by James Witherite, Tioga Downs
racing media
Mach It a Par circles
featured field
Nichols, N.Y. -- Sliding
third-over on the backstretch before circling four-wide off the turn, Mach It a
Par ($10.20) passed all seven of her rivals in Friday (May 22) evening's
featured $10,000 conditioned pace for fillies and mares at Tioga Downs.
The five-year-old Mach Three
mare took no part in the pacesetting proceedings, languishing at the back of the
field through a sensible :56.1 half mile. Before reaching the
backstretch, owner/driver Dan Clements moved Mach It a Par third-over to track
live cover behind Jets Are On (Corey Braden) and Maejusmac (Mike Simons) up the
backstretch. As Jets Are On turned up the pressure on pacesetter Rock N
Load (John Cummings, Jr.) past a 1:25.1 three-quarter split, Maejusmac made a
three-wide bid, carrying Mach It a Par four-deep off the far turn as Jets Are
On struck the front at the eighth pole. Mach It a Par would ultimately
slingshot to the fore, passing Jets Are On in the final fifty yards to prevail
in 1:53.3. Rock N Load was a worn down but gamely beaten third, and
Maejusmac checked in fourth after showing minimal kick off live cover.
Renaldo Morales, III trains
Mach It a Par, who scored her ninth career win.
Clements scored a driving
double on the evening's eight-race card, as did Fern Paquet, Jr. and Mike
Simons.
Live racing returns to Tioga on
Saturday (May 23) evening, with first post at 6:15 p.m. Eastern time. The
week's schedule rounds out with a special Sunday (May 24) evening card, and an
all-stakes Memorial Day (Monday, May 25) afternoon program, which features the
first leg of the new Graduate Series for four-year-old pacers and trotters
along with New York Sire Stakes events for three-year-old pacing fillies.
