Racing Roundup: Speed Bomb outduels Vivid Photo
March 18, 2010,by harness publicists across North America
Thursday’s (March 18) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from The Meadows, Dover Downs and Cal-Expo.
Speed Bomb outduels Vivid Photo in Meadows $25,000 Trot
Washington, PA — Speed Bomb wrested the early lead from Vivid Photo, then held off his celebrated rival in a stirring, stretch-long duel to capture Thursday’s $25,000 Preferred Handicap Trot at The Meadows.
Vivid Photo shot to the lead for Roger Hammer, leaving Speed Bomb and Dave Palone parked before they cleared past the quarter. They raced that way until the top of the lane, when Hammer tipped Vivid Photo off the pylons for the drive. Vivid Photo erased most of his 2-length deficit, but the game Speed Bomb would not let him by, prevailing by a neck in 1:55.2. Chips and Wings, up from the claiming ranks, was a ground-saving third.
Ron Burke trains Speed Bomb, a 7-year-old son of Master Lavec-Mighty JC who pushed his career bankroll to $475,754, for Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, JJK Stables and Phillip Collura. It was one of four wins on the 13-race card for Palone.
— Evan Pattak
Frog Juice, Puppetandmee N win Dover twin features
Dover, DE — Frog Juice picked up his first win of the year while Puppetandmee N made it two wins in a row in the $16,500 and $16,000 twin features at Dover Downs on Thursday, March 18.
Gary and Barbara Iles’ homebred Frog Juice registered his first win of the year as Montrell Teague put the Badlands Hanover-Hair She Goes gelding into the lead and held off Arizona Liar (Vic Kirby), second, and Music Man NZ (Frank Milby), third at the wire in a 1:53.3 triumph in a $16,5000 Male pace.
In the $16,000 4&5-Year-Old pace, Jim Morand scored his second of three wins guiding Puppetandmee N to victory in 1:54.4. Mindfreak (Vince Copeland) came on for second while Three Swings (Allan Davis) and Gal’s Romeo (Eddie Davis Jr.) finished in a deadheat for third. Puppetandmee N is an altered son of a one-time George Teague-trainee Mattuity, from Three Mothers. The 5-year-old has won four of his last five starts with two seconds and a third, improving his bankroll to $32,075 for owners Vicki Givens, Arlene Paisley and Sharon White.
The Delaware Standardbred Owners Association’s 2nd leg 4&5-Year-Old preliminaries came to a close with $12,500 divisions. Melvin’s Dream, acquired early this year by Ian Fromowitz, scored his second straight series win and seventh win of the year in eight starts as Tony Morgan piloted the Gamblers Dream-KG’s Starlet gelding to a 1:53.4 victory. I’m Outtahair (Montrell Teague) was a strong second in front of Freedom Soldier (Ross Wolfenden).
Another $12,500 DSOA series prelim preceded the regular program. Royal Camelot with Bret Brittingham driving scored an easy 1:54.1 victory in the non-wagering event. Ricky Pryor and trainer Erika Paradee own the Cam’s Fortune homebred. As Bad As Thunder (Eddie Davis Jr.) was second. Town Squire (Tony Morgan) took third money.
— Marv Bachrad
Biggest Big Bertha clobbers her foes at Cal-Expo
Sacramento, CA — Filly & Mare open handicap pacers, racing for a $6,100 purse, were featured at Cal-Expo on a windy Thursday night in which Biggest Big Bertha was much the best.
Firing out and getting the lead an eighth of a mile past the start into a :28 opening quarter, driver/trainer Rick Plano took advantage of Mother Nature in the second quarter.
“I was trying to take it as easy as I could going to the half because of the strong headwinds.”
Under a hold in an easy second quarter and reaching the half-mile pole in :57.3, Plano was liking the message he was being sent.
“She was tugging on me throughout that quarter and I knew I had a lot of horse.”
Letting out notches from the five-eighths pole on and opening up the lead with every stride, Plano and his charge led by 4-1/4 lengths at the three-quarter station, timed in 1:25.3. Getting her earplugs popped at the head of the lane with a commanding lead, it was all over but the shouting.
“I had like three or four lengths on them at the top of the stretch when I popped the plugs and she responded. I knew right then that it would be awful tough to catch her.”
The 9-year-old won ($3.00) in a no doubter by 5-3/4 lengths. Owned by Marilee Keene, Biggest Big Bertha, in winning for the 52nd time, stopped the timer at 1:52.4, a seasonal best. Sintillating, who had gotten passed into the stretch by Silver Bloom (Luke Plano), came back late to be get the place honors, and Silver Bloom finished another three-quarters of a length farther back in third.
“It was a great race for her because she’s an aged mare and still shows that she’s got it,” finished Plano, who had four driving wins on the card.
— Scott Ehrlich