by James Witherite, Tioga
Downs racing media
Nichols, N.Y. -- With the
eleventh season of harness racing at Tioga Downs coming to a wrap, Laurie
Poulin and Mike Deters's Prairie Fortune captured Trotter of the Year honors by
way of sustained dominance over the Open ranks through the summer. However,
with Mary Ann Larrimore's Believe This Bob and Ina Madill's Andreios Kardia
virtually inseparable in terms of top pacing honors, they will settle their
score in dramatic fashion: a closing-night (Saturday, September 17) match race.
"It's been a great
summer," remarked Jason Bluhm, Director of Racing at Tioga Downs.
"With these two pacers each winning seven races this season and going back
and forth at each other in the Opens, we thought, 'What better way to determine
Pacer of the Year than with a match race?'"
The two combined for 14 wins
on the season, and they have exchanged top billing in Open 1 events through the
last five occurrences of the event, with Andreios Kardia having won three and
Believe This Bob two. Andreios Kardia, the slim 3-5 morning line favorite by
virtue of his 1:49.3 triumph last week, will start from post 2 for trainer Jeff
Byron with usual driver Aaron Byron. Believe This Bob, while the dominant force
through the summer with more sustained success at the Open 1 level, last won on
August 27, staving off Andreios Kardia by a scant nose in 1:50.4. Usual driver
Mike Simons will be at the lines for trainer Joe Skowyra.
In addition to the race for
Tioga Pacer of the Year, Simons remains in the battle for top driving honors on
the meet. His 62 wins thus far keep him within three of leading driver Scott
Coulter with 26 races remaining in the season. In the trainer standings, Deters
has started to edge away, leading Skowyra 34 to 30 while closing weekend looms.
Both the Friday (September 16)
and Saturday (September 17) cards are set to commence at 6:30 p.m. Eastern
time, with full coverage on the Tioga Downs Racing Network to begin at 6:05
p.m. on both nights.
