Nichols, N.Y. -- After his late push to the fore in last
week's Open, Hititoutofthepark ($3.10) earned his third straight win in his
$38,440 Arthur Tompkins Memorial Stakes division on Friday (July 1) evening at
Tioga Downs.
Mike Simons situated the 3-year-old Yankee Glide ridgling
behind the live cover of Tight Lines (Jeff Gregory) on the backstretch, towed
closer to pacesetter Steed (Matt Kakaley) through middle fractions of :57.1 and
1:26.2 before making his three-wide push in the final 300 yards.
Hititoutofthepark accelerated off the far turn, working clear in mid-stretch
and accelerating to hold sway of the late-rallying Blownoutofthewater (Jim
Morrill, Jr.) in 1:55.2. Steed, while collared after repelling his first-over
rival, checked in third after his game front-trotting effort.
John Butenschoen trains 9-time winner Hititoutofthepark for
the Give It a Shot Stable, Kurt Welling, and the VIP Internet Stable.
Dominion Beach ($80.00) upset in his $38,940 Tompkins
division, surging up late to collar the first-over odds-on favorite Cufflink
Hanover in 1:54.2. Marcus Johansson drove the son of Muscle Hill for Courant AB
and trainer Nancy Johansson.
In the two $27,690 Tompkins splits for fillies, Goosebump
Hanover ($5.60, Morrill, 1:55.2) lunged to the fore off second-over spotting,
and Celebrity Eventsy ($2.30, John Campbell, 1:54.4) edged clear of her foes
handily after brushing to the fore with a circuit to go.
The Geers Stakes for 3-year-old pacers headline Monday (July
4) afternoon's program at Tioga, with $119,750 in aggregate purses on the line.
Art Rooney winner Missile J (Tim Tetrick) headlines the $66,375 split for colts
and geldings, carded as the fifth of nine races on the Independence Day
program. Racing returns most immediately to Tioga on Saturday (July 2) evening,
with the first of nine races due off at 6:30 p.m. Eastern.
