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Thursday, June 19, 2014

TIOGA TO HOST NEW YORK SIRE STAKES ON MONDAY NIGHT

by Michael Chamberlain, Vernon Downs & Tioga Downs Publicity

3-year-old filly trotters will be in the spotlight on Monday night at Tioga Downs with two divisions of the New York Sire Stakes to be run as part of a special 15-race program. The Sire Stakes races have been carded as the seventh and ninth races on the program and both feature purses of $62,400.

The first division on Monday night features Glowngold (Conway Hall-Glow), who has already been victorious in New York Sire Stakes races at Vernon Downs and Buffalo Raceway this spring. The Vernon victory came on May 17 after she had built up a sizable 5 1/2 length lead. She coasted under the wire still nearly three lengths in front of her competition in a final time of 1:56.1. She followed up that performance with a second in the Empire Breeders Classic Elimination on May 30 and a fifth-place finish in the Final on June 8. It was just a week later, however, that Glowngold managed to get back into the Winner's Circle over the half-mile oval at Buffalo Raceway. She trotted right out to the lead and went all the way in front, defeating Beauty Of Gray, who is in the second Sire Stakes division on Monday night, by a length. Her final time was 1:59. Jim Morrill Jr. was in the bike for all of these races will get the drive again Monday at Tioga. Glowngold drew post #9 for her start on Monday night. Another New York Sire Stakes winner from Vernon Downs is present in this field as well. Lady With Credit (Credit Winner-Lady Holiday) scored a 7-1 upset win in a separate division run on May 17. In addition, some tough competition could come from Avalicious (Rc Royalty-Say Your Prayers), who drew the inside post position here. While she hasn't registered success in her two New York Sire Stakes tries this spring, she was up just in time to win her Empire Breeders Classic Elimination on May 30 at Vernon Downs in 1:55.2 and she finished 2nd in the Final on June 8. Mark Macdonald will have the drive on Monday night.

The second division of the New York Sire Stakes on Monday at Tioga is led by the winner of the $217,725 Empire Breeders Classic Final on June 8, Crediama (Credit Winner-Mama B). She was a come-from-behind winner in both the Elimination and Final at Vernon. The Trond Smedshammer trainee sat mid-pack in both of those races before storming through the stretch to win going away on each occasion. Tim Tetrick had the driving assignment in both races at Vernon Downs, but Jim Marohn Jr. will be in the bike on Monday night. A New York Sire Stakes winner at Buffalo Raceway is also in the field for the second division. Market Rally (Cash Hall-Supreme Dish) got the job done at less than even money on June 15 at Buffalo Raceway. She trotted right behind the leaders for the majority of the mile at Buffalo before getting up to win in the stretch by a half-length in 2:00.4. Jim Morrill Jr. had the drive at Buffalo and will be at the controls at Tioga as well. Another filly to watch in this second division might be Winning Pursuit (Credit Winner-Victor's Pursuit), who was in front for most of that Sire Stakes race at Buffalo on June 15 at long odds of 16-1 before settling for a third-place result. John Macdonald will have the drive.

Also on Monday's special program at Tioga Monday night is a $14,000 Open Handicap Pace, which is carded as the tenth race. There is an interesting horse in this field in Fireyourguns (American Ideal-Villa Hanover). Fireyourguns might be starting at Tioga Downs on Monday night, but two starts back at Vernon Downs on June 8, this 5-year-old gelding paced the fastest mile in the 61-year history of the racetrack, winning by 2 3/4 lengths in 1:48. Fireyourguns assumed the lead after a quarter in 25.3 and then sustained his speedy pace through a half in 52.4 and three-quarters in 1:19.3. His subsequent start came at Tioga Downs on June 15 and while he led into the stretch, he could not hold off the closers and finished fifth.

Monday night's 15-race program at Tioga Downs will begin at 6:15pm.