Racing Roundup: Allmar Surprise matches her Harrington mark
Wednesday’s Racing Roundup features stories from Harrington Raceway and Ocean Downs.
Allmar Surprise equals her track mark at Harrington
Harrington, DE --- Christopher Giacco’s Allmar Surprise ($5.60, Victor Kirby) equaled her own Harrington Raceway track record for older mares on Wednesday with a 1:55.3 triumph in a $7,100 conditioned event.
Trained by Kirby, the 6-year-old Angus Hall mare was ready to roll despite a two month respite. She was sent to the front and dictated all the fractions before posting a four length win over Master In Charge and Honolulu Hunk. It was her 27th career win.
Kirby later teamed with another trotting mare, Steve Andersen’s Sea Raven ($2.80), for a win in 1:57.4.
Ross Wolfenden had a driving triple, and in addition to Kirby, Brad Hanners, Allan Davis and Jim Morand each had driving doubles.
Ocean Downs
Ocean Downs had ten races on tonight’s card. Byran Truitt, Jr. drove Fire The Dragon to a 1:56.3 win in the $4,625 co-feature, setting a new lifetime speed record. The winner is trained by Colby Hubble and owned by Colby Hubble and Greg Haverstick, Maryland. The Maryland Sire Stakes Finals Showcase of Champions will offer eight $25,000 races on tomorrow’s card, and will kick off at 5:45 p.m., eastern.
Running Aces Harness Park
Driver Kerry Banks, 37, who is also an insurance fraud investigator for the State of Minnesota, got his initial commercial track victory on Wednesday night at Running Aces, winning a $4,800 conditioned pace for mares with Ronny B Good. Although the likeable Banks, who helps out part-time in his father Ron’s Banks Standardbreds Stable, has 21 triumphs at county fairs in the past four years, the 1:57.3 score was the yonger Banks’ first visit to the winner’s circle at a pari-mutuel meet. Ronny B Good, claimed in Chicago earlier in the year, bested Princess Zoie (John De Long) and Fox Valley Topless (Dean Magee) and paid $15.40 to win. Live racing will resume on Saturday and Sunday night at 7:00 p.m., central. The meet will end on Labor Day, Sep. 5, with a full card of nine $20,000 Minnesota Championship races for state-bred 2-year-olds, 3-year-olds and older horses.
Saratoga
Lucky Cadet starred in the New York Sire Stakes Late-Closers that highlighted the Wednesday night program at Saratoga Casino and Raceway. The Erv Miller trainee has been competing against top sire stakes horses throughout the summer, so the move into the $12,200 late-closer served as a bit of a class drop. Lucky Cadet (Art Major) and Lewayne Miller sat patiently through a first half of :57.1, but pounced in the final lap to draw clear late in a blistering fast 1:53.2. In the fastest mile among the late-closers, by almost two seconds, Lucky Cadet moved his season’s earnings to more than $90,000. Western Victory (Jim Hardy) raced second, while Southwind Inferno (Brian Cross) came up third-best. The favorites won the other two divisions of the late-closers on Wednesday: Bettor’s Reward (Bettor’s Delight) made good at 3-5 to prevail for trainer Peter Arrigenna and reinsman Dan Cappello, Jr; the favorite stopped the timer in a lifetime-best 1:55.1 in what was his second consecutive victory in late-closer competition. Colossal (Art Major) was a fortunate winner in the final division. The 3-5 favorite was not gaining ground on the leader, Automattic Teller (Vinny Ginsburg), turning for home when the frontrunner made a costly break, taking him out of contention. Colossal (Stephane Bouchard) held-off a late bid from Recent News (Chris Long) to register the 1:55.4 score, his second in two tries at Saratoga this season. Live racing will continue on Thursday at 7:20 p.m., eastern.
Batavia Downs
The third start of the year was the charm for Tuesdays With Mom, as the popular 4-year-old trotting mare notched her first win of the season, in wire-to-wire fashion, to take the $7,000 Fillies and Mares Open trot on Wednesday night. Tuesdays With Mom (Credit Winner--Princess Deanna) left the gate quickly and was on top before the field of seven trotted one-eighth mile. Once on the lead she put up fractions of :28.3, :59.1 and 1:28.1, en route to a 1-1/2 length score, in 1:58.2. Jack Flanigen was in the bike for owner-trainer Pete Arrigenna. Isthatallyagot (Chris Page) found the two-hole past the half and finished second, while Mystic Soulmate (Dan Yetman) was five lengths back in third. Tuesdays With Mom, a top New York Sire Stakes performer as a 2-year-old and 3-year-old, raised her lifetime bankroll to $437,805. She’s only made 22 lifetime starts. The New York Sire Stakes will return on Friday after a brief hiatus when the 3-year-old pacing fillies head to Western New York to compete in three Sire Stakes and three New York-Bred Late-Closers. Post time will be at 6:40 p.m., eastern. Racing fans wishing to view the action live can do so at www.bataviadownscasino.com, via streaming video.