Top New York-sired three-year-old fillies and a collection of the finest four-year-old pacers and trotters in harness racing head to Upstate New York for Memorial Day weekend, as they headline the weekend's racing at Tioga and Vernon Downs.
Saturday (May 23) evening's card at Vernon Downs features three divisions of the New York Sire Stakes ($110,000 added) for three-year-old trotting fillies, with first-round winners Lindy Land (John MacDonald) and Magic City (Jeff Gregory) squaring off in the second division, eighth race. Shaqline (Jim Morrill Jr.), also a winner in last week's opening Sire Stakes round at Tioga, does battle in a full field of nine in the opening split, carded as race seven.
Stakes action shifts to Tioga on Monday (May 25) afternoon, with the new Graduate Series for four-year-olds kicking off on the Memorial Day program. Eleven trotters and thirteen pacers were split into two divisions for each gait, and each split carries a purse of $37,500. Last year's top three-year-old trotting filly Shake It Cerry (Jimmy Takter) will try to beat the boys, facing Datsyuk (Charlie Norris) -- who beat Father Patrick in the Tompkins Stakes at Tioga last year -- and Gural Hanover (Jim Morrill Jr.) in their five-horse, fifth race. The pacing divisions of the Graduate see Cane Pace winner Lyonssomewhere (Andy Miller) and Little Brown Jug winner Limelight Beach (Yannick Gingras) draw separate divisions, contesting races nine and 11, respectively.
In addition, Monday's Tioga program features the New York Sire Stakes ($110,000 added) for three-year-old pacing fillies and the sensational JK Shesalady (Tim Tetrick) makes her much-awaited seasonal debut for trainer Nancy Johansson after sweeping all 12 of her races last year. She has been installed the 3-5 morning line favourite in the $31,050 eighth race.
Both racetracks feature fireworks displays this weekend, taking place after the races on Saturday (May 23) at Vernon and Sunday (May 24) evening at Tioga. Likewise, on Memorial Day (Monday, May 25), fans can receive a camouflage baseball cap at both tracks (while supplies last), with the hat giveaway beginning an hour before first post.
(Tioga Downs/Vernon Downs)