Rosecroft races through rainy conditions on Monday
Amid conditions that were far from ideal on Monday evening, Rosecroft Raceway hosted one of the final live cards of the 2019 season as trotters, pacers and drivers weathered the misty elements. Despite the conditions, both the fall meet champion pacer and trotter were decided.
In the opening race on the card contest over a track labeled "good" as light rains transitioned into intermittent showers, No Concert (Chris Offutt) overcame a modest tempo carved out by 3-2 choice Makin Money Fast (Frank Milby) and a prolonged, first over journey to prevail by a determined head late in 1:55.3. A five-year-old No Pan Intended gelding owned and trained by Joe Offutt, No Concert now sports a 5-5-7 slate and $22,500 banked from 40 starts during a very busy campaign.
Then one race later in a lighter, non-winners of $1,250 last four starts for older pacers, Rollin About (Declan Donoway) displayed a different tact en route to a handy score as the 6-5 favorite. Rollin About left alertly from post six to gain command in a crisp 26.2 opener, maintained an honest tempo by the half in 55.1 and three-quarters in 1:23.4 then held sway through the lane to score in 1:53.3. A five-year-old Roll With Joe gelding trained by Erica Wagner and owned and driven by Donoway, Rollin About now sports a 5-2-9 slate and $32,500 banked from 36 starts this year.
Several races later in a non-winners if three races lifetime class for younger horses, Honest Liar (Jared Moyer) easily prevailed as the 305 favorite and youngest horse in the group when the juvenile son of Rockin Image gained command soon after the start and led throughout to score by 10 lengths in 1:56. Owned and trained by Jerry Nock, Honest Liar had been second in his local debut one week earlier after arriving from Indiana then romped home as much the best for his third win in 19 starts this year and just missed equaling his lifetime mark of 1:55.3 at Hoosier Park.
Then one race later in a non-winners of seven races or $65,000 lifetime class for younger pacers, Dancing On A Star (Jackie MacLeod) gained command after an extended brush bid to gain command, got a breather by the half in 56.2, met token pressure down the backside and through the far turn then outlasted the late inside bid of B A Rocket (Plante) to score in 1:53.2. A free-legged, four-year-old American Ideal gelding trained and driven by MacLeod for owner Wayne Lynch of Go Get Lost fame, Dancing On A Star recorded his second win in four starts since adding Lasix and now owns a 5-6-2 slate and $66,000 banked from 62 career outings.
One race later in the $10,000 Open Handicap for trotters, What That Is (Plante) secured the title as champion trotter for the fall meet when he overcame his assigned post nine to gain command past the opener, got a breather to the half in 57.2 and by three-quarters in 1:26.2 then held safe Judge Bob (Jonathan Roberts) to score by a length in 1:55.3. A winner of three straight races in the Open and five times at the meet, What That Is now owns a 7-5-3 slate and nearly $60,000 banked from 27 seasonal outings for owner-trainer Kerry Welty.
Then three races later in the $11,000 Open Handicap for pacers, Romantic Interest (Frank Milby) overcame an extended parked out journey early to clear In Record Time (Michael Greene) passing the grandstands the first time, rolled by the midway mark in 54.2, maintained an honest tempo by three-quarters in 1:22.4 then drew clear in the lane to a four-length score in 1:51.3. A four-year-old Always A Virgin gelding trained and driven by Milby for his mom, Candy Milby, Romantic Interest has won two straight Opens and notched four wins in the top class at the meet and rates the nod as champion pacer for the fall meet.
That same evening in the weekly feature at Northfield Park, a half-mile oval near Cleveland, Ohio, Southwind Amazon (Ronnie Wrenn, Jr.) just lived up to his billing as the 3-5 favorite from his assigned post seven when he gained command past the opener in 26.2, maintained an honest tempo by the half in 54.4 and three-quarters in 1:22.3 and held sway between horses to score in 1:51.2. A genuine win machine, Southwind Amazon now boasts 17 wins and over $225,000 banked from 37 starts this year.
Also on the card at Yonkers Raceway in New York, Snobbytown (Joe Bongiorno) lived up to her role as the even-money choice in a non-winners of eight races or $104,000 lifetime class for pacing fillies and mares when she led throughout to score in 1:53.2. Trained by Ron Burke, Snobbytown gained command early and carved out honest fractions en route to her seventh win from 14 starts this year and pushed her seasonal earnings toward $140,000.
That same evening at Dover Downs, G W T (Corey Callahan) romped home as tons the best in the Monday finale when he led throughout to a 12-length score in 1:52.2 as the 1-9 favorite. Owned and trained by Ryan Bailey, G W T notched his fifth win from 25 starts this year and pushed his seasonal earnings past $37,500 by trouncing his rivals in the non-winners of $4,001 last six starts class for pacers.
Speaking of Yonkers, this Saturday night Bit Of A Legend N will be officially retired and then will head off to stud duty in Ohio next spring. A durable, talented pacing star trained by Peter Tritton and driven primarily by Jordan Stratton, Bit Of A Legend N was one of the top pacers at Yonkers after arriving from 'down under' and captured the $600,000 George Morton Levy Series in his first local campaign and then later won the $260,000 Gerrity Memorial at Saratoga, the $150,000 Bobby Quillen Memorial at Harrington Raceway and the $150,000 Battle of Lake Erie at Northfield Park during his stellar career.
In the opening race on the card contest over a track labeled "good" as light rains transitioned into intermittent showers, No Concert (Chris Offutt) overcame a modest tempo carved out by 3-2 choice Makin Money Fast (Frank Milby) and a prolonged, first over journey to prevail by a determined head late in 1:55.3. A five-year-old No Pan Intended gelding owned and trained by Joe Offutt, No Concert now sports a 5-5-7 slate and $22,500 banked from 40 starts during a very busy campaign.
Then one race later in a lighter, non-winners of $1,250 last four starts for older pacers, Rollin About (Declan Donoway) displayed a different tact en route to a handy score as the 6-5 favorite. Rollin About left alertly from post six to gain command in a crisp 26.2 opener, maintained an honest tempo by the half in 55.1 and three-quarters in 1:23.4 then held sway through the lane to score in 1:53.3. A five-year-old Roll With Joe gelding trained by Erica Wagner and owned and driven by Donoway, Rollin About now sports a 5-2-9 slate and $32,500 banked from 36 starts this year.
Several races later in a non-winners if three races lifetime class for younger horses, Honest Liar (Jared Moyer) easily prevailed as the 305 favorite and youngest horse in the group when the juvenile son of Rockin Image gained command soon after the start and led throughout to score by 10 lengths in 1:56. Owned and trained by Jerry Nock, Honest Liar had been second in his local debut one week earlier after arriving from Indiana then romped home as much the best for his third win in 19 starts this year and just missed equaling his lifetime mark of 1:55.3 at Hoosier Park.
Then one race later in a non-winners of seven races or $65,000 lifetime class for younger pacers, Dancing On A Star (Jackie MacLeod) gained command after an extended brush bid to gain command, got a breather by the half in 56.2, met token pressure down the backside and through the far turn then outlasted the late inside bid of B A Rocket (Plante) to score in 1:53.2. A free-legged, four-year-old American Ideal gelding trained and driven by MacLeod for owner Wayne Lynch of Go Get Lost fame, Dancing On A Star recorded his second win in four starts since adding Lasix and now owns a 5-6-2 slate and $66,000 banked from 62 career outings.
One race later in the $10,000 Open Handicap for trotters, What That Is (Plante) secured the title as champion trotter for the fall meet when he overcame his assigned post nine to gain command past the opener, got a breather to the half in 57.2 and by three-quarters in 1:26.2 then held safe Judge Bob (Jonathan Roberts) to score by a length in 1:55.3. A winner of three straight races in the Open and five times at the meet, What That Is now owns a 7-5-3 slate and nearly $60,000 banked from 27 seasonal outings for owner-trainer Kerry Welty.
Then three races later in the $11,000 Open Handicap for pacers, Romantic Interest (Frank Milby) overcame an extended parked out journey early to clear In Record Time (Michael Greene) passing the grandstands the first time, rolled by the midway mark in 54.2, maintained an honest tempo by three-quarters in 1:22.4 then drew clear in the lane to a four-length score in 1:51.3. A four-year-old Always A Virgin gelding trained and driven by Milby for his mom, Candy Milby, Romantic Interest has won two straight Opens and notched four wins in the top class at the meet and rates the nod as champion pacer for the fall meet.
That same evening in the weekly feature at Northfield Park, a half-mile oval near Cleveland, Ohio, Southwind Amazon (Ronnie Wrenn, Jr.) just lived up to his billing as the 3-5 favorite from his assigned post seven when he gained command past the opener in 26.2, maintained an honest tempo by the half in 54.4 and three-quarters in 1:22.3 and held sway between horses to score in 1:51.2. A genuine win machine, Southwind Amazon now boasts 17 wins and over $225,000 banked from 37 starts this year.
Also on the card at Yonkers Raceway in New York, Snobbytown (Joe Bongiorno) lived up to her role as the even-money choice in a non-winners of eight races or $104,000 lifetime class for pacing fillies and mares when she led throughout to score in 1:53.2. Trained by Ron Burke, Snobbytown gained command early and carved out honest fractions en route to her seventh win from 14 starts this year and pushed her seasonal earnings toward $140,000.
That same evening at Dover Downs, G W T (Corey Callahan) romped home as tons the best in the Monday finale when he led throughout to a 12-length score in 1:52.2 as the 1-9 favorite. Owned and trained by Ryan Bailey, G W T notched his fifth win from 25 starts this year and pushed his seasonal earnings past $37,500 by trouncing his rivals in the non-winners of $4,001 last six starts class for pacers.
Speaking of Yonkers, this Saturday night Bit Of A Legend N will be officially retired and then will head off to stud duty in Ohio next spring. A durable, talented pacing star trained by Peter Tritton and driven primarily by Jordan Stratton, Bit Of A Legend N was one of the top pacers at Yonkers after arriving from 'down under' and captured the $600,000 George Morton Levy Series in his first local campaign and then later won the $260,000 Gerrity Memorial at Saratoga, the $150,000 Bobby Quillen Memorial at Harrington Raceway and the $150,000 Battle of Lake Erie at Northfield Park during his stellar career.
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