East Rutherford, NJ — Defending champ Jiggy Jog S coasted in the $112,500 Six Pack on Saturday night (June 29) at the Meadowlands, gliding home over her five foes with a rush to win in 1:52.1. The short field presented a casual start as the public’s second choice, M-M’s Dream, took the top from post five to a crawling :29 first panel. Long shot Tactical Mounds slid behind the leader and Jiggy Jog S floated into third. Positions remained unchanged through a lazy :58.2 half. As M-M’s Dream picked up the trot, Jiggy Jog S left the line to begin her challenge. Jiggy Jog S was unimpressed with M-M’s Dream’s acceleration. By the 1:26.4 three-quarters, the 5-year-old paved an outside path to meet the finish line first with a 1-3/4-length win in 1:52.1. M-M’s Dream held for second, Tactical Mounds was third and Call Me Goo finished fourth. Jiggy Jog S is trained and co-owned by Åke Svanstedt with Steve Stewart, John Lengacher and Hickory Hollow Stables. The Six Pack was her second win in two races this season; her first was The Cutler Memorial on May 18 at the Meadowlands against males. She has won 20 times from 37 starts in her career. Jiggy Jog S won as the overwhelming favorite, paying $2.20 to win. “She’s strong like she was last year,” driver Dunn said about the easy win and then said he had little problem with the mild three-quarters. “She had around six weeks rest after the Cutler and [came back] with high speed.”  Jiggy Jog S, a daughter of Walner out of the dam Hot Mess Hanover, has now won $2,292,927 lifetime.

Ascendance was one of the more impressive-looking — and high-priced — winners as the Kindergarten Series for 2-year-olds of each sex and gait kicked off Friday night (June 28) with six $20,000 divisions of the opening leg at The Meadowlands as every horse in the event made their respective pari-mutuel debuts. Hall of Fame trainer Linda Toscano looks like she has a good one in Ascendance, who overcame post seven to win with Scott Zeron driving in 1:53 as the even-money public choice, paying $4.20 to win in the lone filly pace. “She had pedigree (a daughter of Captaintreacherous -Higher And Higher) and size. (My owners) stepped up for me,” said Toscano of the $260,000 Lexington purchase. “She showed last week she’s as good off a helmet (when fourth in her second qualifying race, closing in :26.1) as on the lead. “I don’t know if she was running in in the stretch, but I do think she’s really green. It’s just so new to all of them.” Ascendance grabbed the lead at the half in :57.4 and remained on top at three-quarters in 1:26.3 before an easy jaunt through the stretch led to a 1-1/2 length win over Shes A Streaker.

Anderson, IN — Three-year-old trotting colts took center stage at Harrah’s Hoosier Park Racing & Casino on Thursday (June 27) with the third leg of Indiana Sire Stakes. A pair of $50,500 splits highlighted the 14-race card, seeing Gruesome Twosome and Dashing Danny deliver as favorites in their respective divisions. Dashing Danny and Kyle Wilfong sat closer to the action, grabbing the pocket seat from post two while A Blue Million (Mike Peterson) crossed over to take the field to the first quarter in :28. The field of seven remained in straight alignment on the backstretch, with A Blue Million leading the way to the half in :56.3. On the turn, the lead duo began to separate from the remainder of the field with Dashing Danny hot on the Mike Peterson helmet at three-quarters in 1:26.2. Dashing Danny popped the pocket spinning for home, quickly going nose-to-nose with A Blue Million at the top of the stretch. From there, Dashing Danny powered home in :27.1 to take command, trotting strongly to a 1-1/2 length victory in a lifetime best 1:53.4. Flirtinwiththepilot (Pete Wrenn) staged a rally up the passing lane to finish second, Customer Support (Taylor) finished third. Trained by Jeff Cullipher, Dashing Danny is now a two-time winner in three starts this season, with his lone defeat coming at the hands of Gruesome Twosome in leg two of the sire stakes. Cullipher owns the gelded son of Dover Dan -Sashay with Pollack Racing. Dashing Danny was bred by Steve Stewart and Black Creek Farm, and now sports career earnings of $244,337.

Oak Grove, KY — After finishing third in the first Kentucky Sire Stakes (KYSS) final at Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel, Admiral Hill not only scored retribution when winning the $150,000 series final for 4-year-old pacing horses and geldings on Tuesday (June 25) but did so with the fastest mile ever recorded in the short history of the track; a 1:48 front-stepping effort. Launching for the lead from post 6, Admiral Hill (driven by Yannick Gingras) seized the point past a :26.2 first quarter and maintained his speed through a :54.4 half and to three-quarters in 1:21, where he faced a first-over assault from El Rey (Dexter Dunn). El Rey stayed persistent at Admiral Hill’s throat all through the final turn while Gingras called on his charge to fight spinning for home. Admiral Hill held his ground all through the stretch and held El Rey at bay to the beam by a neck with For Once Inmy Life (Andy McCarthy) giving chase off a pocket trip in third and Blue Lou (David Miller) taking fourth. Per Engblom trains Admiral Hill, a gelding by Sweet Lou, for owner Morrison Racing Stables. He won his 16th race from 34 starts, has now earned $509,008 and paid $3.20 to win. His 1:48 mile bests the track record for 4-year-old pacing geldings of 1:48.3 that he set just a week ago and also beats the all-time record of 1:48.2 set by All Or Nothing last year.

Strong Poison (Yannick Gingras) was the only horse to sweep both series for 4-year-olds when she won the $150,000 KYSS final for 4-year-old pacing mares in 1:49.4. Gingras looped Strong Poison to the lead past a :26 first quarter and maintained her speed through hot middle fractions of :54.3 and 1:21.4. Spinning for home, Gingras called upon Strong Poison and she hit her top gear come midstretch to fend off the late surge of Hungry For Love (David Miller) and win by a length. Zanatta (Andy Miller) gave chase off a pocket trip for third and Prosecco Princess (Todd McCarthy) took fourth. Virgil Morgan Jr. trains Strong Poison, a daughter of Always B Miki who has now won 13 races from 33 starts and banked $999,475, for owners Let It Ride Stables Inc. and Odds On Racing. She paid $3.12 to win.

Hunterton Sold, YO TILLIE ( Tactical Landing - Consolidator) won the Kentucky Sire Stakes 2YO Filly at Oak Grove Racing & Gaming . Congratulations to owner Verlin D Yoder and trainer/driver Verlin D Yoder.

Yonkers, NY – Bargain was in front throughout and held off pocket-sitter Fly By in the stretch to win Friday night’s (June 21) lone $25,000 MGM Yonkers Trot elimination for 3-year-old colts and geldings at MGM Yonkers Raceway in 1:54.3. Driven by Yannick Gingras, Bargain shot out from post four and made the front early on the first turn with Fly By (Scott Zeron) also showing speed and finding the pocket prior to the 28.2 opening quarter. With no challengers on the outside after that, Gingras was able to back down the half to 57.4 and the three-quarters in 1:26, but Zeron swung Fly By to the outside midway through the far turn. After being shown the clear racetrack, Fly By quickly moved up to battle Bargain and appeared in the lane like he was going to go past, but Bargain was game and responded to the challenge, keeping a nose in front of Fly By to the finish line. I’m Out (Tim Tetrick), who went first-over out of fourth before three-quarters, slid back down to the pylons on the last turn and wound up third, and Flying Kronos S (Ake Svanstedt) followed I’m Out’s moves and checked in fourth. Duke Of Walner (Matt Kakaley) was fifth and got the remaining spot in the $300,000 final, joining bye-takers Security Protected, Sir Pinocchio and Situationship. A New York-sired gelding by Chapter Seven , Bargain was bred by Steve Stewart and Michael Andrew and is trained by Nancy Takter, and she also co-owns him with JAF Racing, ChristinaTakter&Anderberg, Joe Sbrocco and R A W Equine Inc. Bargain, who was second in the sire stakes final at MGM Yonkers Raceway last September, has a summary of 4-3-0 from 11 starts, has earned $207,455 and paid $10.00 to win as part of an entry with Duke Of Walner that went off at 4-1. The exacta was worth $25.80 and the trifecta kicked back $75.00. The finals of the MGM Grand Messenger and MGM Yonkers Trot will take place on Friday (June 28) and will be joined by their companion filly events – the Park MGM for pacers and the New York New York Mile for trotters. Fans attending the races live on June 28 will be treated to an outdoor market on the track apron. An integration of the casino and track worlds will take place as patrons from both sides of the gambling world will be welcomed to enjoy special food stands, live music and other promotional items as part of a Triple Crown Fan Fest. MGM Yonkers Raceway is currently operating on a Monday-Tuesday-Thursday-Friday-Saturday live schedule with post time each night at 7 p.m. (EDT), but the oval will host a Wednesday program next week on June 26.

Yonkers, NY – Bargain was in front throughout and held off pocket-sitter Fly By in the stretch to win Friday night’s (June 21) lone $25,000 MGM Yonkers Trot elimination for 3-year-old colts and geldings at MGM Yonkers Raceway in 1:54.3. Driven by Yannick Gingras, Bargain shot out from post four and made the front early on the first turn with Fly By (Scott Zeron) also showing speed and finding the pocket prior to the 28.2 opening quarter. With no challengers on the outside after that, Gingras was able to back down the half to 57.4 and the three-quarters in 1:26, but Zeron swung Fly By to the outside midway through the far turn. After being shown the clear racetrack, Fly By quickly moved up to battle Bargain and appeared in the lane like he was going to go past, but Bargain was game and responded to the challenge, keeping a nose in front of Fly By to the finish line. I’m Out (Tim Tetrick), who went first-over out of fourth before three-quarters, slid back down to the pylons on the last turn and wound up third, and Flying Kronos S (Ake Svanstedt) followed I’m Out’s moves and checked in fourth. Duke Of Walner (Matt Kakaley) was fifth and got the remaining spot in the $300,000 final, joining bye-takers Security Protected, Sir Pinocchio and Situationship. A New York-sired gelding by Chapter Seven , Bargain was bred by Steve Stewart and Michael Andrew and is trained by Nancy Takter, and she also co-owns him with JAF Racing, ChristinaTakter&Anderberg, Joe Sbrocco and R A W Equine Inc. Bargain, who was second in the sire stakes final at MGM Yonkers Raceway last September, has a summary of 4-3-0 from 11 starts, has earned $207,455 and paid $10.00 to win as part of an entry with Duke Of Walner that went off at 4-1. The exacta was worth $25.80 and the trifecta kicked back $75.00. The finals of the MGM Grand Messenger and MGM Yonkers Trot will take place on Friday (June 28) and will be joined by their companion filly events – the Park MGM for pacers and the New York New York Mile for trotters. Fans attending the races live on June 28 will be treated to an outdoor market on the track apron. An integration of the casino and track worlds will take place as patrons from both sides of the gambling world will be welcomed to enjoy special food stands, live music and other promotional items as part of a Triple Crown Fan Fest. MGM Yonkers Raceway is currently operating on a Monday-Tuesday-Thursday-Friday-Saturday live schedule with post time each night at 7 p.m. (EDT), but the oval will host a Wednesday program next week on June 26.

Hunterton Born, Raised and Sold, DRINK UP DRINK UP ( Trixton - Homefortheholidays) won the Kentucky Sire Stakes 4YO C&G at Oak Grove Racing & Gaming . Congratulations to owner Adam Friedland and trainer Walter Haynes and driver Marvin Luna.

Given that many of the 10 three-year-old pacers lining up in the 2024 Pepsi North America Cup will not have an opportunity to race for a purse higher than the $1 million offered on Saturday, June 15 at Woodbine Mohawk Park, it stands to reason that nothing will be left to chance and very little will be left in the tank. If freshness counts, and with horses it most certainly does, the freshest horse in terms of lifetime starts in this field is 2023 Metro Pace winner Captains Quarters. Both this year (three starts) and lifetime (eight starts), Captains Quarters heads into Saturday's Pepsi North America Cup final as the horse with the fewest amount of appearances. Funtime Bayama is next on that list with 12 career starts, and Janelle Granny easily tops the charts with 23. But having the least experience in terms of race miles also equates to having a horse that hasn't had to race all that hard all that often. That's the advantage trainer Herb Holland hopes help him hoist the Pepsi North America Cup trophy on Saturday. Holland conditions Captains Quarters , a son of 2013 'Cup' winner Captaintreacherous and 2018 Three Diamonds winner Prescient Beauty, for owner Rich Stiles of Chelsea, Mi. A $235,000 Lexington Selected yearling, Captains Quarters sports a 4-2-2 summary from his eight appearances with $582,154 in earnings and a mark of 1:49.1. That mark came over the 'good' track on June 8 in his N.A. Cup elim with two-time 'Cup' winner Jody Jamieson at the controls, converting off a perfect second-over trip. "The result was excellent, the horse raced great, Jody gave him a fantastic trip," said Holland at the 2024 Pepsi North America Cup draw on Tuesday, June 11. "If we're so fortunate to do that this week, we'll be in the winner's circle." Oddsmakers agree, to an extent. When the morning line for a very contentious 2024 N.A. Cup final was revealed on Wednesday morning, Captains Quarters was installed as the 5-2 favourite. He'll head to the gate on Saturday, lining up in post position five, smack dab between elimination winners Nijinsky (PP4, Louis-Philippe Roy, 9-2) and Funtime Bayama (PP6, Sylvain Filion, 3-1). "I think the three local horses being side-by-side is pretty awesome, but it's where you start that doesn't matter. It's where you end up at the end. It could be an outside horse, you never know." One thing Holland does know is that Captains Quarters is the best horse he's ever had between the shafts, and a win in Canada's premier pacing event for three-year-olds would be a dream come true. "It would be super, and for the owner, himself, he's been in the business a long time. It's his dream to have a horse like this...and, of course, it's mine, also. It's come at a great time for both of us. We're kind of getting up there [in age] and there's not a lot of opportunities like that." Holland's opportunity for harness racing glory comes this Saturday, June 15 around 10:40 p.m. (EDT). He discussed his colt's North America Cup elimination performance and offered his thoughts on Saturday's test in an interview with SC's Jeff Porchak below. 

There wasn't any negotiating with Peace Talks ($5.50) in the $161,233 New York Sire Stakes for the three-year-old filly pacers on Wednesday afternoon (June 12) at Buffalo Raceway. The reigning two-year-old champion kept a tight hold of her crown and silenced her rivals with a 1-1/2 length victory over Leannes Choice in 1:54.4 over the fast track.  Peace Talks (Jim Morrill Jr.) had to work hard to get to the early lead as Bronx Barista played some hard ball before finally relenting. With sensible splits of :27.3 and :56.1 through the opening half posted by Peace Talks, Bronx Barista, sitting in second, broke stride coming out of the clubhouse turn, scattering the field a bit. With a final panel to pace, Peace Talks still wasn't home free as a wall of three damsels were able to regroup and make one final push. But those efforts didn't materialize as Leanne's Choice (Marcus Miller) took the place position and Blue Point (Kevin Cummings) was third. Owned by Henderson Farms, Robert Mondillo, Fac Racing and Jeffrey Bell, Peace Talks (American Ideal-Triple V Hanover) now has two wins in three attempts this season. The victory jacked her seasonal earnings to $125,275 and $354,604 in her career. There were a trio of $27,397 events in the Excelsior Series for three-year-old filly pacers. The only mild surprise came in the opening division as Melanies Megan ($9.10) turned back OBJ by three quarters of a length in 1:55.4. Marcus Miller guided her to the win. Shine On Susan ($4.30) found room in the passing lane and got past Chriss Choice by a head in 1:56.1. Brett Beckwith steered her to the popular victory. A Few Choice Words ($4.10) was the fastest in the Excelsior Series as she snapped Lady Saturn's six-race win streak with a 1:55.2 tour around the Hamburg half-mile oval. Jim Morrill Jr. was aboard the winner who took the 3-1/4 length decision. In the $19,178 Open Pace for the fillies and mares, Oaxacan Dream N (Billy Davis Jr.) got a perfect trip from the outside and stunned Flip The Script by a length in 1:54.3. Off the starting gate, Flip The Script ($32.00) played give and go with Oaxacan Dream N. After settling on the lead with fractions of :28.2, :57.0 and 1:26.0, Flip The Script had to deal with the pesky Oaxacan Dream N who was still in hot pursuit. Turning for home, Oaxacan Dream N found plenty of room down the lightning lane and rolled on past Flip The Script (Drew Monti) while Center Attraction (James McNeight Jr.) was third. Owned by Vogel & Wags Nags LLC, Oaxacan Dream N (Big Jim-Verde Lima) is conditioned by Maria Rice. It was her fourth win in 14 tries in 2024, earning $38,175 and $163,629 lifetime. The $27,397 Spring Up Series finale for the pacers who were non-winners of $8,000 USD and had at least 10 starts before May 16 was contested. Dakota Roadster ($2.40) didn't disappoint as her went coast to coast in beating Grahams Teddy Bear (David McNeight III) in 1:56.2. R U Talkin (Davis Jr.) took the show honours. Scoring his third victory of the Series and second consecutive win, Dakota Roadster (Joseph Chindano Jr.) is owned and trained by Jeffrey Martin. The 12-year-old Dakota Roadster (Duneside Perch-Parkontheroad) has now collected $26,670 in the campaign and $429,692 in his lifetime. Racing will continue on Friday (June 14) afternoon at 2:30 p.m. with an 11-race program set. (Buffalo Raceway)