from harness publicists across North America

Friday’s (July 25) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Harrah’s Philadelphia, Tioga Downs, Vernon Downs and Saratoga Casino and Raceway.

Summertime Lea is dominant at Harrah’s Philadelphia

Chester, PA — The featured event at Harrah’s Philadelphia on a beautiful Friday afternoon was a Winners Over $25,000 lifetime pace for fillies and mares. The post time favorite was the Ron Burke trainee Summertime Lea, making her first seasonal start over the Philly oval.

At the start, it was the team of Fast And Fiesty and Royal Cee Cee N leaving from the outside posts. Summertime Lea emerged from third before the quarter to brush for the lead. She was a dominant leader throughout the mile, dealing with mild first over pressure from Regil Elektra before the three-quarters.

Summertime Lea sprinted away in the final strides to win by a measured length, stopping the clock in 1:50.4. Pocket sitter Fast And Fiesty finished second, while Royal Cee Cee N was third.

Summertime Lea picked up her 19th career win, while pushing her lifetime earnings beyond $665,000. She is owned by Burke Racing, Weaver Bruscemi, Frank Baldachino, and Earl Smith, and was driven by Yannick Gingras.

— Harrah’s Philadelphia

Tioga Downs
Michael Pagonas’ Inittowinafortune ($2.90) achieved an early lead and never looked back, scoring a decisive 3-3/4 length victory in Friday evening’s $14,000 Open Handicap Pace for fillies and mares at Tioga Downs. The 4-year-old Cams Fortune mare dueled briefly with Cloris Hanover (Brandon Simpson) before clearing the lead on the first turn en route to a sizzling :26.4 first quarter. After Aaron Byron rated a :29.4 second quarter breather, the Michael Russo trainee sprinted away on the backstretch through a :27 third split, only to be chased in earnest by Cloris Hanover to the far turn. Inittowinafortune responded willingly to the pursuit, edging clear in the final 300 yards to win in 1:52. Cloris Hanover was a clear second, while Dirty Girty (Mike Merton) sustained a late rally to narrowly take third from Southwind Trini (Jim Marohn Jr.). Marohn led all drivers on the card with three wins.

Vernon Downs
War Hero (Ken Warkentin-Miss Gibbons) powered past Ilovemymommy in the stretch to win the $10,000 Open I Trot at Vernon Downs on Friday night. War Hero (Frank Davis) followed the live cover of Ilovemymommy (Jimmy Whittemore), who surged to the lead past the half-mile mark and maintained control to the top of the stretch. It was there that War Hero moved alongside and started to surge past in the lane to win in a time of 1:53.4. Mr Web Page (Roman Lopez) had set the early fractions of :26.4 for the quarter and :56 for the half, but had to work hard to get the lead after being caught three-wide around the first turn. This hard labor ended up costing him dearly later on as he faded to finish last. My Revenuer (John MacDonald) rallied from last up the backstretch to close strongly and finish second. The complete order of finish was War Hero, My Revenuer, Lucid Thoughts, Ilovemymommy, A Penny Earned, Out Of The Hat, and Mr Web Page. War Hero is owned by Howard Gill and trained by Jessica Okusko.

Saratoga Casino and Raceway
Obrigado (Boy Band) continued his recent dominance of the Open Trot at Saratoga Casino and Raceway on Friday night. The 4-year-old trotter is in his first season racing at the Spa and has become a force in the $17,000 Friday feature. After three consecutive wins from off the pace, Obrigado and driver Kim Crawford tried their luck on the front end this week and it was a test the Paul Kelley trainee passed with flying colors. Obrigado went wire-to-wire and prevailed convincingly in 1:55 which not only set a new lifetime mark for the new local trotting star but also served as the fastest trotting mile of the year thus far at Saratoga. Just Make Believe (Stephane Bouchard) completed the exacta with a second place finish behind Obrigado for the second straight week, an exacta that returned $91. Amigo Ranger (Bruce Aldrich Jr.) closed well to be third in this week’s Open. Obrigado now owns 26 victories in 35 career starts.