Fresh off his 1:47 win in the U.S. Pacing Championship, State Treasurer ($3.50) maintained his superiority in the older pacing ranks on Sunday afternoon (August 23) at Tioga Downs courtesy of his 1:47.2 triumph in the $150,000 Roll With Joe Stakes.
The six-year-old son of Real Desire tracked the early pacesetters – Dancin Yankee (driven by Jim Morrill Jr.) and Doctor Butch (Brian Sears) – through the first turn and then brushed to the front just after the :26.3 opening quarter.
State Treasurer assumed control with a circuit to go and rated a :54.3 opening half mile before David Miller cut him loose on the backstretch. State Treasurer used a :26 third quarter to evade the first-over challenge of Clear Vision (Brett Miller), in fact drawing clear to a four-length lead on the far turn as pocket rival Dancin Yankee could no longer keep pace.
State Treasurer prevailed by three and three-quarter lengths in the end, well in hand at the winning post with plenty in reserve beyond his 1:47.2 clocking. Clear Vision held second, while Foiled Again (Yannick Gingras) stayed on for third off a second-over trip.
Dr. Ian Moore trains State Treasurer for owners Sally and Paul MacDonald of Souris, Prince Edward Island and Toronto, Ont., respectively.
MOSQUITO BLUE CHIP, ROCKIN IN HEAVEN UPSET IN EBC FINALS
Earlier in the card, Mosquito Blue Chip ($10.20) mounted a late rally to collar odds-on favourite Divine Caroline in the $269,000 Empire Breeders Classic for New York-sired three-year-old pacing fillies. In the $290,000 Empire Breeders Classic for New York-sired three-year-old pacing colts and geldings, Rockin In Heaven ($24.80) sustained a first-over bid before holding off odds-on entrymates Betting Exchange and In The Arsenal and a few others.
In the distaff division, Mosquito Blue Chip found herself locked in just prior to a :54.4 opening half mile from Divine Caroline (David Miller), just three lengths off the lead but lacking for racing room until the conclusion of the final turn. Off the corner, Jim Morrill Jr. was able to find room with the Bettors Delight filly. They mounted a three-wide rally past pocket rival Band Of Angels (Gingras) in the final sixteenth – and ultimately to just nab Divine Caroline at the winning post for a 1:49.3 score.
Trainer Paul Jessop shares in ownership of Mosquito Blue Chip with the Our Three Sons Stable and Donato Falcicchio.
In the male division, Arque Hanover (George Brennan) made an early push to the lead. He took over from Betting Exchange (Gingras) with a circuit to go and controlled a :54.4 opening half before bracing for the first-over Rockin In Heaven. After dueling through a :27.2 third quarter, Rockin In Heaven got the better of Arque Hanover and extended his lead to one and a half lengths at the eighth pole while Arque Hanover faded off the corner. Upon establishing a clear lead, David Miller had to call upon the son of Rock N Roll Heaven for all he had. He just staved off a late charge from Artistic Major (Morrill) by a neck in 1:50. A Bettor Hat (Brett Miller) rallied from deeper back and overcame a fourth-over trip to just miss by half a length. He finished third.
Trainer Dr. Ian Moore co-owns Rockin In Heaven with Douglas Polley, Francois Lecomte, and Gordon McComb.
REYNOLDS STAKES CONTESTED
In addition to the Roll With Joe and the Empire Breeders Classic finals, two-year-old trotters contested a number of Reynolds Stakes divisions on the Sunday program at Tioga. The most notable victor was Southwind Frank ($2.90), a two-year-old Muscle Hill colt who earned his fifth career win in 1:54.2 just two weeks after his triumph in the Peter Haughton Memorial. Yannick Gingras was in the bike for trainer Ron Burke.
Live racing returns to Tioga on Friday evening (August 28), with first-race post time at 6:15 p.m. (ET).
(Tioga)