetler’s Southern Girl ($3.40) prevailed as the odds-on favorite in Thursday (Aug. 25) evening’s $7,500 top-level Miracle Mile distaff pace at Vernon Downs.

Fotowon photo

Southern Girl holds Asset Management at bay in Thursday’s top-level $7,500 Miracle Mile distaff pace at Vernon Downs.

With the withdrawal of Jinxy’s Delight leaving a field of four, Southern Girl had no trouble securing the pocket behind early pacesetter Keene Olivia (Truman Gale), drafting comfortably through early sectionals of :27.3 and :56.2. Lems angled the 4-year-old Sportsmaster mare off the pegs with just over a quarter-mile to go to avoid being boxed in by Asset Management (Fern Paquet, Jr.), and the pair made their move to the fore just after Keene Olivia completed the first three-quarters of the mile in 1:24.

At the eighth pole, Southern Girl had overtaken the fading Keene Olivia, and the now 12-time winner had enough left to hold Asset Management a half-length at bay in 1:51.4. Always Flash-n (Andy Gardner) was an even third, while Keene Olivia faded to finish last of the quartet.

For Southern Girl, a Homer Hochstetler trainee, the win was her third in five starts.

Live racing returns to Vernon Downs on Friday (Aug. 26) evening, with first post at 6:45 p.m. EDT. The 12-race card features the $193,000 Crawford Farms and $170,000 Muscle Hill trotting events, along with a pair of New York Sire Stakes events for 2-year-old pacing colts and geldings.

— by James Witherite

Saratoga

Bazooka Terror (Western Terror) had been the runner up six times in the feature for fillies and mares at Saratoga Casino Hotel this year and on Thursday (Aug. 25) night, the Heidi Rohr trainee shook her bridesmaid status and became the bride. Bazooka Terror moved first-over on the race’s favorite Godiva Seelster (Wally Hennessey) in the $15,000 Fillies and Mares Open and after fast early fractions helped to set the table went right by her rivals in the stretch en route to victory in 1:52.1. The win time served as a new lifetime mark for the 7-year-old mare. Longshot Narcian Jewel (Bruce Aldrich Jr) closed up the inside and bested Godiva Seelster in the photo for place. The favorite had to settle for third. Bazooka Terror, who was piloted to the win by Billy Dobson, returned $15.80 to win and led an exacta and triple that paid $145.50 and $310.50, respectively. While it was the first win in the local Open for Bazooka Terror, it was the mare’s sixth victory in the 2016 season. Live racing continues on Friday (Aug. 26) night at Saratoga with a 7:05 p.m. first post.