by James Witherite, Tioga Downs racing media
U Belong To Me exploits tactical advantage in top Tioga
pace
Nichols, N.Y. -- Pushing clear with a circuit to go, Niss
Allen, Inc.'s U Belong To Me ($17.20) backed down the second quarter before
accelerating clear to a 1:54.3 win in Saturday (June 27) evening's $10,000 Open
II Pace at Tioga Downs.
The 6-year-old Misfit gelding was caught wide early as A
Weekend (Mike Simons) worked to clear Flying Cowboy (Dan Clements) through a
:28 first quarter over sloppy going. Undeterred by the contested early
pace, Fern Paquet, Jr. drove on with U Belong To Me, clearing A Weekend in the
first pass through the home straight and subsequently slackening through a
:30.3 second quarter. After the breather on the clubhouse turn, U Belong
To Me accelerated on the backstretch to evade a first-over bid from T's
Electric (Aaron Byron) and dismiss pocket rival A Weekend, who tired on the far
turn. Turning up the pace through a :27.4 third quarter, U Belong To Me
held clear of T's Electric for a 2-1/4 length victory in 1:54.3. No
Monkeys Allowed (John Cummings, Jr.) sustained a belated rally to take third.
Eric Mollor trains U Belong To Me, who recorded his 12th
career win.
Mike Simons led all drivers with four wins on the 13-race
card, and Dan Clements recorded a driving hat trick. Renaldo Morales, III
and Shawn Simons led all trainers with two wins apiece.
Live racing returns to Tioga with a 12-race program on
Sunday (June 28) afternoon, featuring New York Sire Stakes action for
3-year-old trotting colts and geldings along with the Normand Fluet Memorial
Invitational Trot. Post time is 1:30 p.m. Eastern time.
