Nichols, N.Y. -- Fast miles were the rule on Sunday (May 29)
evening at Tioga Downs, as all nine races resulted in lifetime marks over the
Jason Bluhm-conditioned 5/8-mile course. Among those lifetime marks was a
track-record effort from Dayson ($3.40), who sprinted away from a collapsing
pace in his $62,400 New York Sire Stakes event.
Dayson, a 3-year-old Conway Hall gelding, sat second-over
off dueling leaders Dante (Oskar Florhed) and Free Willy Hanover (Trond
Smedshammer) through fractions of :28, :56, and 1:24. As Free Willy Hanover's
valiant first-over attempt started to fade on the far turn, Jim Morrill, Jr.
angled Dayson three-wide on the far turn, and the response was instant. Dayson
vaulted clear to an 8-1/2 length victory over Allerage Echo (Jim Marohn, Jr.),
who rallied into his runner-up position from a third-over trip. Joyful (Mike
Simons) gained late into third from well off the pace, while a softened Dante
faded to fourth.
Dayson's 1:52.2 triumph was his ninth in 11 career starts,
and shaved four-fifths of a second off Datsyuk's prior track record for
3-year-old trotting geldings. The Burke Racing Stable, Our Horse Cents Stables,
Silva Stables, and Rossie Smith own Dayson.
In the other New York Sire Stakes event, Sir Royson ($4.10)
brushed to the fore with a circuit to go, turning aside pocket rival
Smalltownthrowdown (Dan Daley) and holding off a late charge from 69-1 outsider
The Royal Harry (Florhed) for a 1:54 victory, the fifth of his career. Linda
Toscano trains the 3-year-old Crazed colt for R-and-I Farms, LLC.
For driver Jim Marohn, Jr. the win with Sir Royson was one
of five on the night. "The Mighty Mite Part Two" also teamed up with
Dee's Rocketman ($4.60, 1:52.1), Just For Today ($12.00, 1:56.2), Katch Kanna
($6.30, 1:57.1), and Moneydontbuyulove ($8.40, 1:56.4).
The night's sub-featured $25,200 Nichols True Value
late-closing series final saw Erv Miller trainee Fresh Cut ($5.90) pounce from
second-over off a contested pace, dueling on the far turn with the first-over
Century Chancellor (Simons) to just prevail in 1:53.1. Morrill was aboard the
3-year-old American Ideal colt for the Bay Pond Racing Stable.
The 50¢ Pick 5 carries over to Monday (May 30) afternoon's
card, with $772.79 of added money heading into the opening-race wager. First
post for the nine-race Memorial Day card is slated for 1:30 p.m. Eastern.
