Nichols, N.Y. -- Rockeyed
Optimist ($5.80) used a strong late turn of foot to reel in mid-race pacesetter
All Bets Off for a 1:49.2 victory in the $179,000 Roll With Joe Open Pace on
Sunday (June 19) at Tioga Downs.
The 5-year-old Rocknroll
Hanover gelding slid second-over on approach to the clubhouse turn,
slipstreaming the cover of Always At My Place (Yannick Gingras) after All Bets
Off (Matt Kakaley) brushed clear of McWicked (Tim Tetrick) into a :53.3 initial
half mile. Rockeyed Optimist enjoyed live cover on the backstretch, but was
left to face the breeze after Always At My Place ducked to the pegs when
McWicked gapped the pocket. Despite All Bets Off turning for home with a
2-length lead, Rockeyed Optimist was able to reel him in, driven out by Brett
Miller for a 1:49.2 score. Defending champion State Treasurer (David Miller)
circled from last on the far turn to take third.
Steve Elliott trains Rockeyed
Optimist, now a 24-time winner, for the partnership of Perretti, Berkner, the A
& B Stable, and Battaglia.
A pair of late-closing series
for 3-year-old trotters culminated with $25,000 finals earlier in the card. The
M&J Oil and Lube series for fillies went to Dream Child ($6.30), a Linda
Toscano trainee who drew clear at will for a 1:56.1 victory in rein to Mike
Simons. John Cummings, Jr. drove Makers Mass ($2.70) to victory from well off
the pace, circling three-wide and drawing clear in 1:57 to take the Williams
Auto Group final for trainer Megan Wilson.
Jim Taggart, Jr. led all
drivers with three wins on the 11-race program.
Live racing returns to Tioga
Downs on Friday (June 24), with post time slated for 6:30 p.m. Eastern.
