from Harness Publicists across North America
Tuesday’s (April 21) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Hoosier Park, Harrington Raceway and Monticello Raceway.
Speed N The Tunnel wins again at Hoosier Park Anderson, IN — The unstoppable Speed N The Tunnel and driver Sam Widger prevailed again in the week’s top trot at Hoosier Park, besting a field of nine in the $25,000 Invitational Trot on Tuesday. Scoring her third win in five starts for 2009, the 6-year-old Armbro Tunnel mare earned the win by a neck in a time of 1:57.4.
Starting from post three, Speed N The Tunnel proved how versatile she can be, getting away in the center of the pack, allowing SF Aceinthehole and Peter Wrenn the opportunity to lead the way past the quarter in a time of :28. Sunland Dakota and Brad Hanners were out and moving quickly, taking control through the middle portion of the race in fractions of :58 and 1:27.2.
Speed N The Tunnel began her forward move around the final turn and was first to attack on the outside when the homestretch arrived. She forged forward through the sloppy track surface, edging out Sunland Dakota for the win. Universal Star and Jason Dillander moved up for third.
Speed N The Tunnel now has in excess of $344,000 in career earnings for owner-trainer Brett Wilfong and his father, Lynn. The one-eyed mare earned her 27th trip to the winner’s circle.
The victory for Widger, who travels from the Chicago circuit to Hoosier Park on Tuesdays to compete, was one of three on the card. Widger also guided Versary N in the evening’s second race followed by World Harvest in the ninth.
In other action onr the Tuesday evening program, Biletnikoff and driver Peter Wrenn used a few inches to their advantage in the final strides of the $25,000 Invitational Pace. Wrenn kept the 5-year-old Keystone Raider gelding on top of his game nearly gate-to-wire, fending off the late charges of Benns Superman and Walter Haynes, Jr.
Benns Superman was closing in with every step in the stretch, and seemed to have the best of Biletnikoff, but the gelding would not allow defeat, winning by a head in a time of 1:53.3. Rocket Fuel and Dan Shetler maintained ground inside for third.
Biletnikoff is owned by Markus Ernst and trained by Paul Kennedy, Jr. He increased his career earnings to more than $370,000 with his latest effort which brought him his fourth win in eight starts for 2009.
Wrenn continues to control the driver standings with 47 wins through the first 21 racing programs. Mark O’Mara and Ricky Macomber are battling for the second spot with 29 and 25 wins, respectively.
In the trainer standings, Don Eash has put some distance between himself and Mark Deaton. Eash, a three-time leading trainer at Hoosier Park, has sent 20 horses to the winner’s circle. Deaton’s barn has recorded 15 wins.
— Tammy Knox
Ladyfield returns home a winner
Harrington, DE — Joyce, Kathleen and Linda Keeler’s Ladyfield ($2.80, Tony Morgan) was a decisive winner in the $17,000 Mares Junior Open Pace on Tuesday at Harrington Raceway in 1:54.2.
Morgan sent the Victor Keeler-trained mare to the front where she set fractions of :27.2, :57.1 and 1:25.4. She fought off a first-over Hopeful and drew clear by three lengths for the win. Madges Lil Fortune rallied for second, while Boots Place rounded out the trifecta.
Ladyfield, a 6-year-old Armbro Cadet mare, set a world record at Harrington last year with a 1:51.4 triumph. She has now banked more than $350,000 lifetime.
Driver Tony Morgan had four winners on the program.
— Matt Sparacino
Blueridge D’bang cops pacing feature at Monticello
Monticello, NY — A drop down in class was all it took for Blueridge D’bang to emerge victorious in Monticello Raceway’s pacing feature on Tuesday.
With veteran Billy “Zeke” Parker, Jr. at the controls, the 7-year-old Dragon Again sidewheeler defeated six foes in a 1:58.4 clocking over a muddy racetrack.
After stating from post position five Parker sent his pacer toward the front end and found a position right behind pacesetter Future Fan (Mike Merton), who was the betting favorite. Content to sit comfortably behind the leader to a slow 1:00 half, Parker never moved his pacer and let others take a shot at Future Fan.
Blueridge D’bang was still sitting second along the pylons as Future Fan rebuffed the early challenges. But at the top of the lane Parker moved his charge to the outside and rallied down the center of the track to score a 1-1/4 length triumph over Snuff Box (Mike Forte) who came from fifth as the pacers headed for home. Sexy Kim (Jordan Stratton) finished third.
It marked the second seasonal triumph for Sophia Stables’ Blueridge D’bang. Trained by Sam Fava the winner returned an $11.60 win payoff.
However, Zeke wasn’t done after that driving victory. He also won two other races on the card. He scored with Charles Strugel’s Jomega in 1:59.3 in the fourth race and then completed his “hat trick” with a 1:59.4 triumph behind Bing N in the seventh, a pacer co-owned by Parker and Evan Katz.
With his three victories on the Tuesday card “Zeke” now has 49 for the meeting and his career total of 9,559 ranks him ninth all-time in races won in the sport.
— John Manzi