Andreios Kardia ($6.10) had no trouble overcoming his assigned post nine in Monday (September 5) afternoon's featured $13,000 Open Handicap Pace at Tioga Downs, using a :54.4 back half to trounce his eight Labour Day rivals.

Andreios Kardia was among a host of early leavers, including All Stienam (Brandon Arsenault) and Flying Cowboy (Kyle DiBenedetto). Despite being forced to travel wide on the entirety of the first turn, the five-year-old Badlands Hanover gelding achieved the lead through a :26.4 first quarter and would never look back. After driver Aaron Byron rated a brief second-quarter breather, Andreios Kardia used another :26.4 quarter to gain separation on his competition, ultimately drawing clear by six and a quarter lengths to defeat the late-rallying Dees Rocketman (Tyler Freese) and F Twenty Two (Corey Braden) -- both of whom took advantage of chain-reaction interference in the second flight to make their late bids -- in 1:49.4.

Jeffrey Byron trains 13-time winner Andreios Kardia for owner/breeder Ina Madill of Innisfil, Ont.

Two weekends of racing remain in the 2016 season at Tioga Downs. The next program is scheduled for Friday (September 9) evening, with post time slated for 6:30 p.m. Eastern.

(With files from Tioga Downs)