Tuesday’s matinee featured two divisions of the second leg of the Bunny Lake Pacing Series at Saratoga Casino Hotel.
North Country emerged from leg two as the only repeat winner after Billy Dobson piloted the Monica Krist trainee to her second-consecutive pocket-sitting victory.
After scoring a career-best 1:54.4 victory in leg one, North Country again got a two-hole trip while mirroring the moves of fellow leg one winner Gingerbred Girl. The favourite Always Watching, who finished third in the race in which North Country set her lifetime mark, came first over and slugged it out with Gingerbred Girl. North Country surged up the passing lane and got the best of her rivals while stopping the timer in 1:56.4 to head into the final the one to beat. Always Watching finished second while Gingerbred Girl had to settle for third.
In the afternoon’s other division, Tsimis toughed a first-over victory for trainer Andy Gardner and reinsman Jimmy Devaux.
Tsimis, the runner-up to North Country in leg one, had the daunting task of taking on her race’s big favourite Pursuit Of Speed, who recorded the fastest win of the series heading into next week’s Final when she cruised to a 1:54.3 score in leg one. This week, the Stalbaum trainee was again tough on the lead but succumbed to the pressure late from Tsimis, who proved best in 1:55.3 to spring the mild upset at odds of 5-1.
The inaugural Bunny Lake Pace Final will go for a purse of upwards of $30,000 and will be the feature on the matinee next Tuesday (Oct. 26).
Live racing resumes on Sunday (Oct. 24) at Saratoga with a card set to kick off at 12 p.m. (EDT).
(Saratoga Casino Hotel)