Pantaleano Wins Half Of Tioga's Thursday Matinee

Harness racing at Tioga Downs

Driver Jim Pantaleano ruled Tioga Downs on a rare mid-August Thursday matinee.

Pantaleano drove five winners on the 10-race card while teaming up with trainer Kevin Reynolds Jr. for three of his visits to victory lane. They combined for wins with Samosa Hanover ($2.90), Johnny Chip ($8.90) and Elysium Seelster ($18.80). Pantaleano also won with Smooch ($3.70), trained by Randy Taft, and So Diva ($4.20) for the Michelle Warner stable.

Driver Ridge Warren worked out a perfect pocket trip for Forgot Thewallet A ($22.40) to take the afternoon's featured $13,889 fillies and mares conditioned pace. After tracking In The Spotlight N (Tyler Miller) through fractions of :27.2, :56.3 and 1:24.1, Forgot Thewallet A sprinted by easily for the 1:51.3 victory by four lengths. Alta Madeira N (Mike Merton) rallied for second and April Ava (Braxten Boyd) finished third.
A seven-time winner this year from 20 starts, the seven-year-old mare by Heston Blue Chip is trained by Maria Rice and owned by Dr. Michael Miller and Team Rice Racing.

Live harness racing returns to Tioga Downs on Saturday, Aug. 1, with a 12-race card starting at 6:15 p.m. There is no racing on Friday, Aug. 16.

(With files from Tioga Downs)

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