Nichols, N.Y. -- Prairie Fortune ($4.40) lived up to favored
billing in Saturday (July 16) evening's $11,000 Open 1 Trot at Tioga Downs,
making a bold three-wide push through the far turn en route to a comfortably
dominant win.
Jim Meittinis was patient early with the 4-year-old Arapa
Victory gelding, retreating to second last as Celebrity Stimulus (Fern Paquet,
Jr.) strode clear to a :27.4 first quarter before yielding the pacesetting
duties to Its Payday Friday (Dan Clements) with a circuit to go. Approaching race's
midpoint, Meittinis slid Prairie Fortune third-over to slipstream DC Flashback
(John Cummings, Jr.) and Rossini (Scott Coulter) through middle splits of :57.2
and 1:25.4. With a quarter mile to go, Prairie Fortune commenced a bold
three-wide push, one he sustained into a mid-stretch lead with ease. Prairie
Fortune drew off to defeat Its Payday Friday by 2-1/4 lengths in 1:54.3, while
Rossini overcame a blind switch to save third off a stalling DC Flashback.
Trainer Mike Deters co-owns Prairie Fortune--now a 19-time
winner through just 33 career starts--with Laurie Poulin.
In the first round of the Summer Claiming Series for pacing
mares, Delta Dawn Hanover ($21.60, Jim Taggart, Jr.) and Cheyenne Patti
($15.40, Mike Merton) both upset from off the pace, capturing their respective
$7,000 divisions by slim margins over the respective pacesetters.
The 50¢ Pick 5 carryover for Sunday (July 17) afternoon's
card is $566.52, with the sequence beginning in the first of 13 races on the
day. Post time is 1:30 p.m. Eastern.
