NED HODKINSON COPS BILLINGS TROT AT SCIOTO DOWNS ON FRIDAY NIGHT

by john manzi, for the Billings Series 

Harness racing's greatest traveling roadshow, the CKG Billings Harness Driving Series, was on the move again on Friday, May 18 with a trot in the series mid-west region at Scioto Downs and when it was completed Ned “the Insurance Man” Hodkinson emerged victorious with his old warhorse, Mutinyonthebounty after they turned back seven others in the 2:00.1 trotted mile.

Hodkinson, a longtime member of the Billings Series notched his 60^th driving victory.

Up behind his 9-year-old Mutineer gelding Hodkinson made the trotter's seasonal debut a winning one.

After starting from the two-hole as the race's betting favorite, Hodkinson sent his charge to the front when the wings of the mobile gate folded and took command before the first stanza, which was clocked in 29 seconds.

From there it was catch me if you can as Hodkinson kept the pedal to the metal as they showed the way past the half in 1:00.3. And when they went by the third quarter in 1:30 Mutinyonthebounty was still safely in command.

As the field headed for home Steve “You're Never Too” Oldford came charging from the middle of the pack with Smoother Ride and as the two trotters approached the finish line they were heads apart. But Mutinyonthebounty was up for the challenge and staved off his competitor for a neck victory. Big Bro finished third for “Tiny Tim” Miller.

“He was real sharp in his seasonal debut,” Hodkingson said of Mutinyonthebounty who came into this race off a 1:58 qualifier. “We gained command rather easily and were coasting along on the lead until Michelle (Ruvolo, with Upfront Chip Daddy) challenged us up the backstretch. After we put her away my horse had a three length lead and in mid-stretch, without any horses around, he got lazy but still he had enough in the tank to hold off Steve's horse and get the win.”

Hodkinson also trains Mutinyonthebounty who paid $3.40 for win.

Next up in the Billings Series is a trot in the eastern region at Freehold Raceway tomorrow (May 19). 

The next Midwest region action is slated for May 26 at Hoosier Park.

NEWBORN SASSY WINS FRIDAY 44G DISTAFF DERBY

BY FRANK DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway

YONKERS, NY, Friday, May 18, 2018—Stop us if you’ve read this one before…

Odds-on Newborn Sassy (Jordan Stratton, $2.60) did not play fair Friday night (May 18^th), winning Yonkers Raceway’s $44,000 Filly and Mare Open Handicap Pace in obnoxiously facile fashion.

This field, reduced to a half-dozen after a mid-pack defection (ill), found Newborn Sassy and Call Me Queen Be (Eric Goodell) hooking up early. The former, from what became outside post position No. 6, stepped around the latter well before a :27.4 opening quarter-mile, then waltzed through a :56.4 intermission.

Between the half and the (1:24.4) three-quarters, Mach it a Par (Jason Bartlett) tried it first-up from fourth. However, the leader’s 57-second middle portion figured to make everyone else’s life difficult.

Newborn Sassy owned a length lead into the lane, then widened to 2¾ lengths at the 1:52.3 finish.

Mach it a Par fought the good fight to wind up second, with Delightful Dragon (Mark MacDonald) third. Tequila Monday (Brian Sears) and Call Me Queen Be rounded out the payees, while Motu Moonbeam N (Brent Holland) settled for some lovely parting gifts.     

For Newborn Sassy, a 5-year-old daughter of Western Ideal co-owned by CC Racing & Jo Ann Looney-King and trained by Jim King Jr., it was her fourth (consecutive) win in 15 seasonal starts after starting’18 0-for-11. The exacta paid $9.40, with the triple (three wagering choices in order) returning $29.80.

Yonkers’ Saturday (May 19^th) program offers eliminations (two) for the Art Rooney Pace and (one) the Lismore. The finalists go at it next Saturday (May 26^th) for $300,000 (Rooney) and $111,444 (Lismore). 

Saturday’s 143^rd Preakness Stakes shall be prominently simulcast throughout the Raceway. Mutuel windows open at 10 AM, in advance of Pimlico’s first post at 10:30 AM. Pimlico offers 14 races (final post 7:35 PM), with the Preakness going as the 12^th race (post time 6:48 PM).

TIM BOJARSKI APPOINTED TO USHWA'S HALL OF FAME SCREENING COMMITTEE

by United States Harness Writers Association (USHWA)

HARRISBURG PA – Tim Bojarski, the immediate past president of the United States Harness Writers Association (USHWA) and now the chairman of the board, the organization’s webmaster, and a publicist for Batavia Downs (NY) and Plainridge Park (MA), has been named to a six-year term on USHWA’s Hall Of Fame Screening Committee, it has been announced by Shawn Wiles, current president of USHWA, the largest organization devoted to standardbred communicators.

Bojarski, of Akron NY, has a background in harness horse ownership and training, and has driven in qualifying races. He has been a member of USHWA for 17 years, 11 of them as a Director of the Association. Voted in as national second vice-president in 2012, he progressed “up the chairs” to become the organization’s president from February 2016 to February 2018, and per the USHWA bylaws will serve as the Chairman of the Board until the 2020 national meetings. Tim is familiar with the procedures of the Screening Committee, as the president of USHWA is an ex officio voting member of all committees, so he has attended the group’s last two sets of screening sessions.

Bojarski works with his “hometown track,” Batavia Downs, as the publicist during their racing season, and since has linked with Plainridge Park near Boston and the Standardbred Owners of Massachusetts. He is a regular columnist for Hoof Beats magazine, the acclaimed publication of the United States Trotting Association (USTA). Tim is also kept busy updating the USHWA website, bringing the latest of information about the organization, its activities, and major racing news to all visitors to www.ushwa.net. And in case that doesn’t fill all his time, Bojarski also serves as the president and secretary of the Upstate New York chapter of USHWA.

“Tim brings with him a wide range of knowledge of harness racing and its vast and glorious history,” said USHWA president Wiles upon making the appointment. “As past President of USHWA he is familiar with the inner workings of this committee. He will be a welcome addition to an already-strong slate of members on this prestigious committee.”

Bojarski will begin his new term, which expires after the 2023 meeting, with the gathering of the Screening Committee during Hall of Fame weekend at the Hall / Harness Racing Museum in Goshen NY, that weekend culminating with the induction of the newest Hall of Famers at a dinner on Sunday, July 1.