The Southwind Frank gelding Whiskey Blu, a $7,000 yearling unraced at two, is now the winningest trotter in North America in 2021 as he recorded his 10th victory of the campaign in one of three $30,000 divisions of a Pennsylvania All-Stars event for sophomore trotting colts Saturday afternoon (May 22) at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.
Dan Charlino guided the Ron Burke-trained Whiskey Blu to the lead just past a :27 opener, and soon had slight favourite Type A charging at him, with Type A clearing to the top only as he approached the half in :55.2. Whiskey Blu sat in the pocket to three-quarters in 1:23.4 and into the stretch, where he moved wide and caught the stubborn Type A by a head in 1:53.2 while taking a new mark for Burke Racing Stable LLC and Weaver Bruscemi LLC along with Kitefield Stable.
Highalator added to his impressive lifetime record at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono on Saturday afternoon, as he is now 17 for 28 in his career at the mountain oval after a 1:50.1 victory in the Saturday (May 15) pacing feature.
Driver Rick Still did not try to outgun the outside leavers with the winning son of Somebeachsomewhere as they raced to a :26.3 quarter; he left him on the outside and gradually got the top before the :54.4 midway clocking. Second-choice Vettel N came up to challenge the leader before the 1:21.4 three-quarters, but Highlator remained his usual game self to run his lifetime totals to 41 wins in 92 starts and earnings of $654,228 for trainer Jenny Bier, who is co-owner with Joann Dombeck and Midsize Construction Inc.
Just call them “The Road Warriors”.
With things at a standstill at their home track due to a COVID-19 shutdown, a pair of horses who call Woodbine Mohawk Park home ruled The Meadowlands Saturday night (April 24) as trotter Its Academic and pacer Sintra scored in the co-featured $30,000 Preferreds.
Sintra was nothing short of scintillating in overcoming post 10 to score in 1:48.4. The eight-year-old gelded son of Mach Three-Dancin Barefoot left hard from the outside in the 10-horse field and got a spot fourth at the pegs out of the first turn.
The 8-5 favourite came first-over at the five-eighths and made his way toward leader American History, who blazed fractions of :54.4 and 1:21.4 after wrestling control away from the early leader, 5-2 second choice Ana Afreet N, at the three-eighths.
About 80 employees will be affected next spring when the The J.M. Smucker Co. liquid coffee processing plant in Suffolk stops production, a spokesperson said.
Standardbred Canada is pleased to announce the finalists for the 2020 O’Brien Awards, which honour Canada’s best in harness racing over the past season.
There are two finalists in each category which includes 12 divisional horse categories and five people awards. Horse of the Year will be one of the divisional champions.
The winners will be announced at the Virtual O’Brien Awards Gala on Sunday, January 31 on standardbredcanada.ca.
This will mark the 32nd edition of the O’Brien Awards, named in honour of the late Joe O’Brien, an outstanding horseman and member of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame.