Harness Tracks Of America
The Smokin' With The Giss blog features daily handicapping tips, dining suggestions, sports info and probably a cigar comment or two with track handicapper Keith Gisser
Video News
14-year-old Skyvision Wins Twice to Retire a Champ
2008 Battle Of Lake Erie
2007 Battle Of Lake Erie
If I Can Dream Wins the 2009 Cleveland Clasic
Driver Charlino Featured on ustrotting.com
Merriman Continues Recover (Courtesy of ustrotting.com)
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The Boys Shine in Friday
Sires Action at Northfield
Traditionally, Northfield Park
Fridays feature fillies and mares. But July 30, the three-year-old colts and
geldings invaded for their Ohio Sires Stakes 2nd leg, with four
$15,000 trotting heats and two $20,900 pacing splits.
Wolf Creek
Ted ($5.80) won his fourth straight race in the first trotting heat as Dan Noble
left aggressively from post seven and inherited the lead when several top
contenders made breaks. The Jim Arledge, Jr.-trainee got a soft 1:02.2 first lap
and rolled home ion 57.3 to post the 2;00 win for owner Dustin Arledge of
Orient, Ohio. 80-1 Glitzy Sam was second and Rose Run Limo survived an inquiry
to finish third. The winner is an Emile Angus gelding who has now banked over
$47,000 in his career.
The second
trotting split went to the Richard Householder’s Victory Sam colt Samcango
($10.20). Ryan Stahl moved Samcango first over to challenge leader Ohio Frontier
at the half and the pair battle to the wire. Samcango stuck a nose in front at
the 1:28 three-quarter call, but Ohio Frontier regained the lead at the top of
the stretch. The outcome wasn’t decided until the final stride as Samcango edged
Ohio Frontier in a tight photo with Lookslikefire finishing third. The
lifetime-best 1:58.1 win was Samcango’s second in five seasonal starts.
In the third
$15,000 Ohio Sires Stake trot, trainer John Konesy III called on catch-driver
Robin Miller to steer Jesse Fect ($9.40) and the result was a 1:59 lifetime
mark, two-and-two-fifths of a second better than his previous best. Jesse Fect
got up in the final strides to beat Triple G, who was placed back for
interference at the three-quarters. Pegasus Point was placed second and Call The
Warden was placed third. Jesse Fect is Jailhouse Jesse gelding, owned by Maryann
and Patrick Konesky.
The final
trotting Stake featured heavyweights Sing Jesse Sing, winner of the $375,390
Goodtimes Final at Woodbine, and Cool Colby, who won $88,697 while dominating
the state’s freshmen ranks last year. The battle never materialized as Cool
Colby made a break at three-quarters and Sing Jesse Sing ($2.60) and Dan
Charlino cruised to a 1:57.2 victory to push his career earnings to $259,948.
Ron Burke trains the Jailhouse Jesse colt, who is owned by Burke Racing,
Slaughter Racing, Weaver Bruscemi and Frank Baldachino.
The Burkes
and Charlino were right back in the winner’s circle in the final Stake event of
the night, a $20,900 colt and gelding pace. This time it was Manip U Lator Bb
($3.80), making just his third career start, establishing a 1:53 lifetime mark
as he easily outdistanced a fast-closing Doc’s Yankee and the tiring 70-1
leader, Sand Summerfield. Burke Racing, Baldachino, M. Silverman and B.
Schneider hold title to this one, a son of Mantacular from the good broodmare U
Neek Bb
The first
pacing heat provided the best finish of the night, with five horses across the
track at the wire. When the dust cleared and the photo was developed, Roger
Morlock’s Cruisinfullthrottle ($34.00) was victorious. Tye Loy trains the Yankee
Cruiser gelding and Wyatt Irvine drove him to the 1:56 win, his fifth in ten
season starts. Sam’s Slot Machine, who cut the fractions and took pressure every
step of the way, was a game second and Yarrows Cruiser took home show money.
Charlino Continues Winning Ways With Tarver Hanover
With the Summit County Fair taking over Northfield Park Saturday night, the $6,000 Open Pace was moved to Monday and Tarver Hanover ($3.40) posted his second straight local win, despite being assigned the outside post eight. Dan Charlino put the winner forward early, but he was parked three-wide at the 27.4 quarter. The Sam Schilacci-never saw the pylons, but turned back numerous challenges during the 1:54 mile, eventually emerging with a 2 1/4 length win over Camcoder, with Wow Power finishing third. The Wiz Kids Stables of Dover Delaware owns Tarver Hanover, a nine-year-old Ball And Chain stallion who has earned $706,994 in his career.
Pretty Fair Summit County Racing
Northfield Park hosted the Summit County Fair- Buckeye Super Stakes Saturday night, with a total of 14 heats, ten stakes, a Billing heat and three overnights.
The evening started with a non-wagering affair between a pair of freshman pacing colts, Nukes Flash and Rella On Attack. Nukes Flash, a Memphis Flash gelding trained and co-owned by Harley Joliff with Willie Hale, got his first career win in 2:02.4 to take home $4,537, the winner’s share of the purse. Dave Repine was the winning driver.
There were two divisions of three-year-old trotting fillies and the first, worth $5,500, went to Donnamom, with Chip Noble pinch-hitting for owner David Ehrenberg II in the bike. Jim Pollack Jr. trains the winner, a bay Ilooklikemymom filly. She was 3/3 of a length ahead of Chiptoria Secret at the wire of the 1:59.2 mile, with Herbedaone third. The second sophomore filly heat, worth $5,900, saw Ryan Stahl steer the Ryan Angus-trainee Flori’s Future ($3.20) to a gate-to-wire 1:59.3 win over Laser Lucy, who was three lengths back. I Look Dynamic finished third. Larry Fischer, of Syosset, New York owns the winner, a Trainforthefuture filly who has four career wins and a mark of 1:59.
Two-year-old trotting colts contested an $11,600 event and the Full Count colt Count The Cost ($26.20) got up in the final strides to beat Northmedo Wine Guy in 2:03.4 in a photo that also included show horse Count On Ben, the 1-9 favorite. J.D. Wengerd drove the winner for owners G&B Racing and Pat Holden. Marty Wollam trains.
The $3,000 Billings heat saw Tom Williams and Double A ($6.60) emerge victorious over Garland’s Brat and Ehrenberg. Michelle Ruvola piloted Celebrity Yankee to third in the 2:02 mile.
Freshman fillies paced after an $8,600 purse and Cruise On Ashley ($12.00) was an impressive 1:56.4 winner for Winchester Baye Acres, trainer Ron Potter and driver Dan Noble. The Yankee Cruiser filly was 5¾-lengths better than Surf New York, with I Love My Yankee finishing third. The winner took pressure throughout the mile from 1-5 favorite Osborne’s Sweeper, who never saw the pylons, eventually tiring to finish fifth.
$11,500 was at stake in the two-year-old filly stake and Bob and Polly Sidley’s Sleek Jessie (4.20), a Jailhouse Jesse filly, won in 2:02.1. She opened up a two-length lead at the quarter and maintained it throughout the mile. Mike Medors trains the winner, while Chris Page drove. Count Your Credit and Tt’s Honey Bun finished the trifecta.
The Jim Arledge- Jr. three-horse entry of Three New Dawns, Standing Tough and Kid Cruiser looked formidable on paper, but the public let the grouping off at even money. When Standing Tough and Dan Noble beat Three New Dawns to the wire in 1:55.4, it yielded a $4.00 win price, but an impressive $3.80 place ticket. The winner led at every call to win for the fourth time this year. Left’em Standing finished third. Standing Tough is owned by James Russell and Dustin Arledge.
There were two divisions for three-year-old colt trotters that sandwiched a $10,800 sophomore filly pace. Up Front Cruiser ($7.40), a Yankee Cruiser filly defeated a strong field to score in 1:56.1 for Ed Mullinax, Arledge and Dan Noble. She never saw the pylons in an extraordinary effort to defeat Lovely Dawn and Hawk’s Cry Electra.
The first three-year-old colt trot, worth $8,000 went to Rich Paltani’s Victory Caller ($14.20) and Elliot Deaton in 1:59. The Victory Sam gelding was ¾ of a length better than favored Buckeye Man, with Jazz Spur third. Mark Deaton trains the winner, who posted a new lifetime mark. The second split carried a $7,600 purse and saw Wolf Creek ted ($8.00) return Dan Noble to the winners circle again, one of six wins on the card for Noble. He closed well to grind out a 1:58.2 win by half-a-length over Rose Run Limo, with Bookem third. This one is another Team Arledge horse, trained by Jim Jr. and owned by Dustin.
$100,000 Battle of Lake Erie to Hypnotic Blue Chip
1:49.4 Win Equals All-age Track Record
Francis Azur’s Hypnotic Blue Chip ($8.60) shown in a file photo won Saturday’s $100,000 Battle of Lake Erie with a track-record equaling 1:49.4 effort. He defeated Won The West by five lengths, with favored Foiled Again, who set the fractions, finishing third.
Foiled Again and Dave Palone battled Pilgrims Toner for the early lead and took the field to the quarter in 26 seconds. Pilgrims Toner backed off and Foiled Again hit the half in 54 second, but driver Jody Jamieson had Hypnotic Blue Chip underway. By the three-quarter pole, the pair were on even terms, and Hypnotic Blue Chip put the favorite away with a 27.4 final panel. Kevin McDermott trains Hypnotic Blue Chip, a four-year-old son of Art Major.
In addition to the track record, the mile equals the fastest ever on a half-mile commercial racetrack and equals the fastest at night on a twice-around mile.
Diane Dylong won $10,000 when her assigned horse, Unknown Solider, won the George Verban Memorial in 1:52.2. She as one of nine finalists who were selected in a number of ways. DeLong qualified with a winning Mystery Ticket she received in the mail.
Sand Windsor Wins Miller Lite Courageous Lady; Is Named Ohio Horse of the Month for May
CLICK HERE FOR MILLER LITE COURAGEOUS LADY INFO
For Northfield Park Handicapping conversation, try the Northfield Handicappers Board. You can also get Northfield tips from "Junior," here . Or, check out the Smokin' With The Giss Blog for daily handicappinmg picks from Publicity Director Keith Gisser.