from Harness Publicists across North America

Thursday’s (February 5) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from The Meadows, Maywood Park, and Cal-Expo.

Spring Break sizzles on frigid Meadows day

Meadow Lands, PA — In a performance that once again belied her warm-sounding name, Spring Break effortlessly sliced through the 10-degree air on Thursday at The Meadows to score a facile front-end victory in the $25,000 Filly & Mare Preferred Handicap Pace.

Mile Wilder hustled Spring Break to the lead in :27.3, a demanding quarter under the circumstances. Yet the 5-year-old daughter of Dream Away-Siobhan clicked off the third panel in exactly the same time, discouraging any challenges. She scored in 1:53.1, 1-3/4 lengths better than the rallying Au Dragon. Niabunny was a ground-saving third.

Dan Altmeyer trains Spring Break for Joann and Joe Thomson. Spring Break has won three races, all in sub-freezing temperatures on the young season, and she pushed her career bankroll to $355,071.

Tony Hall drove six winners on the 13-race card while Dick Stillings enjoyed a driving triple.

— Evan Pattak

Filly Series winners come off the pace at Maywood

Melrose Park, IL — Phaelean Lucky, Smiling Angel and Dynamic Dream were second round come-from-behind winners of the Newcomers Series for fillies and mares on Thursday night at Maywood Park and were assured starting berths in next week’s final.

Phaelan Lucky raced fourth much of the way for Marcus Miller, who was guiding the 4-year-old mare for the first time for owner Pamela Coleman.

Phaelan Lucky was a neck better than Sports Twister in the first division of the Newcomer Series for fillies and mares.

Mary Gator took the fourth race $5,000 first division through first half fractions of :29.4 and 1:00.3 before she was overpowered by a strong move from the 49-1 longshot Not So Slim (Tyler Buter) right after the 1:31.2 third-quarter pole.

However, Miller maneuvered Phaelan Lucky into striking position for the stretch drive and the daughter of Mach Three came on with a rush in the lane to post a neck victory over Sports Twister (Sam Widger) in 2:01.1. Not So Slim took the show spot.

Phaelan Lucky, the 5-2 morning line favorite, ended up as the 9-2 third choice for the Erv Miller Stable and paid $11.00.

“She raced really well and she did get a nice trip,” said winning driver Marcus Miller. “She’ll be even better for next week’s (February 11) final at Balmoral because of the trip tonight since she got up late and passed up horses.”

Sent off as the heavy 1-2 favorite with the pole position, Smiling Angel ($3.00) was given a perfect second-over trip by driver Brandon Simpson and the 4-year-old mare responded with a big burst in the lane and pulled away for a five length triumph in 1:59.4. Polly-Gram (Tyler Buter) was second-best, finishing more than one length ahead of the third place finisher, Invitation To Play (Sam Widger), in the second series split.

“I didn’t want to see her get beat up coming out hard of there,” said Simpson. “Smiling Angel doesn’t have a lot of experience. I knew there were a lot of ‘leavers’ so the race worked out well for us.”

It was the second straight series victory for Smiling Angel, a daughter of Grinfromeartoear owned by Richard Weaver.

Maywood Park photos

Dynamic Dream was all by herself at the end of a 1:59.1 mile in the third Newcomer Series division.

The most impressive series win of the night belonged to Lyle Scurlock’s Dynamic Dream, also driven by Simpson. Despite being saddled with the seven slot, the Dream Away offspring was hammered down to even-money after winning an opening series leg with Brandon at Balmoral Park from the outside 10 slot in 1:55.4 on very cold night with the temperature close to zero.

Simpson left with Dynamic Dream ($4.00), who dropped into the four hole in the sixth race third division. The rail horse Fox Valley Mecca (Tyler Buter) worked hard in the early going to get command and put Cammi Place (Pat Curtin) in the pocket. Simpson came out with his horse soon after a :28.2 first panel and raced first up alongside the pacesetter who went to a :59.1 half.

Dynamic Dream got almost a length lead, still on the outside, at the 1:29.1 three-quarter marker and once she came out of the last turn, went into another gear and pulled away for a seven length victory in 1:59.1 with more in the tank.

“This was a big mile for her,” said Simpson. “I was afraid to clear (the leader) too early because I didn’t know if she would realize that she had to go on but she did and she did it easy.”

— Mike Paradise

Don’t Tempt Me is too tough at Cal-Expo

Sacramento, CA — Filly & Mare Open 1 pacers, racing over a track listed as ‘good’ for a $6,500 purse, were featured at Cal-Expo on an overcast Thursday night in which Don’t Tempt Me won her third race in the last four starts.

Not leaving right away from post five in the field of six, driver James Kennedy explained why.

“I was watching Sintillating (Tim Maier) as I wasn’t sure if she was going to fire out of there,” stated Kennedy. “When she didn’t, I decided to go ahead and leave.”

Leaving, but racing three-wide for well over 3-16ths of a mile, Don’t Tempt Me wouldn’t clear to the lead until past the quarter-mile pole, timed in :29. Pacing a wind-aided :29.3 second quarter, Don’t Tempt Me would reach the half-mile station in :58.3.

“The easier second quarter helped me out a lot because even though I didn’t think the lead was tough on her, she was still three-wide through most of the first turn.”

Giving his charge one urge with 7-16ths of a mile to go, Kennedy had good reason.

“When I saw Sintillating coming up first-over, I asked my horse to go because I wanted to get away a little from the others because I wasn’t quite sure how my horse was in the mud.”

Chasing after his mare a little to the midway point of the final turn and again to the three-quarter marker in 1:28.1, Kennedy, with a 1-3/4 length lead, felt he had accomplished what he had intended to do.

“I figured I had it won because I had opened up the lengths in the final turn that I had wanted, plus I knew how good she’d be in the stretch.”

With the field now racing through the stretch and Don’t Tempt Me looking home free while under urging, there would still be some uncertainty in deep-stretch.

“I felt good until very late — then I got a little worried because Sintillating and Reno Rose (Jim Lackey) were gaining on me pretty quickly. But the wire came up and she held on tough.”

Owned by Keith Ballard, Lester Hunsucker and James Yates, the Tom Wine ll trained 5-year-old would nicely last to win ($5.40) by three-quarters of a length in 1:56.4. Sintillating won a tight nose photo for place, and Reno Rose had to settle for third.

“It was a great win,” finished Kennedy.

— Scott Ehrlich