by harness racing publicists across North America

The Saturday (Sept. 1) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Tioga Downs, Batavia Downs, Vernon Downs, Saratoga Casino Hotel, The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono and Running Aces.

The Last Chapter wins the feature, Simons wins for at Tioga Downs

Nichols, NY — The Last Chapter (Mike Simons) took the Tioga Downs featured trot ($10,000) on Saturday (Sept.1).

Fred Brown photo

The Last Chapter provides Simons with one of four driving victories on the evening.

BJ Lorado (Jim Mettinis) jumped out to the lead and hit the first quarter in :28.2. The Last Chapter ($4.10) went first-over from third and took the lead with five-eighths of a mile left. Trained by Ed Hart for owners Richard Gutnick, Joe Lozito Jr. and T L P Stable, he hit the half first in :57.3 and three-quarters in 1:25.1.

BJ Lorado would climb out of the pocket at the top of the stretch but didn’t have any charge left. Second place finisher Vicki All (Corey Braden) found racing room late in the stretch but fell short as The Last Chapter won in 1:55.0. BJ Loarado settled for third.

The Last Chapter is a 4-year-old gelding by Chapter Seven. It was the sixth win of the season and his 10th career victory.

Simons drove four winners on the night. His other wins came with Eldorado Of Gold S ($3.80), S J Better Days ($4.10) and Stormont Dundas ($8.60).

Gary Messenger and Mike Deters continue to battle it out for the training wins title. Messenger is in first with 34 wins. Deters is second best just two behind with 32 victories. oe Skowyra is third with 19 trips to the winner’s circle. Patti Harmon is fourth with 18 wins. Tony Dinges and Marc Major are tied for fifth with 15 victories.

No live racing on Sunday (Sept. 20) at Tioga Downs due to Michael Bolton concert. Live racing returns for a special Labor Day matinee on Monday (Sept. 3). The 12-race card starts at 1 p.m.

For more information go to www.tiogadowns.com.

— John Horne

Batavia Downs

After taking air for over a half-mile, Validus Deo looked finished coming off the last turn. But he regrouped in the stretch and rallied to win in close quarters at the wire in the $10,000 Open Handicap pace at Batavia Downs on Saturday evening (Sept. 1). Bugatti (Billy Davis Jr.) outdueled Heaven Rocks (Ray Fisher Jr.) for the lead off the gate and had the front by the quarter in :27.2. Positions remained unchanged until the half when Validus Deo (Kevin Cummings) pulled first from fourth and started up the rim. As he advanced towards the leader he forced Heaven Rocks out of the two-hole and found himself with live cover for the rest of the race. Buggati and Heaven Rocks continued to battle up the backstretch and around the far turn and looked like the two to beat as Validus Deo was fading away from the action. But heading into the stretch, Focus Power (Drew Monti) tipped three-wide and pulled next to Validus Deo and rekindled the latter’s interest in the proceedings. Cummings continued heavy prompting during the final eighth and Validus Deo split horses mid-stretch and hit the wire first by a neck in 1:54.4. It was the third win in the last five starts and eighth win of the year for Validus Deo ($6.30) who now has earned $552,307 lifetime. Matthew Rosiek, Robert Johnson and his driver-trainer Kevin Cummings own Validus Deo. In the undercard event $9,000 Open II, China Dream (John Cummings Jr.) followed up a second place finish last week, coming off a two-month hiatus, with a winning effort; going gate to wire and fending off a late charge from the pocket-sitting R M Hawk (Ray Fisher Jr.) in the lane to win in 1:54.1, tying his seasonal best. China Dream ($3.60) scored his fifth win of the year for owners Jack and Maria Rice. Maria Rice is the winner’s conditioner. For the second straight night, Drew Monti scored a driving Grand Slam on the nine-race card. Monti won with Sunset Sid (1:55.1, $3.30), Linkjack Hanover (1:53.3, $6.30), Littlebitaclass (1:55.1, $3.30) and Arch Hanover (1:57.3, $9.00). With those four wins Monti now jumps into the lead in the dash win category for the meet ahead of Kevin Cummings (who had one winner on Saturday) 42 to 40. Live racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Labor Day Monday (Sept. 3) with a special matinee card that has a 1:15 p.m. post time.

Vernon Downs

Card Knock Life (Leon Bailey) won the featured pace ($6,500) at Vernon Downs on Saturday (Sept. 1). Golden Gun (Josh Kinney) led them to all the early markers (:27.0, :55.4, 1:24.0).
Card Knock Life ($33.40) followed in the pocket until just before the three-quarter mark. Trained by Truman Gale for owners Donn Lewandrowski and Gail Farrell, he popped out of the pocket and fired home for the victory in a seasonal best 1:51.4. Golden Gun held for second. Serious Major (Jimmy Whittemore) was third best. Card Knock Life is an 8-year-old gelding by Western Ideal. It was win number three this season and career victory number 24. Bailey had two more driving wins on the night. His other wins came with Automatic Art ($6.30) and Williams Wish ($10.60). Kabu (John MacDonald) charges late to capture trot feature ($6,500). Sweet Ashley T (Homer Hochstetler) put up all the early fractions (:26.4, :56.2, 1:25.3). Kabu ($10.80) was fourth at the three-quarter pole. Owned by the JP Stables and trained by MacDonald. He came flying down the stretch like his tail was on fire, winning in a career best time of 1:54.1. Bloodstockshall (Jimmy Whittemore) was second best with Southwind Cruze (Leon Bailey) getting third. Kabu is a 7-year-old gelding by Valley Victor. It was his seventh win this season and the 28th victory of his career. Vernon Downs returns to live racing on Monday (Sept. 3) with two division of the New York Sire Stakes for 2-year-old pacing colts and geldings. The 11-race card starts at 1:05 p.m. For more information go to www.vernondowns.com.

Saratoga Casino Hotel

In 2017, Babinga Wood (Dragon Again) won the award for Claiming Pacer of the Year at Saratoga Casino Hotel. Trainer Bob Uhl acquired Babinga Wood last season and enjoyed immediate success with him. After he was claimed from him, Uhl re-acquired Babinga Wood whose 2018 campaign didn’t begin until a bit later in the season than most. The 6-year-old has found his form again and after an open-length romp in a conditional race in July, Babinga Wood moved up to winners over competition where last week he prevailed in a career best 1:52. On Saturday night, it was up into the Open Pace for the Uhl trainee who drew the rail but was dismissed at odds of 10-1. Deetzy (Billy Dobson) moved out to the early lead in the $14,500 feature but was hounded from nearly the get-go. Deetzy posted first half fractions of :27 and :54.3 and just kept rolling as he clicked off three quarters in 1:22.2. All the while, longshot Babinga Wood sat patiently before popping the pocket turning for home. Deetzy dug in but Babinga Wood surged past before stopping the timer in 1:51.4, a new lifetime best for the up-and-comer just a week after setting his previous career mark. Deetzy had to settle for second while Rock On Moe (Brian Cross) earned the show spot. Babinga Wood paid $23.00 in his first Open score and led an exacta and triple that came back $94 and $363.50, respectively. Live racing resumes on Thursday afternoon at Saratoga as Thursday matinees return starting this week with first post time set for 12:15 p.m.

The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono

The recent Australian import Stormont Czar A unleashed a furious rally in the last 100 yards to hit the wire first in the $21,500 pacing feature on Saturday at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, winning a three-horse photo in a lifetime best of 1:50.4. The field got away in post position order, with rail horse Lawrencetown Beach setting fractions of :27, :55.4, and 1:23, with Maxdaddy Blue Chip sitting the pocket. Stormont Czar A, from post three and sitting third, did not go first-over, then was able to back out to third-over position late on the final turn.
It took half of the stretch for driver Tyler Buter to angle the winner widest into a clear path, but after that the gelded son of Bettor’s Delight was just a blur, rallying from fifth when clear to be up just on the money over Pocono Pike utilizer Maxdaddy Blue Chip, with Lawrencetown Beach lasting until the final couple of steps and also just a nose off the winner. Stormont Czar N now has two wins in four U.S. starts for trainer Amber Buter and has already bankrolled $29,300 for the ownership of Tyler Buter and Oldford Racing LLC. The $20,000 claiming handicap pace went over a second faster than the headliner, as the American Ideal gelding Ideal Kiss was awesome in a six-length victory while taking a new mark of 1:49.3. The winner of four of his last five and trained by Hunter Oakes for Northfork Racing Stable, Ideal Kiss shot out to the lead in :26.2, got a breather to the half in :55.1, increased the tempo to reach the three-quarters in 1:22.4, then had his earplugs popped and bid goodbye to the field, streaking home in :26.4. The driver for Ideal Kiss was George Napolitano Jr., who is on as hot a driving streak as can be imagined. This victory was his sixth of the night, giving him 13 at Pocono the last two Saturdays, and 23 over the last five cards at The Downs. In his last four appearances at Harrah’s Philadelphia, he has visited Victory Lane 15 times, for 38 successes since a week ago Friday. One of the best cards of the year will take place at The Downs on Sunday night, with the mountain track hosting a $1.5 extravaganza hosting four $252,000 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Championships for 3-year-olds, their attendant consolations and three $100,000 Great Northeast Open Series Championships, to be conducted at 1-1/4 miles, one each for open pacers, open trotters, and pacing mares.

Running Aces

The featured harness racing event on Saturday night (Sept. 1) at Running Aces was the $11,000 Open Handicap Trot. It proved to be another exciting rendition with four current track record holders amongst the field of six contenders. Banker Volo (Rick Magee) showed his customary early speed to take firm control early and post a :27.2 opening quarter with the mare Silverlode (Lemoyne Svendsen) getting away in the pocket and Pridecrest (Steve Wiseman) getting away in third. Banker Volo maintained honest fractions with a middle-half in 58 seconds. Pridecrest launched his first-over attack just past the half. Banker Volo still had command as they turned in for home but the challenges were coming on all sides, with Pridecrest bearing down just outside the leader, Silverlode ducking to the inside, and Ideal Jesse joining the fray on the far outside. When the dust settled at the wire, Pridecrest ($3.60) had prevailed with another impressive effort and his second straight win in 1:54.3 and third straight overall. Leading trainer Kathleen Plested-Wiseman conditions the 6-year-old Angus hall prodigy who has now won five of his last six races for owner Christopher Schick. Giggle Monster was back in the spotlight on Saturday, turning in his biggest win of the season while capturing the $14,000 Minnesota-sired 3-year-old pace in a lifetime best mile of 1:53.4 with Dean Magee at the lines. Dream Chasin (Williams Hernandez) and Ridonkuloso (Steve Wiseman) had the early speed in the affair through a :57 opening half. Giggle Monster got rolling from fifth with a quick sweep to the leader down the backside and took control around the final turn with an impressive turn of foot. Here Comes Teddy (Brian Detgen) closed well for second but Giggle Monster was two lengths ahead at the wire for his third win in 13 starts on the year for owners Alan & Cheryl Sandbulte and trainer Justin Anfinson. Lemoyne “Mooney” Svendsen was the leader on the night with three wins, while Steve Wiseman and Dean Magee both picked up doubles on the card. The 20-cent Pick-5 jackpot carryover has grown to $31,010.39 for Sunday night (Sept. 2) and the 50-cent Hi-5 wager also offers a carryover of $3,420.87.