Emma Town Bud and trainer/driver Pierre Bovay prevailed off a pocket trip, nosing out the front-striding favourite Dewey Arnold at the wire in the $16,438 Winners Over Handicap Trot featured at Tioga Downs on Saturday, May 18.
Sent off as the overwhelming 2-5 bettors' choice, Dewey Arnold (Tyler Miller) was looking for his third straight win and made the lead at the :27.1 quarter mark over 8-1 shot Emma Town Bud then cruised through middle splits of :56.3 and 1:25. Popping the pocket, Emma Town Bud battled Dewey Arnold all the way down the stretch and got his nose to the wire first in a seasonal best 1:54.2 clocking, sparking a win payout of $18.40 for the upset. Dewey Arnold settled for second and Ima Diamond Babe (Braxten Boyd) finished two lengths behind in third.
Emma Town Bud, a seven-year-old gelding by Big Stick Lindy, is owned by Nicole Bovay Gurtner of Applehill, Ont. Coming off an Open victory at Monticello Raceway last time out on May 18, Emma Town Bud now has seven wins from 11 starts this season. The career winner of 19 races has more than $310,000 banked in purse earnings lifetime.
(With files from Tioga Downs)