Tuesday’s (Nov 3) Racing Roundup features stories from Dover Downs, Colonial Downs, Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs and Monticello Raceway.

Perfect M Forever was perfect in Dover Open

Dover, DE --- Perfect M Forever closed with a burst to score a 1:53.3 victory in the $26,000 Mares Open pace. Jim Morand had a driving quadruple.
 
Eric Goodell sat near the rear of a select field of six female pacers in the first $26,000 distaff feature of the meet until reaching the backstretch when he sent the 4-year-old Stand Forever bay to the far outside and blitzed past the leaders on the way to her fourth straight win for KSJ Stables. VC Atom N closed strongly for Vince Copeland to finish second in front of Chloes Silver Star and Ron Pierce.

-- Marv Bachrad

Eagle Lake captures feature at Colonial Downs

New Kent, VA --- Eagle Lake surged past five front-stepping pacers just after the turn, then parlayed that quick move into a four-length victory in 1:52.2 Tuesday night in the $5,250 featured race at Colonial Downs.

Eagle Lake continued an impressive fall campaign in Virginia with the win. The 5-year-old Artsplace gelding struggled at The Meadows prior to the Colonial meet, but since arriving, has five wins, a pair of seconds and a third in nine starts. His only blemish came when he went offstride at the start in a late September race.

Raps Big Boy, who sat last through the first three quarters, stormed from behind to earn second while Cams Pushy Woman took third.

-- Katie Painter

Baby Boy Grin wins Open Handicap Trot at Pocono

Wilkes-Barre, PA --- Baby Boy Grin, a 4-year-old Grinfromeartoear trotting gelding, continues to improve on his best season ever as he won his second Open Handicap Trot at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs in less than a month. Tuesday night’s performance was even more special as Baby Boy Grin overcame the nine post in winning in 1:54.

Larry Stalbaum fired quickly in the race and was fifth at the opening quarter in :27.2 with Tom’s OK Lady (Greg Grismore) leading the field of eight trotters following the scratch of Sunland Dakota. The winner, trained by Kimberly Asher, gained the lead halfway down the stretch, getting to the top and half in :56.1 and three-quarters in 1:24.3. Baby Boy Grin, a winner of nine races in 23 starts in 2009, won by 1-1/2 lengths over Tom’s OK Lady, with third place going to Stage Show (Kevin Sizer).

Baby Boy Grin, owned by Stalbaum and Michael Sorentino, Jr., went over the $100,000 mark in 2009 earnings. The trotter previously had earned a total of only $8,912.

-- John Zimich

Southbound Trucker turns back Monticello Open pacers

Monticello, NY --- Southbound Trucker made it 12 wins on the year for owner George Stamatien when regular driver Greg Merton guided him to a 1:56.1 victory in the $9,400 Open on Tuesday at Monticello.

At the wire Southbound Trucker was an eased-up 2-1/2 length winner over Blueridge D’Bang (Billy Dobson) and Jordan Stratton’s Semalu Express.

Though Southbound Trucker went wire-to-wire, Merton insists he’s better when he comes from behind.

“He loves to pass horses and usually no mile is too long for him,” Merton said in the winner's circle after the race and then paused for a moment and added with a smile, “He’s not bad in front either. He’s just a good horse who makes me look good.”

Southbound Trucker, who is trained by Stamatien’s dad, Art,  raised his seasonal bankroll to more than $68,000.

George Stamatien was in the winner's circle and after his photograph was taken he walked toward the photographer's booth to order a combination picture and a railbird yelled to him "Hey George, what are you going to do with all that money?" to which Stamatien smiled and shouted back "Now I can go to the sale and buy another horse."

-- John Manzi