by Brian J. Mazurek, for Buffalo Raceway
HAMBURG, N.Y. --- Mother Of Art ($2.70) was the fastest of
the two division winners in the New York Sire Stakes for three-year-old filly
pacers at Buffalo Raceway on Wednesday night (June 22) as she went gate-to-wire
in 1:53.4 to beat stablemate Dime A Dance by 3/4 lengths.
The time just missed tying the track record for 3-year-old
filly pacers of 1:53.3 set in 2015 by Mosquito Blue Chip.
In the other division, American Ivy (Andy Miller) got a
perfect pocket trip and roared past Angels Rockn Pink to register the 1:56.0
victory over the fast track.
Mother Of Art protected the inside post position at the
start in the second division) and set sail from the rail with splits of 28.0,
57.0 and 1:26.0. While Dime A Dance (Kakaley) made a mild threat late in the
lane, it wasn't nearly enough as Mother Of Art comfortably prevailed. Time On
My Hands (Jim Morrill Jr.) took the show position.
"She felt real good off the car," driver Mark
MacDonald said of Mother Of Art. "She was good throughout the mile and had
plenty left in the end."
The victory was the second in seven attempts in 2016 for
Mother Of Art (Art Major-Mommy Robin Q). The Ron Burke-trainee upped her
seasonal winnings to $68,287 and $151,543 lifetime.
The first division may have been won at the start as
American Ivy, who started from the six post, showed early gate speed and was
able to drop in second behind the pace-setting Angels Rockn Pink.
"I intended on leaving with her," Miller said in
hopes of getting the lead with American Ivy. While they didn't get there, it
all worked out perfectly. "I was content in following Angels Rockn Pink
and she (American Ivy) performed well in the passing lane," Miller stated.
With fractions of 28.4, 58.0 and 1:28.1, those fractions
seemed reasonable enough for Angels Rockn Pink to go gate-to-wire. American Ivy
went into the passing lane and dropped a 27.3 final panel on the field to
spring the $14.60 upset. Angels Rockn Pink (Mark MacDonald) held on for second
while Encore Deo (Matt Kakaley) finished in third.
Owned by Joe P Racing LLC and trained by Julie Miller,
American Ivy (American Ideal-Haunted) has now won twice in seven starts this
season, moving her 2016 earnings to $81,800 and $170,290 lifetime. Both of her
victories have come in Sire Stakes competition with the first coming on May 23
at Monticello Raceway.
In the $15,000 Excelsior A Series race, Rolling Going Gone
covered the mile in 1:59.0 and returned $2.30 with Morrill Jr. in the
sulky.
The Excelsior B Series saw Wine Snob (Kakaley) use a 1:57.3
time in score the popular $2.30 win while in the second division, Stirling
Electra (Morrill Jr.) posted a 1:58.0 clocking and returned $2.90 to her
backers.
In the $10,000 Open Pace for the filly and mares, Who Says
That (Drew Monti) rallied on the far outside and posted the $16.00 decision in
a lifetime best of 1:55.0.
Morrill Jr. finished the evening with four wins while
Kakaley had a double.
Racing will continue of Friday evening at 5 p.m. with an
11-race card scheduled.
For more information including the latest news, upcoming
promotions, race replays and results, go to www.buffaloraceway.com
