Nichols, N.Y. -- Mary Ann Larrimore's Believe This Bob
($4.10) made all the pace en route to a 1:51.1 triumph in Sunday (June 26)
afternoon's $11,000 Open 1 Pace at Tioga Downs, holding off a belated rally
from the rising Andreios Kardia to prevail at even money.
Mike Simons wasted no time with the 8-year-old Beach Romeo
gelding, sprinting clear of Theseyesrcrying (Justin Huckabone) through a :26.3
first quarter. Believe This Bob would escape pressure through splits of :55 and
1:22.2, maintaining an uncontested lead and accelerating clear on the
backstretch. His biggest threat would come from the second-over Andreios Kardia
(Aaron Byron), who circled three-wide in the final three-sixteenths of the mile
as the first-over P L Idaho (Dan Clements) weakened after only mild gains. The
:27.2 third quarter was enough for Believe This Bob to keep the other seven at
bay, as he held off Andreios Kardia by three-quarters of a length.
Knocking Around (John Cummings, Jr.) rallied from a rearward trip to take
third, and Theseyesarecrying faded to fourth from his pocket trip.
Joe Skowyra trains Believe This Bob, now a 35-time winner.
In addition to Believe This Bob, Simons teamed up with Big
Jer ($2.30, 1:52.3) and Lucky Man ($3.10, 1:53.2) to lead all drivers with
three wins on the 11-race card.
The Tompkins-Geers Stakes headline Week 9 at Tioga Downs,
with 3-year-old trotters taking the spotlight on Friday (July 1) evening. Post
time is slated for 6:30 p.m. Eastern.
