from Harness Publicists across North America

Wednesday’s (August 13) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from Harrington Raceway, Batavia Downs, Saratoga Gaming and Raceway, and the Washington and Dayton, Pa. Fairs.

Broke As Usual A dominates at Harrington

Harrington, DE — Paul McDougall and WJ McDougall Racing’s Broke As Usual A ($7.80, Ross Wolfenden) was a decisive winner in Wednesday’s $20,000 Junior Open Trot at Harrington Raceway.

Fotowon photo

Broke As Usual A crossed the wire in 1:56.4 in the Junior Open Trot.

Trained by Peter Tritton, the 8-year-old Malhana Gindin gelding set all the fractions in his 1:56.4 triumph by a half-length over Litigator and Adam Gram. He’s won his last three starts at Harrington.

Meanwhile, Bob Stevenson and Eric Davis’ 14-year-old trotter, Stormont Northstar ($7.60, Eddie Davis, Jr.) earned his 69th career win, and 33rd career victory at Harrington, with a 1:59.4 win. He’s won more races than any other horse in Harrington history. It was one of Davis Jr.’s three winners on the card.

— Matt Sparacino

Batavia feature to Shaniaraider

Batavia, NY — The featured event on the Wednesday card at Batavia Downs was an $8,500 open pace for fillies and mares. At the wire first was Shaniaraider with an excellent mile of 1:56.3, with Ken Holliday at the lines for one of his three 3 wins.

Shaniaraider went right to the lead off the start and set quarter times of :29.2, :59.2, and 1:27.2 and just held on by a head for the wire-to-wire victory with a five-horse blanket finish.

Holliday had to fend off Gelika Ann and Troy Boring just after the three-quarter pole, but they held on making Boring and Gelika Ann settle for the place. In the show were Party News and Ray Fisher, Jr.

Shaniaraider is a 6-year-old mare by Keystone Raider. Betty Tauber is the owner, while Sherri Holliday is the trainer. The winning mutuel price was $10.60.

Ken Holliday’s third win of the evening came in the 11th race with Lady Coyote, also giving trainer Sherri Holliday a double.

— Jeff Rizzo

Bigpepper comes up large in Saratoga trot

Saratoga Springs, NY — Bigpepper visited the Saratoga Gaming and Raceway winner’s circle for the second consecutive time on Wednesday after taking the featured $5,500 non-winners trot over a sloppy track in 2:01.2.

Dave Oxford photo

Bigpepper coasted home unchallenged to take the featured $5,500 trot at Saratoga Gaming and Raceway on Wednesday.

Starting from post seven with Brian Cross at the controls, Bigpepper bided his time in sixth place through an opening quarter in :28.4 before beginning a third-over march towards the front through a half-mile split in 1:00.1. As the trotters made their second trip down the backstretch, Bigpepper was no longer content to track cover, tipping three-wide to begin an aggressive charge towards the front as the field reached the three-quarter marker in 1:31.

Bigpepper claimed the top spot on the final turn, and at that point the race was essentially over, as the son of Imperial Style opened up a four length advantage at the top of the stretch, holding sway through the wire to prevail by that same margin.

Bigpepper returned $4.00, $3.10, and $3.00 for the win. C J D’s Wishbone (Jay Randall) brought in $11.80 and $9.90 for second, while Kevin’s Hit (Mark Beckwith) paid $3.80 for third.

Owned by Misfit Stables and trained by Doug Maura, Bigpepper is a seven-time winner from 32 lifetime starts, with a career bankroll in excess of $73,000.

— Michael Costanzo

Talk All Day sets track record at Washington Fair

Washington, PA — Freshmen and sophomore state-breds split into two Pennsylvania counties on Wednesday for stake action, a day which saw a new all-age track record set by filly pacer Talk All Day.

Ryan Zidek photo

Talk All Day set a track record, 1:57.3 score on Wednesday.

Talk All Day, a 3-year-old filly by Western Hanover-Double Talk, opened the day at the Washington County Fairgrounds (Arden Downs) with a 1:57.3 victory for trainer/driver David Wade. The mile was a new track standard for the half-mile oval, which has seen plenty of great horses over the years as the site where the Arden Downs Grand Circuit stakes first started before moving four miles up the road to The Meadows. Talk All Day set fractions of :28.1, :57.1 and 1:26.1 before reaching the wire in record time. The filly is owned by the Sweet And Sassy Stable.

In the second $5,052 sire stake split, Miss Marfa (The Panderosa-Marfa Newton) was a winner for driver JC Miller, Jr., in 2:04.3. The Rich Gillock trainee is owned by Wayne Shaffer, Jr. and Wayne Shaffer, III.

A pair of $5,100-plus PA Sire Stake sophomore filly trot races were up next, won by Sharkie’s Girl (Shark Kosmos-Keystone Codorus) and Ithoughtyouknew (S J’s Photo-Better Together). Sharkie’s Girl, owned by Clair Corle and trained by Roger Hammer, was a 2:08.1 winner for driver Kyle Bolon. Ithoughtyouknew, trained by Terry Altmeyer and driven by Mike Wilder, was a 2:06.2 victor for owners Dan Altmeyer, Heather Wilder, Richard Kelson and Jack Piatt.

Wilder picked up his second win of the day in the richest race of the morning, the $10,028 3-year-old colt pace, behind He’s Done It All (Arturo-Secret Song). Trained by Dan Altmeyer and owned by his wife, Ruth Altmeyer, He’s Done It All paced the mile in 1:59.3.

Wade earned a driving double in the first division of the sophomore colt trot, as Bettis won in 2:06. The Sierra Kosmos-SJ’s Shad Roe gelding is owned by Wade in partnership with William Peel and Gerald Brittingham. In the second divsion, Barrymore scored in 2:04.2 for trainer/driver Ernie Danks. The Broadway Hall-Hollins Queen gelding is owned by Joseph Palermo.

Shortly after the conclusion of the Washington card, 2-year-olds took to the track for ten stake events in Armstrong County at the Dayton Fairgrounds, with Timmy Offutt and Dave Brickell sharing top honors with three winning drives each.

BS Genny started the day with a win in a $5,264 division of the PASS freshman filly trot. Brickell guided the daughter of Malabar Millennium-Super Generation to a 2:07.4 lifetime mark. Dean and Sue Brickell own the winner, with Sue picking up the training win. In the second split, Annie’s Wonder (Wonder Dancer-Sanstone’s Annie) was a 2:08.1 winner, taking a pocket trip to the half before taking advantage of a break by frontrunning Kantrotalot. Bryce Truitt co-owns and drove the winner for his wife, Cindy.

Freshman filly pacers were next on the track, for a pair of $5,367 sire stakes. DVC Fivoclock won the first divsion for owner/trainer/driver Dave Brickell. The Quentin Hanover-Cajun Attitude filly paced the mile in 2:03.2. Ashley’s Pride paced in 2:02.4 to win the second division for trainer/driver Joe Offutt. Samuel Stoltzfus owns the daughter of The Panderosa-Matt’s Filly.

In the first division of the 2-year-old colt trot, TV Kisses was a winner for driver Timmy Offutt and trainer Joe Offutt. Joe co-owns the TV Show Kosmos-Leona Kosmos colt with his wife, Karen. The winning time was 2:11. HRs Major Windfall and Brickell won the second divsion in 2:08.3. The Donerail-Elana Hanover gelding is owned by Jack and Sharon Claypoole.

Lahaye, out of the Roger Hammer stable, won the first freshman colt pacing division in 2:02.4. Hammer drove and co-owns the Real Artist-Keystone Mia colt with Nevin Gilbert. Timmy Offutt reached the winner’s circle in the second division with DVC Firm Believer, a Quentin Hanover-DVC Iblievenangles colt that he trains and co-owns with Ryan Knott.

— Pennsylvania Harness Racing Commission