After his two-year-old season culminated in a second-place finish in the Breeders Crown, In The Arsenal ($2.60) made good on his odds-on promise in one of four New York Sire Stakes events ($110,000 added total purse) for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings on Sunday (May 17) afternoon at Tioga Downs.
The son of American Ideal and Ladyotra (On The Road Again) settled well off the early pace, retreating to fourth after he was caught wide on the first turn behind eventual pacesetter Gold Coast Muscle (Mike Simons). In The Arsenal would stalk comfortably from midfield as Soto (Brett Miller) made a push to the fore after a :26.1 first quarter-mile, advancing in the breeze to press the pace on the backstretch. While able to make gradual gains on his own, he found another gear just before the far turn upon immediate asking from Brian Sears, making up two lengths on Soto through a :27.1 third quarter. In The Arsenal continued his pursuit in earnest, duelling with and just collaring Soto in the final yards, prevailing by a scant neck in 1:50. Oneisalonelynumber (David Miller) stayed on to finish third after following the winner's cover.
Kelvin Harrison trains seven-time winner In The Arsenal for owner/breeder White Birch Farm and the In The Arsenal Racing partnership. The colt is one of the top three ranked 2015 Pepsi North America Cup eligibles in Trot Magazine's Spring Book.
For Sears, the victory was one of three on the card, also teaming up with Time Out Im Tired ($25.00, 1:52.4) and JK Allnitelong ($8.80, 1:51.4) in a pair of Excelsior events on the undercard.
Art Major sired two of the other three New York Sire Stakes winners on the afternoon's program, with Yannick Gingras driving North America Cup eligible Sicily ($9.70, 1:51.1) and Cartoon Daddy ($4.30, 1:51.4) to victory in their respective divisions. National Seelster ($5.80, 1:51.4) -- who gave futile chase to Wiggle It Jiggleit in the $58,000 Gilmour at The Meadowlands in March -- captured the fourth division, with Andy Miller piloting the Bettors Delight colt.
A special Monday evening card is up next at Tioga Downs, with the first of 11 races on May 18 due off at 6:15 p.m. Eastern time.
(With files from Tioga Downs)