Katies Red Rose and Kevin Hough used an off the pace journey to set up for victory in the $14,000 Open Handicap Trot on Friday night at Tioga Downs

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The five-year-old Chip Chip Hooray-Rose Run Edition mare scored her third victory of the season for the Gates Mills Stable and Richard Paltani of Ohio. Mark Ford trains Katies Red Rose and is currently second in the training rankings through 22 race nights of the 2009 race season. The mile of 1:57 was a new seasonal mark for the trotting mare, and was just a fifth of a second off the lifetime mark established last year at Northfield Park. Witch And Famous (Bruce Clarke) rallied from sixth at the top of the stretch to get second, while Keystone Empire (Richard Simard) despite a tough first over grind hung on for third.

Tioga Down’s leading driver Jimmy Marohn Jr. added to his lead on Friday night with a driving grand slam. Marohn’s wins came with Divines Delight (Race 2), Nicky J (Race 3), Bathing Beauty (Race 5), and Righteous (Race 7). Through 22 days of racing Marohn has posted 35 wins at Tioga Downs.

(Tioga Downs)