Thats Justice and Phil Fluet scored their third victory in four starts winning Sunday night’s $16,500 co-featured Open Handicap Pace
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Leaving from post position number two, Fluet settled in fourth as Highbetta Blue Chip (Greg Merton) and Winbak Dimensions (Jim Marohn Jr.) battled through fractions of :27.2 and :56.
Thats Justice pulled to the outside and received second over cover from Dragons Blood (Mike Micallef) as the field went by three-quarters in 1:24.2.
Down the stretch, Fluet sent Thats Justice three-wide through an all out assault to get up in the final strides in 1:52.4. Winbak Dimensions (Jim Marohn Jr.) survived a photo to hold second, while Dragons Blood (Mike Micallef) was third.
The win was the fifth of the year for the eight-year-old son of Village Jove-Power Persuasion for trainer-owner Tim Lancaster, and with the win increased his seasonal earnings to more than $43,000.
In the $39,400 “Dandy” final, Mike Micallef and Freedom Crossing launched out from post position number nine and never relinquished the lead.
Cutting through fractions of :27, :56 and 1:23.2, Micallef rebuffed all challengers and opened up in the stretch to win by a comfortable margin in 1:53.2.
The win was the third of the year for the four-year-old daughter of Artiscape-Bunker To Bunker, who is trained by Kevin Johnson for the Bay Pond Racing Stable of Pennsylvania.
Virgin Mary (Howard Parker) despite being first over secured second, while More Diamonds (Jim Meittinis) arrived late on the scene for third.
Tioga Downs continues live racing on Monday, July 4 at 1:30 p.m.
(Tioga Downs)