Last Goodbye made a late introduction to the leaders before bidding them farewell in the stretch as he closed from seventh to victory in the $37,500 Summer Sensation Claiming Series Final at Tioga Downs on Saturday, Sept. 6.

Last Goodbye dropped back to seventh for Mike Merton while Talbotcreekwhiskey (Greg Merton) led to the quarter in :26.4 and half in :56.  Entrench (Jim Pantaleano) came first-up heading down the backstretch and took over, soon to be challenged by Yachtsman (Todd Warren) en route to to three-quarters in 1:23.2 with Last Goodbye gathering speed three-wide. As they headed for home, Last Goodbye ($5.16) came flying and blew by his rivals to win by 1-3/4 lengths in in 1:52.2.  Entrench was a game second over Ima Happy Fella Gb (Tom Merton).

Last Goodbye made it two straight off-the-pace wins with the victory, which brought him the biggest purse of his career in 62 starts. The four-year-old gelding by Betting Line-Picked By An Angel has won seven times and earned $111,230. He is trained by Joe Pavia Jr. and owned by Jablonsky Held Stable and Joe Pavia Jr Stable Inc. 

The series was for horses in for a $13,500 tag. Crunch The Numbers ($5.04) won the $17,500 Summer Sensation Claiming Series Final of the $8,500 tag level in 1:54.4 with Mike Merton at the lines for trainer Paul Zabielski and owner Cameron Roberts. Marshall Zhukov ($33.70) took the $10,000 consolation for the upper level, and Hes A Sweetheart ($11.66) won the $8,500 lower-tier consolation.

Whiskey Lou ($3.52) proved much the best in the $22,222 Open Pace against male opponents, grinding first-up before powering clear by three lengths to score in 1:54.1 for trainer-driver Todd Warren and owner-breeder Randy Wilt. The mare has now won four of her past five starts

Joe Skowyra sent out three winners on the 13-race card: Huntressville A ($4.56) in the second race, Pembroke Ali ($6.90) in the seventh, and Little Instigator ($4.40) in the 11th. Skowyra has tallied 50 wins this season in 349 starts. He moved up to joint-fifth in the Tioga standings with Saturday's triple.

Mike Merton had a driving grand slam on the day.

Live racing returns to Tioga Downs on Sunday with a post time of 1 p.m.

(With files from Tioga Downs)