Three-year-old pacers were in the spotlight at Tioga Downs on Sunday as the five-eighths mile oval played host to another round of Empire Breeders Classic eliminations.
There was a pair of $12,500 eliminations for the colts & geldings, in addition to a pair of $12,500 tilts for the fillies. Here’s a recap of what transpired:
$12,500 Empire Breeders Classic Eliminations – Pacing Fillies
Driver Tim Tetrick had the Linda Toscano-trained filly Perfect Launch on the lead every step of the way en route to posting a 1:55.2 victory in the opening elimination. The daughter of Riverboat King sailed through splits of :27.4. :57 and 1:26.3 before kicking home in :28.4 en route to the victory over Major Sweetheart and Allamerican Caress.
“Linda [trainer Linda Toscano] said she’s versatile and she’ll do anything you want her to do,” said Tim Tetrick. “It was a very good mile because it is windy and chilly here today.”
It was the first win of the season for Perfect Launch, who put together a 3-2-0 record in seven starts as a rookie. She has banked more than $82,000 to date for owner Kenneth Jacobs of Chesapeake City, MD.
Driver Mike Lachance took advantage of a pocket trip in the second elimination with odds-on favourite Indulge Me, who stopped the clock in 1:55.2. It was the first start of the season for the daughter of Bettors Delight, who hangs her harness bag in the barn of trainer Ed Lohmeyer.
Lachance cut the quarter in :29.4 with Indulge Me before being overtaken by Stolly Up Blue Chip. That filly rolled the field through fractions of :57.3 and 1:26.2 before being overtaken in the closing strides by Indulge Me. Stolly Up Blue Chip held on to finish second and Up Front Kellie Jo was third.
"I was trying to be as kind as I could with her because it was her first start,” said driver Mike Lachance. “She’s a very nice filly; very manageable. I drove her at the end of her two-year-old year in Lexington and later in the Matron, and I always liked her last year.”
Owned by Robert & Lauren Tucker of Glen Gardner, NJ, Indulge Me finished her freshman season with a 5-2-6 record from 15 starts in addition to earnings in excess of $227,000.
$12,500 Empire Breeders Classic Eliminations – Pacing Colts & Geldings
A track record clocking of 1:50.4 was turned in by Hypnotic Blue Chip, who stormed over the oval in a breathtaking clocking of 1:50.4 for driver Tim Tetrick and trainer Mark Harder. The son of Art Major erased the former track standard of 1:51 set by Kenneth J in 2007.
Tetrick sat third to the :27-second opener before blasting to the top. Once in charge of the speed, Hypnotic Blue Chip threw down fractions of :55 and 1:22.4 en route to the 1:50.4 score over Bet The Town and Redneck Outlaw.
“He’s very fast, but last week in the Berry’s Creek he made a mistake,” said driver Tim Tetrick. “I revved him up a bit today; but he had something left. He’s a very nice colt and we’ve babied him along pretty good this year. He didn’t do any work in the Berry’s Creek, so we trained him up pretty good today.”
Harder co-owns the seven-time winner with partners Deena Rachel Frost, Stable 45 and Robert Murphy. The youngster has stashed away more than $146,000 in his career.
Last year’s NYSS champ Hay Goodlooking had no problem disposing of the foes he faced in the second elimination for trainer/driver Gates Brunet. The son of Art Major moved to the top shortly after the quarter pole and laid down panels of :56.4 and 1:25.3 en route to posting the 1:53.2 decision over Wheres Waldo and Monkey Off My Back.
“He’s a colt that has really turned out good for us; he’s a high speed horse,” said trainer/driver Gates Brunet. “I didn’t want to rough him up too much in his first start. We had a bit of a hiccup in Lexington last year; he got away on Brian Sears one day. We rigged him up a bit different this year, and he sat in pretty good today. I’m trying to make him a better racehorse.”
It was the first start of the season for Hay Goodlooking, who went 6-1-0 in nine starts last year for partners Ted Gewertz, Samuel Dotro and Deb Brunet. The pacer finished his freshman season with more than $186,000 in earnings.
Tioga Downs will host the Empire Breeders Classic finals next Sunday afternoon. The colts and geldings will square off for $218,925 and the fillies will be chasing a purse valued at $203,425.