Racing Roundup: Trick Man scores in Meadows feature
Saturday's (June 18) edition of Racing Roundup features results stories from The Meadows, Saratoga Casino and Raceway, Tioga Downs, Vernon Downs, Buffalo Raceway, Scioto Downs and Cal Expo.
Trick Man scores in Meadows feature
Washington, PA --- Trick Man had to work hard for the lead but was unassailable once he got there, capturing Saturday’s $22,500 Preferred Pace at The Meadows in a career-best 1:50.4.
Sent off a 9-1 long shot, Trick Man was parked the opening panel by 9-10 favorite Here We Go Again, who settled into the pocket to await the stretch drive. But Trick Man responded to the urging of trainer/driver Ray Paver and downed Here We Go Again by a half-length, knocking a full second from his lifetime mark. Dark Lightning raced well first over for third.
Ron Brechler owns Trick Man, a 4-year-old son of Mantacular-Vicki’s Trick who has won 12 of 28 career starts and $236,453.
In Saturday’s companion feature, the $22,500 Filly & Mare Preferred Handicap Trot, Caviar Forthe Lady, the 3-2 favorite, moved smartly first over for Dan Charlino and triumphed in 1:55.2, 2-3/4 lengths better than Tom’s OK Lady, while early leader I’m Justa Lady saved show.
Marty Wollam trains Caviar Forthe Lady, a 5-year-old daughter of SJ’s Caviar-Croupier Lady who now boasts $465,906 in career earnings for Acadia Farms.
Dave Palone drove four winners and Eric Ledford three on the 13-race card.
-- Evan Pattak
Saratoga Casino and Raceway
Benns Superman, with Billy Dobson in the bike, won Saturday night’s featured $16,000 Open Pace at Saratoga Casino and Raceway. Owned by Paul Spadafore, Jr. and Gary Baldwin and trained by Rob Harmon, the 7-year-old posted a winning time of 1:51.4. Allamerican Daddy was second and favored Future Character finished third.
Tioga Downs
Saturday night at Tioga Downs kicked off the first leg of The Dandy pacing series for filles and mares. Mike Micallef wasted no time moving Freedom Crossing to the front and paced through fractions of :28, :56.4 and 1:24.2 before easing away from her eight rivals in a new lifetime best of 1:52.2 in the first division. Kevin Johnson trains the 4-year-old daughter of Artiscape–Bunker To Bunker for the Bay Pond Racing Stable. It was the second win in seven seasonal starts for Freedom Crossing, who with the win increased her seasonal earnings to more than $11,000. Glacier Girl (Corey Braden) paced home late to get second, while Odds On Design (Greg Merton) used a two hole trip to secure third. In the second division of The Dandy, V’La Faire was four wide down the stretch and reached in the final strides on the wire with Ed Hensley to win in a new lifetime best of 1:54.2. It was the second win of the year in five starts for the 4-year-old daughter of Village Jove–Trade Fair for Oakhurst Farms and trainer Richard Tomaszewski.
Vernon Downs
Track record holder He’s Gorgeous performed with speed and determination while winning Saturday night’s $10,000 featured ninth race at Vernon Downs in 1:50.3. Making his second local start since setting a 1:50 Vernon standard for 4-year-old pacing horses on May 7, He’s Gorgeous ($3.80) followed Mystical Valentine and Daley Deposit Only to the quarter (paced in :26.1), took the lead after the half (reached in :54.3), led by more than a length entering the stretch (three-quarter time was 1:22.3), and then out-battled Mystical Valentine to the finish of the week’s Open-1 contest. The head triumph was the second at the Downs in 2011, fourth this season and 21st overall for the speedy bay son of Art Major-So Ravishing, who has returned more than $714,000 to his owner, Ken Jacobs. Jack Rice did the teaming for the track’s top trainer, Tracy Brainard, who posted her 39th win at the 27-card meeting.
Buffalo Raceway
Gerald N Sam, a 7-year-old Nobleland Sam gelding out of the On The Road Again mare Waverly Road, won the $10,000 Open Handicap Pace in 1:55.2 for owners John and Benjamin Curran at Buffalo Raceway on Saturday night. It was Gerald N Sam’s third win of the year, and the winning time establishes a new season’s mark. Gerald N Sam ($13.20) leaving from post two, and driven by Jack Flanigen, settled in third as eventual third place finisher Bruener (Chris Page) cut the fractions in the race, :28.3, :58 and 1:27.1. A :28 last quarter-mile put the winner one length ahead of second place finisher Nifty Prescott (John Cummings, Jr.) at the finish line. Trained by Bobbi Martin, the $5,000 share of the purse put Gerald N Sam’s season's bankroll at $15,669 and $257,278 lifetime.
Scioto Downs
I Ota Win and Sammy Storm were both impressive winners on Saturday night at Scioto Downs. I Ota Win scored a major upset victory at odds of 15-1, edging Stubby’sleisureguy, also sent off at odds of 15-1. They both benefitted from a duel between favored Show Me Glory and All Got In that resulted in both of the leaders tiring in the final quarter. That set things up perfectly for I Ota Win to rally in the stretch for trainer-driver K