from harness publicists across North America
Friday’s (April 29) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Yonkers Raceway, Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, Saratoga Casino and Raceway, Vernon Downs, Buffalo Raceway and Cal Expo. Track record for Looking Hanover in Yonkers feature Yonkers, NY — Invading Looking Hanover (Yannick Gingras) bottomed out his Friday night rivals, winning Yonkers Raceway’s $43,000 Open Handicap Trot in track record time. Leaving from assigned post position No. 3, Looking Hanover did not look back. He was on a lonely lead throughout (:28.2 :57.3, 1:25.1, 1:54.2) before getting leg-weary late. No matter, as he held sway in 2:02.1 for the 1-1/16th mile distance. Looking Hanover defeated Neighsay Hanover (Jeff Gregory) — that one zigzagging his way from an eight hole — by 1-1/2 lengths. Shoeless White Sox (Jim Pantaleano), tepid 2-1 choice Stand Guard (Daniel Dube) and Mystical Starlight (Eric Goodell) rounded out the payees. Looking Hanover, a 6-year-old Muscles Yankee gelding co-owned by his driver and Dawn Gannon and trained by Edwin Gannon, Jr., returned $6.80 (second choice) for his first win in five seasonal starts. The exacta paid $29.20, the triple returned $190.50 and the superfecta paid $1,020. Yonkers Raceway offers a million-dollar purse night Saturday, highlighted by the $495,000 final of the George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing Series (ninth race) and the $301,000 final of the Blue Chip Matchmaker (sixth race). These are the two richest North American harness races of the season to date. — Frank Drucker Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs Saratoga Casino and Raceway Vernon Downs Buffalo Raceway Cal Expo
Anders Bluestone added Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs to the list of Eastern tracks he has conquered in recent weeks, winning the featured $60,000 Open Trot on Friday night in dominant fashion. Leaving from the five post as the 9-5 favorite, Anders Bluestone, who has captured Opens at Dover and Chester already this spring, settled in sixth around the first turn before launching first-over near the three-eighths-mile marker. Even though pacesetter Flex The Muscle was allowed a soft second fraction, Anders Bluestone was able to motor by on the backstretch and clear the lead at the three-quarter pole. With Ron Pierce in the bike for trainer William Taylor, the 5-year-old stallion put on a show in the stretch, trotting away to win by 5-1/4 lengths in 1:54.3. Likeabatoutahell finished second while Don’t Know Chip picked up the show dough. Anders Bluestone, sired by Yankee Glide and owned by William Kenneth Wood and William Dittmar, Jr., won for the fifth time in 12 starts this season. The victory was the 16th of his career, and his lifetime earnings now stand at $299,575.
Driver Billy Dobson continued his dominant 2011 season at Saratoga Casino and Raceway on Friday night as the talented reinsman added four wins to his already hefty total. The 26-year-old defending driving champ won the Friday feature once again with trotting star Prime Interest. The veteran trotter has followed up a Horse of the Year 2010 campaign with an impressive start to this year. In Friday’s $16,000 Open Trot, the 9-year-old Jackie Rousse trainee wasted no time and went all the way on the lead, going the distance for a 1:57.4 score. For Prime Interest (Self Possessed) it was the sixth win in seven starts this season. Cassis (Ray Schnittker) was the runner-up once again on Friday night while Rock DJ (Scott Mongeon) earned the show spot. Dobson, who also piloted Wisdom Way and repeat winners Love Rocks and Special Eddie to Friday night victories, has opened up a commanding lead in the driver standings as he looks to repeat as Saratoga champion.
Semjac Legacy and Duke Of Wellington each finished first in the co-featured pace and trot, respectively, on Friday night at Vernon Downs. Semjac Legacy ($4.80) increased his winning streak to three following a 1:53.1 triumph in Friday’s $10,000 Open for female pacers, while Duke Of Wellington ($33.60) captured the $10,000 Open-1 trotting test in 1:56.3. Semjac Legacy’s front-ending tally over seven distaff rivals was her second in succession in this class at Vernon. The one length score marked the fourth season’s success and the 29th lifetime for the streaking 5-year-old mare, a career-winner of $197,293. Jack Rice drove for trainer Tracy Brainard and her ownership partner, Andrew Herzog. Duke Of Wellington, making only his second local start, drafted behind the pacesetting Boy Meets Grill until the final furlong, and then rallied in the pylon path to edge the on-rushing Unshakeable by a half length. Boy Meets Grill ended up third. Friday’s victory was the third this season, 15th all-time, and it resulted in a fresh win clocking for the 6-year-old gelding, who increased his lifetime bankroll to more than $81,400. Jimmy Whittemore did the catch-driving for trainer Rose Russo and owner Howard Ouriel.
A pair of $10,000 Opens were contested at Buffalo Raceway on Friday night. In the Open Trot, Perfect Man, a 6-year-old Malabar Man gelding out of the Nearly Perfect mare Perfectly Swift, won in a season’s mark of 2:00 for owner Michael A Ouriel. It was the second win this season for Perfect Man ($14.40). Leaving from the pylons in the field of eight and driven by Ray Fisher, Jr., the winner cut all the fractions in the race, :29.3, 1:00.2, and 1:30.3. A :29.2 last quarter-mile put the winner 1-3/4 lengths ahead of second place finisher Credit Press (Troy Boring) at the finish line. Australian Stock (Ron Beback, Jr.) came in the show spot. Trained by Rose Russo, the $5,000 share of the purse put Perfect Man’s season’s bankroll at $21,025 and $144,982 lifetime. In the $10,000 Filly and Mares Open Pace, Wild West Angel jumped up in class and made it five wins in a row with a come from behind victory in a season’s best 1:56 for owners Black Magic Stables, LLC. Wild West Angel ($24.80), dismissed by the bettors at 11-1 and driven by Jamie Dunlap, made a strong backside brush to pass second place finisher Artistry In Rhythm (Chris Page) in the stretch. Pacesetter Newberry Winner (Jack Flanigen) came in third. It was the seventh win this season for the Western Terror mare. Trained by John Mungillo, the $5,000 share of the purse put Wild West Angel’s season’s bankroll at $26,384 and $98,787 lifetime.
A field of eight trotters were featured at Cal Expo on Friday night, in which Berkshire was fastest of all. Coming away in seventh position while the favorite Franks Best started last after an extremely costly break just seconds to the start, driver Steve Wiseman was pleased at the quarter-pole when the timer flashed :28.4. They moved into second-over position at the 7-16ths pole and were still seventh at the half-mile juncture in 1:01. Now third-over with 7-16ths of a mile to trot and gradually moving forward on the final turn cover train, Berkshire was racing in sixth position at the three-quarter marker, timed in 1:31.3. Tipping four-wide at the head of the lane and brushing with 3-16ths of a mile to go, the 5-year-old knew what to do. Flying with an eighth of a mile to go and taking the lead inside the final sixteenth of a mile, the gelding only needed hand encouragement to get the job done. Owned by Ron Lingle and trained by Frank Petrelli, Berkshire won ($12.80) by three-quarters of a length in 2:00, a seasonal best. Aston Boko was a good second and Franks Best came back with a lot of trot to finish only 1-1/2 lengths back for it all after a miscue that almost certainly had to cost him a win.