Ocean Downs offers quartet of stakes
With the nearby tourist season winding to a close as the unofficial end of summer, Labor Day Monday, fast approaches, Ocean Downs, a half-mile harness racing over five miles west of Ocean City, is putting the finishing touches on its meet with a quartet of Maryland Sire Stakes finals.
On Wednesday evening Ocean Downs hosted a pair of $70,000 Maryland Sire Stakes finals for two-year-olds, but most of the attention was focused on a genuinely precocious freshman trotter who is rapidly following in the footsteps of his locally famous sire.
In the MDSS final for freshman colt trotters, Yall Beneath Me (Russell Foster) easily lived up to his billing as the prohibitive 1-9 favorite when he gained command from post two before reaching the opener in 29.1, strolled by the half in 59.2, opened a clear lead down the backside and by three-quarters in 1:29.2 then romped home eight lengths clear in 1:58.4 for his fourth win in as many starts.
A juvenile son of Googoo Gaagaa - a trotter whose sire was a pacer named Cam's Rocket - Yall Beneath Me remained perfect in four starts and tripled his earnings to nearly $54,000. Yall Beneath Me has won his four starts by a combined 105 lengths and looms a budding star on the local scene. Googoo Gaagaa would later upset Market Share in the Colonial Stakes at Chester Downs and now Yall Beneath Me appears poised to make his presence known in open stakes company for owner-trainer-breeder Richard Hans.
Then three races earlier in the $70,000 MDSS final for two-year-old filly pacers, Maizee Blue (Eddie Davis, Jr.) just lived up to her role as the 3-5 favorite when she brushed to command past the half then just outlasted the late bids of Fire Me Up and I'D Be Rich to score by a length in 1:59.1. After winning her two elims by a combined 21 lengths, Maizee Blue was all-out to prevail in the MDSS final and now owns three wins and $43,000 banked from four starts for trainer Les Givens.
Three nights earlier on the Sunday card, Cate's A Keeper (Eddie Davis, Jr.) rebuffed a first over bid from entry mate K J Andrea (John Wagner) down the backside, shook off a galloping Gooreatness (Russell Foster) then edged clear late from Winnie The Goo (Victor Kirby) to capture the $70,000 Maryland Sire Stakes final for two-year-old filly trotters named in honor of the late Hubert Jackson. A juvenile daughter of Lockkeeper trained by Shannon Trader for owner Pamela Wagner, Cate's A Keeper notched her second win from four starts and more than quadrupled her earnings past $43,000. Winnie The Goo, the lesser half of the Richard Hans owned and trained entry that included Gooreatness, rallied to finish second in a good effort.
Several races later in the $70,000 MDSS finalo for two-year-old colt pacers, named for the late, great Charles "King Kong" Keller of New York Yankees fame, Don't Shock Me (Kirby) benefited from a second over trip behind Jordans All In (Wagner) then overhauled that one in the lane for a neck score in 1:57.2.
A juvenile son of Nuclear Breeze trained by Bryan Truitt, Jr., Don't Shock Me prevailed as the solid 4-5 second choice - Jordans All In was the 4-5 favorite - for his first win in four tries after finishing second in each of his first three career outings. Jordans All In was dominant in his second elim, thumping Don't Shock Me by eight lengths, but he was nailed at the wire in the lucrative final last Sunday.
Trainer Bryan Truitt, Jr. would also garner another win later on the card when Highland Beach Boy (Kirby) scored as the 5-2 second choice in a non-winners of $7,501 last five starts class for older pacers in 1:53.2 for his second win in three starts at the meet. He also triggered a formidable, formful late daily double as Dance On The Beach (Frank Milby) prevailed as the 2-1 second choice in the nightcap by overcoming a first over bid to capture a non-winners of three races or $25,001 lifetime class for pacers in 1:56.4.
This coming Saturday night another half-mile oval will take center stage when Yonkers Raceway in New York hosts both the $500,000 Yonkers Trot for three-year-old colt trotters and the $500,000 Messenger Stakes for three-year-old colt pacers, both of which represent the middle jewel of their gait's respective Triple Crown.
In the Yonkers Trot, Forbidden Trade (Bob McClure), hero of the Hambletonian Stakes earlier this month, will clash with New York Sire Stakes star, Gimpanzee (Brian Sears), who has suffered only two defeats in 15 career outings, both on Hambo Day in his elim and the final. Then one race later on the card, Bettor's Wish (Dexter Dunn) will loom the odds-on choice from the rail for trainer Chris Ryder in the Messenger Stakes against American Mercury and an unlucky Aflame Hanover (Corey Callahan) who drew the dreaded eight hole.
Also on the Yonkers card this Saturday night are two events for older pacers perhaps looking to garner an invite to the upcoming $150,000 Bobby Quillen Memorial at Harrington Raceway on Monday, September 16. Yonkers will offer a $46,000 Open Handicap and a $37,000 Preferred, with those horses likely returning one week later for their final possible Quillen prep on September 7.
Many of the sport's best older pacers will clash in the $500,000 Canadian Pacing Derby this Saturday night at Mohawk Park, including division leader, Lather Up, reigning harness horse of the year, McWicked, and the talented This Is The Plan. Many of the horses in the Canadian Pacing Derby thrive on the bigger ovals, so it remains to be seen how many of them will accept at invite to the Bobby Quillen Memorial next month.
On Wednesday evening Ocean Downs hosted a pair of $70,000 Maryland Sire Stakes finals for two-year-olds, but most of the attention was focused on a genuinely precocious freshman trotter who is rapidly following in the footsteps of his locally famous sire.
In the MDSS final for freshman colt trotters, Yall Beneath Me (Russell Foster) easily lived up to his billing as the prohibitive 1-9 favorite when he gained command from post two before reaching the opener in 29.1, strolled by the half in 59.2, opened a clear lead down the backside and by three-quarters in 1:29.2 then romped home eight lengths clear in 1:58.4 for his fourth win in as many starts.
A juvenile son of Googoo Gaagaa - a trotter whose sire was a pacer named Cam's Rocket - Yall Beneath Me remained perfect in four starts and tripled his earnings to nearly $54,000. Yall Beneath Me has won his four starts by a combined 105 lengths and looms a budding star on the local scene. Googoo Gaagaa would later upset Market Share in the Colonial Stakes at Chester Downs and now Yall Beneath Me appears poised to make his presence known in open stakes company for owner-trainer-breeder Richard Hans.
Then three races earlier in the $70,000 MDSS final for two-year-old filly pacers, Maizee Blue (Eddie Davis, Jr.) just lived up to her role as the 3-5 favorite when she brushed to command past the half then just outlasted the late bids of Fire Me Up and I'D Be Rich to score by a length in 1:59.1. After winning her two elims by a combined 21 lengths, Maizee Blue was all-out to prevail in the MDSS final and now owns three wins and $43,000 banked from four starts for trainer Les Givens.
Three nights earlier on the Sunday card, Cate's A Keeper (Eddie Davis, Jr.) rebuffed a first over bid from entry mate K J Andrea (John Wagner) down the backside, shook off a galloping Gooreatness (Russell Foster) then edged clear late from Winnie The Goo (Victor Kirby) to capture the $70,000 Maryland Sire Stakes final for two-year-old filly trotters named in honor of the late Hubert Jackson. A juvenile daughter of Lockkeeper trained by Shannon Trader for owner Pamela Wagner, Cate's A Keeper notched her second win from four starts and more than quadrupled her earnings past $43,000. Winnie The Goo, the lesser half of the Richard Hans owned and trained entry that included Gooreatness, rallied to finish second in a good effort.
Several races later in the $70,000 MDSS finalo for two-year-old colt pacers, named for the late, great Charles "King Kong" Keller of New York Yankees fame, Don't Shock Me (Kirby) benefited from a second over trip behind Jordans All In (Wagner) then overhauled that one in the lane for a neck score in 1:57.2.
A juvenile son of Nuclear Breeze trained by Bryan Truitt, Jr., Don't Shock Me prevailed as the solid 4-5 second choice - Jordans All In was the 4-5 favorite - for his first win in four tries after finishing second in each of his first three career outings. Jordans All In was dominant in his second elim, thumping Don't Shock Me by eight lengths, but he was nailed at the wire in the lucrative final last Sunday.
Trainer Bryan Truitt, Jr. would also garner another win later on the card when Highland Beach Boy (Kirby) scored as the 5-2 second choice in a non-winners of $7,501 last five starts class for older pacers in 1:53.2 for his second win in three starts at the meet. He also triggered a formidable, formful late daily double as Dance On The Beach (Frank Milby) prevailed as the 2-1 second choice in the nightcap by overcoming a first over bid to capture a non-winners of three races or $25,001 lifetime class for pacers in 1:56.4.
This coming Saturday night another half-mile oval will take center stage when Yonkers Raceway in New York hosts both the $500,000 Yonkers Trot for three-year-old colt trotters and the $500,000 Messenger Stakes for three-year-old colt pacers, both of which represent the middle jewel of their gait's respective Triple Crown.
In the Yonkers Trot, Forbidden Trade (Bob McClure), hero of the Hambletonian Stakes earlier this month, will clash with New York Sire Stakes star, Gimpanzee (Brian Sears), who has suffered only two defeats in 15 career outings, both on Hambo Day in his elim and the final. Then one race later on the card, Bettor's Wish (Dexter Dunn) will loom the odds-on choice from the rail for trainer Chris Ryder in the Messenger Stakes against American Mercury and an unlucky Aflame Hanover (Corey Callahan) who drew the dreaded eight hole.
Also on the Yonkers card this Saturday night are two events for older pacers perhaps looking to garner an invite to the upcoming $150,000 Bobby Quillen Memorial at Harrington Raceway on Monday, September 16. Yonkers will offer a $46,000 Open Handicap and a $37,000 Preferred, with those horses likely returning one week later for their final possible Quillen prep on September 7.
Many of the sport's best older pacers will clash in the $500,000 Canadian Pacing Derby this Saturday night at Mohawk Park, including division leader, Lather Up, reigning harness horse of the year, McWicked, and the talented This Is The Plan. Many of the horses in the Canadian Pacing Derby thrive on the bigger ovals, so it remains to be seen how many of them will accept at invite to the Bobby Quillen Memorial next month.
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