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Racing Roundup: Strong Hope and Noble Legend pull some surprises at Buffalo Raceway

The Friday evening (June 3) edition of Racing Roundup features results from Buffalo Raceway, Tioga Downs and Vernon Downs.

Hamburg, NY — There were a couple of surprises at Buffalo Raceway on a gorgeous Friday night (June 3).

First, Strong Hope (Ray Fisher Jr.) stunned the betting public again with an easy 2-1/2 length victory over Cold Certified in the $10,000 Open Trot.

Steve Roth photo

Noble Legend establishes a new track record of 1:57.3 for 4-year-old gelding trotters at Buffalo Raceway.

Not to be outdone, two races later Noble Legend set the track record for 4-year-old gelding trotters with a 1:57.3 time over the fast track in beating Red Clay in a $8,200 conditioned event by a half length. It erased the old standard of 1:58.2 held by Sams Hope (2003), Baby Boy Grin (2009) and BZ Glide (2013).

Noble Legend ($3.40), driven by Kevin Cummings, was third at the top of the lane and used a late charge to nip Red Clay in the record setting clocking.

Owned by Vogel & Wags Nags Stable and Jack Rice, Noble Legend (Kadabra-Lovin It) has earned $25,758 this season thanks to four wins in 14 appearances in 2016. Maria Rice trained the winner.

In the feature, Strong Hope returned $22.20 for the win to go along with his $11.80, $17.40 and $53.50 in previous victories since April 1. The 9-year-old also has had two second places finishes during that stretch as well, but ironically has yet to go off the post-time favorite.

As expected, Lutetium (Kevin Cummings) set the fractions starting from the seven post and put up reasonable splits of :28.3, :59.1 and 1:29.0. Strong Hope, who sat fourth from the beginning, was first over to the half and was on even terms with Lutetium at the top of the stretch.

There was no denying Strong Hope in the lane, however, as he powerfully trotted away from the field and left second place finisher Cold Certified (Shawn McDonough) and third place finisher B Z Glide (Mike Caprio) in his wake.

Owned and trained by Joe Agostino, it was the fifth win in 18 tries this season for Strong Hope (Cr Excalibur-Spring Lane Joanie). It moved his seasonal earnings to $35,691 and $536,574 lifetime.

James McNeight Jr. got his first ever pari-mutual victory as the 19-year-old steered Jim Dandy to a $9.70 win in the eleventh race.

Kevin Cummings had five wins in the bike while Fisher Jr. finished the night with a four-bagger.

Angelo Nappo scored a training triple.

Racing will continue on Saturday night (June 4) with an 11-race card set to begin at 6 p.m.

For more information including the latest news, upcoming promotions, race replays and results, go to www.buffaloraceway.com.

— by Brian Mazurek

Tioga Downs

Middle-half pressure from P L Houdini would not faze James Cantelon’s Dragin the Wagon ($42.60), who withstood a second challenge in the stretch en route to a 20-1 upset in Friday evening’s (June 3) $11,000 Open Trot at Tioga Downs. Fern Paquet, Jr. sent the 6-year-old Angus Hall gelding right to the front, and the pair refused to yield to a first-over challenge from P L Houdini (Scott Coulter) on the clubhouse turn. After dueling through middle fractions of :56.3 and 1:24.3, Dragin the Wagon shook free of a fading P L Houdini and held off a late challenge from pocket rival Here Comes Numbers (Mike Simons), who chased up the pegs in the final sixteenth. Zooming (Mike Merton), favored at 6-5, rallied off stalled cover to take third. Jeffrey Byron trains Dragin the Wagon, who earned his 27th career win. In the $11,000 Mares Open Pace, Cracker Coffee ($3.60) made good at odds-on via a pocket trip, following an ambitious pace set by All Charged Up (Tom Jackson) before sprinting out from the pocket in upper stretch to a two-length, 1:52 victory over K J’s Caroline (Jim Taggart, Jr.) while All Charged Up faded to third. Mike Merton drove the 7-year-old Six of Diamonds mare for owner LRL Racing, LLC and trainer Amber Buter. Mike Simons led all drivers with a treble on the 10-race card, teaming up with Talktomecourage N ($10.00, 1:55), Summer Snow ($4.20, 1:52.1), and No Reason At All ($9.70, 1:55.2). The evening’s two first-round $7,500 M&J Oil & Lube late-closing preliminaries went to 3-year-old trotting fillies Anime Hanover ($13.60, Jim Meittinis, 1:59) and Fruition ($10.40, Jackson, 1:56.4. Live racing returns to Tioga Downs on Saturday evening (June 4 ), with the first of 10 races due off at 6:30 p.m. Eastern.

Vernon Downs

Regina Dewhurst’s Pounce K ($10.80) sprinted clear and neverlooked back in the top-level $7,500 Miracle Mile Trot at Vernon Downs on Friday evening (June 3). Chris Lems vaulted clear with the 6-year-old Donato Hanovergelding through a :27.1 quarter mile, out-sprinting all five of his insiderivals. He would go unchallenged through a comfortable :58 middle half,sprinting clear off the far turn as the first-over Winding Hill (Jimmy Whittemore)worked into second over Keystone Thomas (Robert Leslie), who gapped the pocketoff the far turn. Pounce K held clear of Winding Hill by 1-1/2 lengths in theend, completing the mile in 1:53.4 over fast going. Odds-on favorite War Hero(Howard Okusko, Jr.) stalked Winding Hill’s cover en route to a third-placefinish. David Dewhurst trains Pounce K. For driver Lems, thefeatured win was one of three on the nine-race program, with the other twoaboard Reve Royale ($3.80, 1:55.1) and Winbak Meadow ($5.30, 1:57). Another nine-race card is on tap at the Miracle Mile onSaturday (June 4). Post time is set for 6:45 p.m. Eastern.