The New York Sire Stakes rolled into Nichols, New York on Friday night featuring three divisions for New York bred three-year-old colt and gelding trotters
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Posting the fastest mile for the three divisions was Archangel (Jim Morrill Jr.) in the second split for $44,266. Leaving from post position number six, Morrill put Archangel into play past the opening quarter in :28.4 taking over control of the race from Flyhawk Jester (Stephane Bouchard). The duo raced in line through fractions of :57.2 and 1:26.3 until the pair straightened up through the stretch, but Archangel was too strong posting a :27.4 final quarter to win in 1:54.2. The mile established a new lifetime mark for the three-year-old son of Credit Winner-Michelles Angel, who is trained by Peter Arrigenna. Flyhawk Jester held tough for second, while New York Attitude (Fern Paquet Jr.) was third.
The night’s third division featured the high-priced Royal Shyster versus the hometown connected Coraggioso for Tioga Downs regular Phil Fluet. Fluet placed Coraggioso on the lead early and then relinquished the lead to Royal Shyster, who made a brief break going to the three-eighth’s pole. After regaining his composure past the :28 opening quarter, Royal Shyster and Brennan cut through fractions of :57.2 and 1:26. As they straightened up in the stretch, the field was circling the leader and Fluet was overloaded with trot looking for daylight. Coraggioso and Fluet eventually found the room they needed to win by a length in 1:55.4. Fluet trains the three-year-old son of Conway Hall–Electra Hanover for Joe Spadaro and Tom Durkin, both of New York.
Delano, driven by trainer Ray Schnittker, was an impressive front-end winner in the first division in a new lifetime-best of 1:54.4 while making his sophomore debut. The Credit Winner-Kelly Hall colt is owned by Schnittker, Tom Vassiliou, and New York's Nicholas Tallarico and the Delano Stable.
(With files from Tioga Downs)