Racing Roundup: Tacos Du Russeau, Royal Camelot win Dover features
March 4, 2010,by harness publicists across North America
Thursday’s (March 4) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Dover Downs and Cal-Expo.
Tacos Du Russeau, Royal Camelot win Dover features
Dover, DE — Tacos Du Ruisseau and Royal Camelot used diverse trips to win the Thursday, March 4 $16,500 co-features at Dover Downs.
Cory Callahan drove Tacos Du Ruisseau to the front and then fought off a stretch-long charge from runner-up JK Lullabye (Mike Cole) to win the $16,500 male pace in 1:53.4. A.M. Feeney, C.A. Bonuccelli and trainer Nick Callahan own the Cam’s Card Shark-Western Jeans 7-year-old. JK Lullaby was second with Truly Chris (George Dennis) the show horse.
In the $16,500 4&5-Year-Old pace, Bret Brittingham and Royal Camelot came from far back to get up late in the stretch for a 1:54.4 victory for Ricky Pryor and trainer Erika Paradee. As Bad As Thunder (Tony Morgan), second, and Hoof It N (Jim Morand), third, were dueling in deep stretch when Royal Camelot suddenly rushed up at the wire. It was the first win of 2010 in four starts for Royal Camelot, an altered son of Cams Fortune-Royal Freedom.
— Marv Bachrad
Biggest Big Bertha scores at Cal-Expo
Sacramento, CA — Filly & Mare Open Handicap Pacers, racing for a purse of $6,100, were featured at Cal-Expo on Thursday night, in which Biggest Big Bertha won for the 51st time in her fine career.
Leaving and racing three-wide until the field entered the first turn, the 9-year-old obtained the lead after an eighth of a mile into a :28.2 opening quarter. Unchallenged in the second quarter, she reached the half-mile station in :57.4.
Taking a look back past the half-mile pole, driver/trainer Rick Plano observed and responded.
“I saw that Sintillating had pulled first-over so I started letting my mare pace a little bit — which was good because Sintillating doesn’t get around the turns very well.”
With Sintillating clearly stalling past the 9-16ths marker, Plano soon took another peek back at the five-eighths pole.
“I didn’t see that Sintillating wasn’t making the turn, but I did notice that she wasn’t getting anywhere close. At that point I wanted my mare to get away from them and I let out a notch.”
Reaching the three-quarter marker, timed in 1:26, Plano knew good things were forthcoming.
“I thought I could win from there as long as she’d keep to it.”
Under some urging into the stretch and opening up the lead to the seven-eighths pole, there’d be no catching the talented mare. Owned by Marilee Keene, Biggest Big Bertha reported home by 2-1/4 lengths to win ($5.80) in 1:54.2. Scooter Babe (Steve Wiseman) finished in second, and Castle Oaks (John Chappell) finished another 1-1/2 lengths farther back in third.
“It was a picture perfect race,” concluded Plano, who had four winners on the card.
— Scott Ehrlich