Binge On Yankee Stuns At 43-1 In Gerrity Memorial

Binge On Yankee

Binge On Yankee sprung the biggest upset in the 16-year history of the Joe Gerrity Jr. Memorial Pace on Saturday, July 19 at Saratoga Casino Hotel, winning the $342,466 Grade 2 stakes as the longest shot on the board.

He pulled off the 43-1 shocker as he parlayed his pocket ride to victory in the richest race of the year at the Spa. Braxten Boyd sat behind the Todd Luther-trained pacer, who drew the rail for his try in the signature event.

The heavily favoured Desperate Man (Matt Kakaley) assumed the early lead and cruised through a first half in splits of :27 and :55.2. As Desperate Man took on a pair of rivals through three-quarters in 1:23, Binge On Yankee sat comfortably in the two-hole before finding room up the rail when he got loose late in the stretch. Desperate Man battled but wound up second by a neck to the longshot winner as Binge On Yankee surged to score in 1:51.1 for the biggest win of his career. Howlenthehills (Ridge Warren) earned the show spot. The win price was $89.50.

Binge On Yankee, a five-year-old son of Stay Hungry-Bootleg Yankee, passed the half-million-dollar earnings mark as he built his bankroll to $628,381. Greg Luther Racing LLC of Blacklick, Ohio owns the gelding, a 16-time winner in 76 lifetime appearances. Binge On Yankee is five-for-20 this year.

Todd Luther became the 16th different trainer to win the Gerrity, while Braxten Boyd became the 15th unique driver to score a victory in the race's history. Only Jason Bartlett has prevailed multiple times in the Gerrity. 

Bartlett highlighted a five-win performance on the 14-race card with a sweep of the two New York Sire Stakes (NYSS) divisions for rookie pacing males. 

He guided the undefeated Fragment to a third straight victory in the $102,055 first split as the Huntsville-The Show Returns colt got every call in a three-length 1:54.3 decision. Lakewood Nick (Brett Beckwith) was second-best, and Ideal Rebel (Tyler Buter) finished third. The winner, who took a new lifetime mark, is trained by Per Engblom for Engblom Stable LLC and Douglas Sipple. Fragment has won all three races in NYSS events.

Coming off a dominant debut win, Quickaway stayed perfect as he motored down the stretch for Bartlett to capture the $103,973 second division by a neck over Hunt Off The Press (Buter) in 1:55.3. Casper The Ghost (Ray Schnittker) completed the ticket. Quickaway, an American Ideal-Logans Girl colt, races for trainer Blake MacIntosh and owners Ozzie Mackay, Gilles Landry, and Robert MacNeil.

Bartlett also won the $21,918 Open Handicap Pace with Street Hawk N, who grinded out a first-over trip and pushed his head in front at the line to prevail in 1:51.4 over Prairie Rocknroll (Phil Fluet). Little Willy (Beckwith) was third. The winning seven-year-old Bettors Delight-Racketeers Girl gelding is four-for-eight this year since moving to North America for trainer Scott Blackler and owner Chad Kowal. 

Bartlett's other two wins on the card were with Shakeitonthebeach ($4.50) and Blank Stare ($2.80). The reinsman, coming off a career-best season in earnings, is on pace for his fourth straight year with more than 600 wins and $10 million in earnings.

The winners of the $27,397 Excelsior Series divisions for two-year-old pacing colts and geldings were Southwind Iron ($6.20) and Shakeitonthebeach.

Live harness racing at Saratoga Raceway resumes on Monday with a matinee program that begins at noon.

(Saratoga Raceway & Standardbred Canada) 

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