from Harness Publicists across North America

Tuesday’s (September 15) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs and Colonial Downs.

Up Front Hotsey wins feature at Pocono

Wilkes Barre, PA — Up Front Hotsey cashed in as the 3-2 favorite to win the featured $30,000 Open Handicap Trot on Tuesday night at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs.

Leaving from post position four in a field of seven, Up Front Hotsey, a 6-year-old mare trained by Noel Daley, settled into the pocket early on behind pacesetter Grain Of Truth. That pair stayed in those positions until the stretch, when driver Andrew McCarthy gunned Up Front Hotsey to the outside and went on by the leader to win by 1-1/2 lengths in 1:54.2. Grain Of Truth settled for second while Vivid Photo picked up the show.

Up Front Hotsey, sired by SJ’s Caviar and owned by C. Ed Mullinax and Frank Dettore, won for the fifth time in 18 tries in 2009 and for the 17th time in her career. With the winner’s share of the purse, her lifetime earnings now top $430,000.

— James Beviglia

Colonial hosts pair of three-quarter-mile dashes

New Kent, VA — Colonial Downs hosted a full night of harness racing Tuesday evening, with a twist: two of the night’s ten races were three-quarters of a mile, rather than the usual one mile distance.

In the first shortened race, J J Thomas N led from the start, the quarter pole, and cut the first two early fractions in :27 and :56. The 7-year-old gelding led by 1-1/2 lengths at the top of the stretch, where eventual winner Gaje and Jimmy King made their presence felt.

Colonial Downs photo

Hi Im Johnny Kash was a 1:23.3 winner in his three-quarter-mile dash.

Driver Wayne Long directed Megan Fortna’s Gaje past all front steppers to win the dash by 1-3/4 lengths in 1:24. The upset winner returned $18.80. Jimmy King was second and the early leader, J J Thomas N, hung on for third.

In the second three-quarter-mile race, track regular Hi Im Johnny Kash grabbed a pocket trip behind frontstepper Strong Belief and patiently waited until mid-stretch to descend on the leader.

Reinsman Chris Page, making his first seasonal appearance at Colonial Downs, directed Hi Im Johnny Kash to an impressive 4-3/4 length triumph in 1:23.3. The 7-year-old gelding has a pair of seconds and a win in the first five days of the young meet.

— Darrell Wood