Back To The Track festivities at Northfield

Kurt Sugg and Dan Charlino, along with the injured Aaron Merriman, were featured in Northfield Park’s driver meet and greet Saturday night, as part of the nationwide Back To The Track promotion, and then Sugg and Charlino split the local feature races, combining for exactas in both.

 

Sugg took the $5,500 Open Trot with Muscle Sprouts ($8.00), a ten-year-old Muscles Yankee gelding who has bounced back from a multi-year layoff to win five of 14 starts and $15,332 this year. He also went over $210,000 in his career with the 1:57.3 win over a tacky track rated fast. Last week’s winner, Master Buckin Uhl, driven by Charlino, was second and rail-sitting Celebrity Wonder earned show money. Bob Schlabach of Sugarcreek, Ohio, owns Muscle Sprouts.

 

Maggies Son A ($7.80), in line to Charlino, cruised to a 1:54.2 win in the $5,500 Open Pace, as he went over $250,000 in career earnings. An 11-year-old son of Safely Kept, Charlino moved aggressively to the front at the half and controlled matters from there for Zanesville owner Brent Davis and trainer R. Mac Davis. Camcoder, with Sugg in the bike, was second and Wow Power finished third.

 

The Back To The Track festivities at Northfield included drawings for starter car rides, fun packs, I-pods and betting vouchers, as well as a 15% off-sale in the gift shop. A $1,000 free-to-enter handicapping contest (Results will be featured in Keeping Pace, which will be issued Tuesday, August 17) was well-received by patrons, who received free parking, admission and programs for both Northfield’s live card and the National Pick 4, which featured Northfield’s 9th race. (Northfield Park)