It was billed as Round Three of a budding rivalry between two superstar pacers in Lazarus N (Yannick Gingras) and McWicked (David Miller), and the contest lived up to every bit of the hype, as on Friday (Sept. 21) Lazarus N defeated a hard-charging McWicked by a neck in a scintillating edition of the $177,000 Hoosier Park Pacing Derby at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino in 1:48.4.

"He felt very good when I was warming him up, so I was confident he would race well tonight," said Jimmy Takter, who conditions Lazarus N for Taylor Made Farm. "We know what a talented horse he is, and he really seems to like it here at Hoosier Park."

Unlike his last... more...

Harnessracing.com has learned that driver Doug McNair has been fined a total of $500 as a result of Stay Hungry's disqualification as winner of the second elimination of Thursday afternoon's Little Brown Jug in Delaware, Ohio. He was fined $300 for kicking, $100 for interference, and $100 for violation of the pylon rule.

Stay Hungry won the second $102,720 elimination but his number was taken down by the track judges and he was placed fourth after it was deemed McNair guilty of interference with the Andy Miller-driven Hayden Hanover coming out of the first turn. Hayden Hanover was on the lead when McNair tipped Stay Hungry for third, but as... more...

The sport’s top trotters were showcased in the inaugural edition of the $200,000 Caesars Trotting Classic at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino during an action-packed 14-race card on Friday (Sept. 21), and as expected, it was a true demonstration of sheer trotting talent. With regular pilot Scott Zeron in the bike, trotting Triple Crown champion Marion Marauder staged an incredible rally late in the lane and utilized the long Hoosier Park stretch to his advantage to get up in the final strides of the mile in 1:52.4.

Handed the tough outside post position nine, Marion Marauder was unhurried from the gate and settled along the rail in eighth. Using his customary early gate speed, Sam Widger had I Know My Chip pointed to... more...

Although she did not assume command until the half-mile marker, the result of the $172,000 Moni Maker was never in much doubt as world champion Manchego (Yannick Gingras) collected the 19th victory of her career with ease on Friday (Sept. 21) at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino on a spectacular stakes-laden card.

"This is very meaningful for me as this race is named after one of the most wonderful mares I have trained," said Jimmy Takter, the filly’s trainer. "But this filly is quite special too."

Leaving from post position 10, Manchego and Gingras settled in fourth... more...

The Liberty Bell stakes series continued on Friday at Harrah’s Philadelphia with action for two-year-old colts, with each gait contesting three $30,000 divisions.

Among the pacing set, it was the Western Ideal – My Little Artist colt Mangogh who first visited Victory Lane, working out a pocket trip for driver Eric Carlson behind favored Sugar Factory, then rallying up the inside to catch that rival by a length while equaling his lifetime mark of 1:53.4. Bruce Saunders trains the winner of three of his last five starts for M And L Of Delaware LLC and M & M Harness Racing LLC.

Southwind Ozzi got the other kind of perfect trip – second-over – in taking a maiden mark of 1:53.2 for driver Mike Simons and... more...

The $320,000 New York Sire Stakes (NYSS) consolation races were contested in eight divisions at Batavia Downs on Friday night (Sept. 21) with Jason Bartlett and Marcus Miller getting the lion's share of the eight contests. Bartlett won three and finished third two more times while Miller won two and finished second four times.Despite a heavy... more...

Driver Wally Hennessey and trainer Melissa Beckwith achieved a feat that may have never been done before when they teamed up for wins in five consecutive races on Friday night at Saratoga Casino Hotel.

The evening’s $15,000 feature saw Beckwith’s Happy Heart draw the rail for her first attempt in the Fillies and Mares Open in quite some time at the Spa. Hennessey piloted Happy Heart for the first time last week, and the mare went coast-to-coast in a conditioned race. Hennessey was back in the sulky on Friday evening and he wound up getting a pocket ride for Happy Heart, who rode the coattails of the favored Spreester (Frank Coppola Jr.). Spreester paced a first half in :56.4 before checking in at three-quarters... more...

Reigning Grassroots champion Pretty Handsome delivered an emphatic statement at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Friday night, laying down a :27.4 final quarter in his 1:51.3 Semi-Final victory on a night when the wind slammed into each field as they turned for home.

"It’s about a three second wind really," said driver Jody Jamieson, who won two of the eight Semi-Finals, including the other three-year-old colt event. "So the trip (Jonathan) Drury’s horse went was monstrous."

Drury and Pretty Handsome left smartly from Post 5 in the second $20,000 pacing colt Semi-Final and were comfortably in control by the :28 quarter. Unchallenged through a :56.3 half and 1:23.4 three-quarters, Pretty Handsome seemed completely... more...