by Michael Chamberlain, Vernon Downs & Tioga Downs
Publicity
3-year-old filly trotters will be in the spotlight on Monday
night at Tioga Downs with two divisions of the New York Sire Stakes to be run
as part of a special 15-race program. The Sire Stakes races have been
carded as the seventh and ninth races on the program and both feature purses of
$62,400.
The first division on Monday night features Glowngold
(Conway Hall-Glow), who has already been victorious in New York Sire Stakes
races at Vernon Downs and Buffalo Raceway this spring. The Vernon victory came
on May 17 after she had built up a sizable 5 1/2 length lead. She coasted under
the wire still nearly three lengths in front of her competition in a final time
of 1:56.1. She followed up that performance with a second in the Empire
Breeders Classic Elimination on May 30 and a fifth-place finish in the Final on
June 8. It was just a week later, however, that Glowngold managed to get back
into the Winner's Circle over the half-mile oval at Buffalo Raceway. She
trotted right out to the lead and went all the way in front, defeating Beauty
Of Gray, who is in the second Sire Stakes division on Monday night, by a
length. Her final time was 1:59. Jim Morrill Jr. was in the bike for all of
these races will get the drive again Monday at Tioga. Glowngold drew post #9
for her start on Monday night. Another New York Sire Stakes winner from
Vernon Downs is present in this field as well. Lady With Credit (Credit Winner-Lady
Holiday) scored a 7-1 upset win in a separate division run on May 17. In
addition, some tough competition could come from Avalicious (Rc Royalty-Say
Your Prayers), who drew the inside post position here. While she hasn't
registered success in her two New York Sire Stakes tries this spring, she was
up just in time to win her Empire Breeders Classic Elimination on May 30 at
Vernon Downs in 1:55.2 and she finished 2nd in the Final on June 8. Mark
Macdonald will have the drive on Monday night.
The second division of the New York Sire Stakes on Monday at
Tioga is led by the winner of the $217,725 Empire Breeders Classic Final on
June 8, Crediama (Credit Winner-Mama B). She was a come-from-behind winner in
both the Elimination and Final at Vernon. The Trond Smedshammer trainee sat
mid-pack in both of those races before storming through the stretch to win
going away on each occasion. Tim Tetrick had the driving assignment in both
races at Vernon Downs, but Jim Marohn Jr. will be in the bike on Monday night.
A New York Sire Stakes winner at Buffalo Raceway is also in the field for the
second division. Market Rally (Cash Hall-Supreme Dish) got the job
done at less than even money on June 15 at Buffalo Raceway. She trotted right
behind the leaders for the majority of the mile at Buffalo before getting up to
win in the stretch by a half-length in 2:00.4. Jim Morrill Jr. had the drive at
Buffalo and will be at the controls at Tioga as well. Another filly to watch in
this second division might be Winning Pursuit (Credit Winner-Victor's Pursuit),
who was in front for most of that Sire Stakes race at Buffalo on June 15 at
long odds of 16-1 before settling for a third-place result. John Macdonald will
have the drive.
Also on Monday's special program at Tioga Monday night is a
$14,000 Open Handicap Pace, which is carded as the tenth race. There is an
interesting horse in this field in Fireyourguns (American Ideal-Villa Hanover).
Fireyourguns might be starting at Tioga Downs on Monday night, but two starts
back at Vernon Downs on June 8, this 5-year-old gelding paced the fastest mile
in the 61-year history of the racetrack, winning by 2 3/4 lengths in 1:48.
Fireyourguns assumed the lead after a quarter in 25.3 and then sustained his
speedy pace through a half in 52.4 and three-quarters in 1:19.3. His subsequent
start came at Tioga Downs on June 15 and while he led into the stretch, he
could not hold off the closers and finished fifth.
