by Brian J. Mazurek, for Buffalo Raceway
HAMBURG, N.Y. --- Mother Nature didn't cooperate at all with
the 2-year-old colt and gelding trotters entered in the New York Sire Stakes on
Wednesday night (June 27) at Buffalo Raceway but three were able to overcome
the sloppy conditions to post victories.
Horns For Three ($3.40) was the most impressive of the trio
of winners in the $37,000 (appprox.) divisions with a 2:02.4 mile, by far the
fastest in the Sire Stakes. Certify ($10.80) captured his leg in 2:05.2 while
Xcuseme ($36.00) was triumphant with a 2:06.3 tour of the Buffalo Raceway half
mile oval.
The times were well off the Buffalo Raceway track records.
Those records were 1:58.4 for the freshmen colts established by Money Macintosh
in 2016 and 2:01.2 for the geldings set in 2013 by The Lindy Treaty.
With a steady rain falling, Horns For Three settled down at
the start and dropped into the three hole as Rap Sheet took the lead to the
quarter pole in 31.0. Just before the half, driver Kevin Cummings pulled Horns
For Three first over and took over command.
Reaching the stretch in front, Horns For Three trotted
smartly to the wire as Jake G's Champion (Scott Zeron) couldn't get any closer
than 1-3/4 lengths. Crazyforlovinyou (Jim Morrill Jr.) took the show position.
"He ran out a bit on the turns but otherwise he did
really well," Cummings said of Horns For Three. He added, "It was a
great mile for the sloppy conditions. I showed him the whip in the stretch but
never used it. He did it with ease."
Co-owned by Thomas Pollack and Jeffrey Cullipher, Horns For
Three (Credit Winner-Swoosh Hanover) is trained by Edward Hart.
In the opener, Certify battled with Charlieman for the lead
to the opening marker, but once reaching the top, he never looked back in
posting the half length decision over Thunder (Jason Bartlett. Charlieman
(Dan Daley) ended up in third.
Certify slogged through splits of :32.0, 1:04.0 and 1:36.1
but had enough left in the tank to hold off the late bid by Thunder.
Owned and trained by Earl Sauve, it was the first victory in
two starts for Certify (Credit Winner-Good Intentions).
The last division saw five of the trotters break stride at
the start, thus scattering the field. Xcuseme (John Stark Jr.) inherited a
10-length lead at the quarter pole while Our White Knight (Bartlett) and Jnr
Express (John MacDonald) remained on gait and fought to get back into
contention.
Xcuseme, who set splits of :32.1, 1:05.1 and 1:36.4, dug in
late and won by a half length as Our White Knight and Jnr Express put in game
efforts but finished second and third respectively.
Co-owned by Stark Jr., Thomas McTygue, David Smith and James
Gianucci, Xcuseme (RC Royalty-The Cuse) is trained by Stark Jr.
In the $15,000 Excelsior A Series, Praying Angel ($6.40) won
the first division for Morrill Jr. in 2:06.1 and Reel Of Fortune ($12.00)
captured the second leg in 2:07.2 for driver Phil Fluet.
Speeding Moose ($7.80) registered the victory in the lone
$6,400 Excelsior B Series event as Dan Daley steered him to the win in 2:11.3.
Racing will resume on Friday evening at 5 p.m. with a
10-race program scheduled. There's a $3,578 carryover in the Pick-5 which
begins in the second race.
For more information including the latest news, upcoming
promotions, simulcast schedule, race replays, results and entries, go to www.buffaloraceway.com
