Rosecroft offers solid Sunday card on closing night
While two days of steady rains may have left the racing surface "good" for Sunday's closing night card at Rosecroft Raceway on Sunday, the departure of inclement weather before post time allowed onlookers to avoid having the enthusiasm surrounding the occasion dampened in any way.
In the opening race on the card, Dancing On A Star (Jackie MacLeod) rallied from well off the pace and widest of all down the backside, swept to command on the far turn and outlasted the late bid of even-money choice Taste Of Honey (Jonathan Roberts) for a neck victory in 1:55. A three-year-old American Ideal gelding trained and driven by MacLeod for owner Wayne Lynch of Go Get Lost fame, Dancing On A Star notched his second straight score and recorded his fifth win in 22 starts this year and pushed his seasonal earnings past $28,000.
One race later in a non-winners of $1,000 last five starts class for older pacers, Thetruthaboutdavid (Roger Plante, Jr.) benefited from a pocket trip behind 7-5 choice Major Blue Coat (Jason Green) through the first three calls, angled out at the top of the lane and forged a 28-1 upset in 1:56. A seven-year-old Total Truth gelding owned and trained by Paul Gsell, Thetruthaboutdavid recorded his first win in 24 starts this year and did so while hitting the board for the first time on the campaign.
In that same event, Talbot Redneck (Roberts) rallied from last early to finish fourth as the 5-2 second choice in the final start of his career. A 14-year-old Misfit gelding trained by Ken Schlotzhauer and co-owned by Schlotzhauer and breeder David Donahue, Talbot Redneck concluded his career with 56 wins and earnings just shy of $330,000 from 382 lifetime starts. He took a mark of 1:52 at Colonial Downs in Virginia seven years earlier at age seven and was honored several races later on the card during a brief retirement ceremony.
"When I went looking for a trainer, I found Kenny and he's been with him ever since," Donahue said. "He takes better care of the horses than he does himself. Talbot had a long career. He was in the Open a number of times here and he raced at a lot of tracks. It will be different not seeing him in the program any more."
Then two races later in a non-winners of $2,500 last five starts class for pacers dubbed the Brenda Fox Memorial, Moveoutofmyway (Jason Thompson) rallied widest of all from well off the pace to edge James Riverside (John Gazzerro) by a head in 1:57.3. A nine-year-old Dontgetinmyway gelding trained by Jeffrey Stafford, Moveoutofmyway recorded his second win of the fall meet and now owns a 7-5-9 slate and $24,500 banked from 42 starts this year.
Then several races later in a non-winners of $3,000 last five starts class for trotters, Sum For All (Plante) benefited from a pocket trip behind Candy Stash through the first three calls, angled to the passing lane edged cler late to a two-length score as the 2-1 second choice in 1:58.4. A four-year-old Swan For All gelding owned and trained by Kerry Welty, Sum For All notched his fourth win in 25 starts this year and lowered his lifetime mark in the process.
One race later in a non-winners of $4,000 last five starts class for pacers named for the retiring Diane Stevenson, Winbak Carl (Allan Davis) lived up to his role as the solid 9-5 favorite when he rallied second over and widest of all in the lane to score in 1:53.1. A nine-year-old Royal Mettjesty gelding owned and trained by Eric Davis, Winbak Carl notched his seventh win from 39 starts this year and recorded his 33rd career tally from 191 lifetime tries.
Then two races later in the Winners Over class for trotters, Overnight Shipper (Robert Hoffman) rallied second over and widest of all in the lane to score by a length in 1:57.3. A five-year-old CR Commando gelding owned and trained by Hoffman, Overnight Shipper recorded his ninth win in 39 starts this year and pushed his seasonal earnings past $37,000 while posting his 15th win from 102 career outings.
One race later in a non-winners of $4,000 last five starts for pacers, Real Flight (Thompson) rallied second over behind 2-5 choice Rocktavius (Roberts) down the backside, fanned three-wide for the drive and swept past the leaders to a two-length score in 1:54.3. A 10-year-old Real Desire gelding trained by Jody Dunning, Real Flight recorded his fourth win from 23 starts this year and posted his 45th victory from 225 lifetime tries while prevailing as an 18-1 outsider.
Then one race later in the penultimate race on the card and at the meet, BP Burner (Moyer) rallied three-wide down the backside to forge a 17-1 upset in 1:53.4 in another non-winners of $2,500 last five starts class for pacers. Trained by Betsy Brown for the late Terry Kibler, BP Burner recorded his fifth win from 25 starts this year and notched his 21st score from 98 career outings.
Trainer Arlene Cameron secured the conditioners title several weeks ago, the dash-winning title among drivers nearly came down to the last race. But Frank Milby held on to the title with 45 victories, outlasting the late surge from Russell Foster. Rosecroft will resume live racing on Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2019 and race two nights each week [Sunday and Wednesday] through Preakness Day in mid-May.
Although neither horse was on hand for the final card of the fall meet, Rock N Roll Jet and Fashion Smile were honored as the meet's top pacer and top trotter, respectively. Rock N Roll Jet dominated the Open I ranks for owner-trainer William "Buddy" Bright and catch driver Kim Vincent and he also finished fifth in the $100,000 Potomac Pace won by Western Fame (Corey Callahan) in 1:49.2. Fashion Smile made only three starts at the meet for trainer William "Bib" Roberts but won all three of them.
That same evening at Pompano Park in Florida, Drunken Desire A (Greg Merton) benefited from a pocket trip behind Sgt Pappa Daddy (Wally Hennessey) through the first three calls, angled to the passing lane at the head of the stretch, surged through inside and forged a 21-1 shocker in 1:52.2. A 10-year-old Real Desire gelding owned and trained by Megan Scran, Drunken Desire had finished second in two conditioned events over the strip but made the leap to the Open II level and notched his fifth win from 28 starts this year and his 35th win from 214 career outings.
In the opening race on the card, Dancing On A Star (Jackie MacLeod) rallied from well off the pace and widest of all down the backside, swept to command on the far turn and outlasted the late bid of even-money choice Taste Of Honey (Jonathan Roberts) for a neck victory in 1:55. A three-year-old American Ideal gelding trained and driven by MacLeod for owner Wayne Lynch of Go Get Lost fame, Dancing On A Star notched his second straight score and recorded his fifth win in 22 starts this year and pushed his seasonal earnings past $28,000.
One race later in a non-winners of $1,000 last five starts class for older pacers, Thetruthaboutdavid (Roger Plante, Jr.) benefited from a pocket trip behind 7-5 choice Major Blue Coat (Jason Green) through the first three calls, angled out at the top of the lane and forged a 28-1 upset in 1:56. A seven-year-old Total Truth gelding owned and trained by Paul Gsell, Thetruthaboutdavid recorded his first win in 24 starts this year and did so while hitting the board for the first time on the campaign.
In that same event, Talbot Redneck (Roberts) rallied from last early to finish fourth as the 5-2 second choice in the final start of his career. A 14-year-old Misfit gelding trained by Ken Schlotzhauer and co-owned by Schlotzhauer and breeder David Donahue, Talbot Redneck concluded his career with 56 wins and earnings just shy of $330,000 from 382 lifetime starts. He took a mark of 1:52 at Colonial Downs in Virginia seven years earlier at age seven and was honored several races later on the card during a brief retirement ceremony.
"When I went looking for a trainer, I found Kenny and he's been with him ever since," Donahue said. "He takes better care of the horses than he does himself. Talbot had a long career. He was in the Open a number of times here and he raced at a lot of tracks. It will be different not seeing him in the program any more."
Then two races later in a non-winners of $2,500 last five starts class for pacers dubbed the Brenda Fox Memorial, Moveoutofmyway (Jason Thompson) rallied widest of all from well off the pace to edge James Riverside (John Gazzerro) by a head in 1:57.3. A nine-year-old Dontgetinmyway gelding trained by Jeffrey Stafford, Moveoutofmyway recorded his second win of the fall meet and now owns a 7-5-9 slate and $24,500 banked from 42 starts this year.
Then several races later in a non-winners of $3,000 last five starts class for trotters, Sum For All (Plante) benefited from a pocket trip behind Candy Stash through the first three calls, angled to the passing lane edged cler late to a two-length score as the 2-1 second choice in 1:58.4. A four-year-old Swan For All gelding owned and trained by Kerry Welty, Sum For All notched his fourth win in 25 starts this year and lowered his lifetime mark in the process.
One race later in a non-winners of $4,000 last five starts class for pacers named for the retiring Diane Stevenson, Winbak Carl (Allan Davis) lived up to his role as the solid 9-5 favorite when he rallied second over and widest of all in the lane to score in 1:53.1. A nine-year-old Royal Mettjesty gelding owned and trained by Eric Davis, Winbak Carl notched his seventh win from 39 starts this year and recorded his 33rd career tally from 191 lifetime tries.
Then two races later in the Winners Over class for trotters, Overnight Shipper (Robert Hoffman) rallied second over and widest of all in the lane to score by a length in 1:57.3. A five-year-old CR Commando gelding owned and trained by Hoffman, Overnight Shipper recorded his ninth win in 39 starts this year and pushed his seasonal earnings past $37,000 while posting his 15th win from 102 career outings.
One race later in a non-winners of $4,000 last five starts for pacers, Real Flight (Thompson) rallied second over behind 2-5 choice Rocktavius (Roberts) down the backside, fanned three-wide for the drive and swept past the leaders to a two-length score in 1:54.3. A 10-year-old Real Desire gelding trained by Jody Dunning, Real Flight recorded his fourth win from 23 starts this year and posted his 45th victory from 225 lifetime tries while prevailing as an 18-1 outsider.
Then one race later in the penultimate race on the card and at the meet, BP Burner (Moyer) rallied three-wide down the backside to forge a 17-1 upset in 1:53.4 in another non-winners of $2,500 last five starts class for pacers. Trained by Betsy Brown for the late Terry Kibler, BP Burner recorded his fifth win from 25 starts this year and notched his 21st score from 98 career outings.
Trainer Arlene Cameron secured the conditioners title several weeks ago, the dash-winning title among drivers nearly came down to the last race. But Frank Milby held on to the title with 45 victories, outlasting the late surge from Russell Foster. Rosecroft will resume live racing on Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2019 and race two nights each week [Sunday and Wednesday] through Preakness Day in mid-May.
Although neither horse was on hand for the final card of the fall meet, Rock N Roll Jet and Fashion Smile were honored as the meet's top pacer and top trotter, respectively. Rock N Roll Jet dominated the Open I ranks for owner-trainer William "Buddy" Bright and catch driver Kim Vincent and he also finished fifth in the $100,000 Potomac Pace won by Western Fame (Corey Callahan) in 1:49.2. Fashion Smile made only three starts at the meet for trainer William "Bib" Roberts but won all three of them.
That same evening at Pompano Park in Florida, Drunken Desire A (Greg Merton) benefited from a pocket trip behind Sgt Pappa Daddy (Wally Hennessey) through the first three calls, angled to the passing lane at the head of the stretch, surged through inside and forged a 21-1 shocker in 1:52.2. A 10-year-old Real Desire gelding owned and trained by Megan Scran, Drunken Desire had finished second in two conditioned events over the strip but made the leap to the Open II level and notched his fifth win from 28 starts this year and his 35th win from 214 career outings.
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