Empire Breeders, Roll With Joe Drawn

Top New York-sired three-year-old pacers will contest a pair of Empire Breeders Classic finals on Sunday (August 23) at Tioga Downs, while the 2015 renewal of the Roll With Joe attracted a half-dozen veteran pacers.

Pacing fillies vie for $269,000 in their Empire Breeders Classic event (which has been carded as Race 6), and Divine Caroline (who has drawn Post 2) has been installed the 2-1 morning line favourite.

The daughter of Rock N Roll Heaven vaulted clear from the pocket for a 1:49.4 win in her elimination last week. She previously earned runner-up honours in the Shady Daisy and Mistletoe Shalee earlier in the season. David Miller will drive the four-time winner for trainer Joe Holloway. The field of nine will also feature fellow elimination winners Band Of Angels (to be driven by Yannick Gingras from Post 3) and Moremercy Bluechip (Andy Miller, Post 4).

The $290,000 final for the pacing colts and geldings has been carded as Race 7. In The Arsenal (Post 2) rebounded well in his elimination after a pair of off-the-board finishes in the Meadowlands Pace and the Cane Pace. He controlled the terms in his elimination and recorded a 1:49.3 triumph for driver Brian Sears. The Kelvin Harrison trainee has been installed part of an 8-5 favoured entry, along with Betting Exchange (Post 7, Yannick Gingras). Casie Coleman trainee Arque Hanover (Post 1), the other elimination winner, will receive the driving services of George Brennan, as Sears opted to remain with In The Arsenal.

The ninth race on the Sunday afternoon program is the Roll With Joe for free-for-all pacers, and a select field of six will vie for the $150,000 purse. Trainer Ron Burke will send out two of the six starters, with Foiled Again (Post 5, Yannick Gingras) leading the sentimental interests.

Foiled Again, an 84-time career winner, has amassed more than $7 million in overall earnings, but he has only recorded one win to date this season – he narrowly prevailed in the Battle of Lake Erie at Northfield Park in June.

U.S. Pacing Championship winner State Treasurer (Post 2) has been installed as the 6-5 morning line favourite following his dominant 1:47 triumph at the Meadowlands Racetrack just two weeks ago. Trainer Dr. Ian Moore has once again enlisted David Miller to drive the six-year-old son of Real Desire.

Track record holder Doo Wop Hanover (Post 6) will return to Tioga as well, having paced a 1:47.4 mile in his Graduate event on Memorial Day. John Campbell will be back in the bike for trainer Steve Elliott.

The Roll With Joe will also feature Clear Vision (Post 1, Brett Miller), Doctor Butch (Post 3, Brian Sears) and Dancin Yankee (Post 4, Jim Morrill Jr.).

First-race post time for the star-studded Sunday program is slated for 1:30 p.m. (ET).

(With files from Tioga)

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