John Cummings Jr. enjoyed a banner Saturday (June 11) at Tioga Downs, taking the lone $7,500 second-round Williams Auto Group late-closing preliminary race with Makers Mass ($3.70, part of entry) as part of a four-win night.
Makers Mass used a first-over blitz on approach to the far turn to wear down and sprint off from Thats A Bad Boy (Tyler Freese) at the eighth pole. The three-year-old Muscle Mass gelding drew off by three and a half lengths for a decisive 1:55.3 triumph over Thats A Bad Boy, while Golden Son (Gary Clark) stalked the winner's cover loosely en route to a third-place finish.
Megan Wilson trains Muscle Mass for owner/breeder Alan Hainsworth.
Later in the evening, Cummings found a seam up the pegs on the far turn with Allen Sisco trainee Stratocaster ($8.40), sprinting through for a 1:51.1 win in the featured $9,000 Open 2 Pace over Mortal Zin (Aaron Byron) and Pierce (Nick Surick).
Cummings also teamed up with DC Flashback ($9.80, 1:56.2) and Angs Delight ($4.00, 1:54.1) on the 13-race card.
The top trotting event of the evening, an $8,200 upper-level conditioned event, saw Prairie Fortune ($13.80) sweep clear off a far-turn duel, drawing off by two and a quarter lengths for a 1:55.1 victory in rein to Jim Meittinis.
The 50-cent Pick 5 was hit for $288.25, nearly five times what the corresponding win parlay would yield. The sequence closed with an authoritative front-end 1:57.1 win from odds-on favourite Brandos Muscle Man and driver Monica Banca in a $6,000 C.K.G. Billings event for amateur drivers.
Live racing returns to Tioga Downs on Sunday (June 12) afternoon, with a blockbuster 15-race card due to begin at 1:30 p.m. Eastern.
(Tioga Downs)