U.S. Hall of Famer Brian Sears was in town and dominated the New York Sire Stakes action on Friday night (Aug. 4) at Saratoga Casino Hotel. The superstar driver piloted the winners of both $74,000+ Sire Stakes races for two-year-old colt and gelding trotters, guiding freshmen Situationship and Wild Ticket to stakes scores.

Situationship won for the first time in his three career starts by posting a dazzling 1:56.2 mile, one of the fastest in track history for a two-year-old trotter. Sears guided Situationship to his maiden win over Titan Your Grip and Nottingham for trainer Ake Svanstedt and owners Knutsson Trotting Inc., Little E LLC and Tomas Andersson in his $75,900 division of the New York Sire Stakes. A son of Chapter Seven out of the Cantab Hall mare Meegan Hall, Situationship was the 8-5 second-choice in the wagering in his maiden victory on Friday. 

Sears wasted little time winning his second race on the evening as he completed the sweep of the early double guiding Wild Ticket (pictured above) to the freshman's second consecutive New York Sire Stakes score. Wild Ticket was the 1-5 favourite in his $74,500 stakes event as he led wire-to-wire with Sears sitting behind. Marcus Melander trains the Chapter Seven-On The Wild Side colt for the ownership team of Amg Stable Inc., Kenneth Kjellgren, Heights Stable and Mantrop LLC. Wild Ticket powered away from his rivals late in the 1:57.1 mile to prevail by a resounding 8-3/4 lengths. Bargain and Seven Minute Abs rounded out the top three.

Sears won his third race of the evening when he piloted Inflation (Chapter Seven-Fraulein Blucher) to a 2:01 victory in a $20,000 Excelsior race for trainer Lucas Wallin. 

The other Excelsior divisiosn were won by Tobern, Sky Box and Voss Blue Chip.

Live harness racing continues on Saturday evening at Saratoga with a first post time set for 6:45 p.m.   

(With files from Saratoga Casino Hotel)