Fresh off the claim in the final preliminary leg of the Niatross Knockout Series, Swat Team Stable's Terror Of Thetrack got up for the narrow win in the $29,500 series final at Buffalo Raceway on Saturday night
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Terror of Thetrack ($9.30), leaving from the pylons in the field of eight and driven by John Cummings, Jr., settled in second as eventual second place finisher Brandons Art (Dan Noble) shot right to the lead from Post 5 and cut all the fractions in the race, :29.2, :59.2, and 1:29.3.
As the field hit the top of the stretch, it was quite obvious, it was a two-horse race to the finish. Cummings took Terror Of Thetrack to the inside of Brandons Art and a :28.3 last quarter-mile put the winner a nose in front at the wire in 1:58.2. Classy Fun (Ray Fisher, Jr.) came in third.
It was the second win this season for Terror Of Thetrack, who was claimed for $7,000 last week. The six-year-old Western Terror gelding out of the Coal Harbor mare Over The Coals is trained by Mike Pokornowski.
“I was really surprised nobody went after Dan’s horse [Brandons Art] at the start of the race,” said Cummings. “I got a perfect pocket trip and my horse really responded once I took him inside Dan’s horse.”
The $14,750 share of the winning purse put Terror Of Thetrack’s season bankroll at $20,042 and lifetime earnings at $54,551.
(With files from Buffalo Raceway)