Jersey Boy, a 7-1 shot from the rail scored a decisive 1:54.3 victory to win the $20,000 Open Handicap trot at Dover Downs on Wednesday, Dec. 11. Meet leading driver Corey Callahan added five more wins to his meet leading total now at 70.

Trace Tetrick took Jersey Boy to the outside and moved up to challenge leader Can Do with Vic Kirby after the half mile. They raced side-by-side until just past the three-quarters when Jersey Boy raced into the lead and opened up. The Yankee Glide-Atlanta Games four-year-old gelding led the rest of the 1:54.3 mile to score his seventh win of the season for trainer Ed Gannon and owners, Dom Costanzo, Dawn Gannon and Yannick Gingras. He now has won $68,745 this year. Baximum and... more...

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission on Wednesday afternoon voted to adopt the uniform drug, medication and substance classification recommended by the Racing Medication & Testing Consortium (RMTC), rules that apply to all breeds of horse racing.

Most of the pre-vote discussion among the commissioners was about the bonding of Standardbreds with other breeds, most specifically regarding the withdrawal times for the bronchodilator clenbuterol and corticosteroids. Commissioner Alan Leavitt, president of Walnut Hall Ltd. and the only Standardbred interest on the commission, said to change those withdrawal times would be a "very big blow to... more...

Twilight Bonfire has drawn post 2 in Saturday's $126,000 Cleveland Classic and has been named the 5-2 morning-line favorite in by Northfield Park Executive VP/Director of Racing Dave Bianconi.

The field includes: 1--Only The Lonely (driver Aaron Merriman, trainer Nick Surick)--10-1; 2--Twilight Bonfire (Tony Hall/Rich Gillock)--5-2; 3--Dedi's Dragon (Dave Palone/Ron Burke)--3-1; 4--Word Power (Scott Zeron/Larry Remmen)--4-1; 5--Apprentice Hanover (Jody Jamieson/Ben Wallace)--6-1; 6--Good Day Mate (Brett Miller/Ron Burke)--12-1.

The Cleveland Classic is the final stakes event of 2013 and features six of... more...

Word Power picked up his first stakes win of the season last time out and hopes to make it two in a row to finish the campaign when he faces five foes in Saturday's $126,000 Cleveland Classic for 3-year-old pacers at Northfield Park.

Trained by Larry Remmen for owner Bradley Grant, Word Power won the $176,000 Windy City Pace on Nov. 15 at Maywood Park. The colt, second by a neck to Captaintreacherous in the Cane Pace and third in the Adios, has won seven of 17 starts and earned $372,284 this year.

"He deserves it,” Remmen said. "He's missed a few by a small part, but that happens. I thought he was going... more...

In a joint announcement, both Miami Valley Gaming and Racing LLC and Hollywood Casino At Dayton Raceway, the two brand new tracks currently under construction in southeast Ohio, have named veteran racing official Gregg Keidel as their new Race Secretary.

Miami Valley will kick off the 2014 season with opening night slated for Friday, Feb. 7, the first of 66 nights through Saturday, May 3. Dayton Raceway will open Friday, Oct. 3, and race through Saturday, Dec. 27, for a total of 56 programs.

In conjunction with Scioto Downs, which races May through September, the three tracks comprise a year-round racing circuit in central and southern Ohio... more...

Tyler Smith, who this summer at age 20 became the youngest driver in harness racing history to reach 1,000 victories, is scheduled to drive at Cal Expo for at least for the next couple of months beginning Friday night.

Smith, who will turn 21 in January, was the leading driver at the recently-concluded Hooiser Park meeting in Indiana and is currently plying his trade on a Monday-through-Thursday night basis over the half-mile Northfield Park oval in Ohio. That leaves his weekends free to catch a plane to California and try some Cal Expo action.

"I was driving for Bob... more...

Longtime horseman Theodore "Ted” Taylor, a member of the Harness Horsemen's Hall of Fame in both Michigan and Florida, died Dec. 2, 2013. He was 86.

Born in Columbus, Ohio, and raised on a farm in London, Ohio, Mr. Taylor joined the Navy after graduating from high school, serving from 1944-48. He earned Atlantic and Pacific campaign ribbons, and was a gunner's mate 3rd class when discharged.

Mr. Taylor learned his Standardbred skills from his grandfather and father. His base of operations was primarily in Michigan, where he raced at Hazel Park and Wolverine... more...

So Surreal p,2,1:49.4 (Somebeachsomehwere–Must See), the half-brother to Well Said, has been sold and will stand at stud at Cameo Hills Farm in Montgomery, NY, in 2014. He suffered a broken coffin bone while preparing for the Governor's Cup and has been retired. He was trained and co-owned by Ray Schnittker, who is retaining an interest in the horse.

So Surreal is the second fastest 2-year-old of 2013, winning an International Stallion Stake division at The Red Mile in 1:49.4. So Surreal debuted at the Meadowlands on June 1 and won his first freshman race in 1:55.4 ,coming his own last quarter in :26. Next he won at the Meadowlands in 1:55, again with a last quarter in :26 and change. So Surreal then ventured to... more...