What a difference a week made for Guardian Angel AS.
New York Sire Stakes (NYSS) for sophomore trotting colts and geldings were held featuring three divisions worth $39,000+ on Friday night (August 11) at Tioga Downs.
Less than a week ago, Guardian Angel AS was racing in the Hambletonian and was interfered with and caused to go off stride. The judges ruled that What The Hill caused the interference and he was disqualified after finishing first.
In Friday's NYSS action, Stick With Me Kid (Chris Lems) established the lead and headed into the first quarter in :27.1. Guardian Angel AS (Jason Bartlett) went first-over from third and took the lead just before the clubhouse turn. Owned by ACL Stuteri AB with Kjell Johansson and trained by Anette Lorentzon, the three-year-old Archangel colt controlled all the fractions after that (:56.3, 1:25.3, 1:54.1) in a lifetime-best mile.
Stick With Me Kid took a run at him, but Guardian Angel AS was too strong and won the second division of the NYSS, and looked much the best, winning for the sixth time in 11 starts as a three-year-old. Stick With Me Kid hung on for second with Another Chapter (Scott Zeron) getting third.
The first division went to the Canadian-campaigned Seven And Seven (Tom Durand). The three-year-old colt by Chapter Seven was in the Hambletonian eliminations last Saturday, finishing eighth in 1:53.1.
Eye Ofa Tiger AS (Jason Bartlett) led to the first quarter in :27.2 with Seven And Seven parked first-over before taking the lead just before the :55.4 half. After three-quarters in 1:24.1, he held off Eye Ofa Tiger AS in the stretch to win for the first time as a sophomore in a lifetime-best 1:54.1. Durand trains the colt and owns with June Durand and Allan Smith. Texican (Jim Marohn Jr.) finished third.
In the final division, longshot Icanflylikeanangel (Mickey McNichol) charged late in the stretch to win in a lifetime-best of 1:54.3.
Money Macintosh (Andy Miller) looked poised to win, but the colt went off stride in the stretch and finished third-placed-fifth for failure to obey the breaking rule. Icanflylikeanangel, who is owned by Joseph Hess and trained by D. Benny Eggers, may have won anyway because he looked like he was flying in deep stretch. The son of Archangel paid a whopping $37.60 for the win. Swell Chap (Jim Marohn Jr.) came on late to finish second. Meetmeinthemiddle (Jason Bartlett) finished fourth but was placed third.
Live racing returns to Tioga Downs on Saturday with a nine-race card starting at 6:50 p.m. Between the live races is the "Fourth Annual World Spiedie Eating Contest" featuring Joey "Jaws" Chestnut and Matt "Megatoad" Stonie.
(With files from Tioga Downs)