A field of nine pacers will line up behind the starting gate on Sunday, June 21 at Tioga Downs for the $75,000 finale of the Rags To Riches Pacing Series.
Derek Bromac N leads the nine pacers as the 5-2 morning line favourite after last week’s 1:53 victory in the semi-final round for trainer Rick Plano. Greg Merton drove the nine-year-old gelding to victory last week, but Plano has enlisted his son, Luke, with the driving duties for the final.
Another major contender fighting for the rights to call themselves Rags to Riches champion is Scotts Rolls Royce. The seven-year-old gelded son of Western Ideal was claimed for $5,000 at Buffalo Raceway on January 14 by trainer Todd Luther. Since then, Scotts Rolls Royce has posted nine wins, four seconds, and two thirds in 19 starts for Luther, including a win in the Open Handicap pace at Buffalo Raceway. The duo, listed as the 7-2 second choice, will start from Post 2 in the $75,000 event, slated as Race 7 on the 12-dash card.
McArdles Charm and Mark Gingrich have drawn the rail for the final and have been listed as the 9-2 third choice. Bucky Angle, Jr. trains the four-year old son of McArdle for Charles Harvey, Jr. of Dowingtown, Pennsylvania, who claimed McArdles Charm for $7,000 on April 17 at Pocono Downs. McArdles Charm cruised to victory in the opening leg of the Rags To Riches in 1:52.3, but endured a tough first-over trip in the semi-finals as the 8-5 betting favourite and could only manage a fourth-place finish.
The field for the $75,000 final of the Rags To Riches Pacing Series is below.
$75,000 Rags To Riches
PP - Horse - Driver - Trainer
1 - McArdles Charm - Mark Gingrich - Bucky Angle, Jr.
2 - Scotts Rolls Royce - Jimmy Whisman - Todd Luther
3 - My Wicked Willie - Richard Sillverman - Mark Kesmodel
4 - Escape Attack - Anthony Napolitano - James Quinn
5 - Derek Bromac N - Luke Plano - Rick Plano
6 - False Alarm - Ken Holliday - Sherri Holliday
7 - Glossy N - TBA - Ismailaki Kazani
8 - Hobby Art Benka - Claude Huckabone III - Joseph Sansone
9 - Stettin Hanover - Jordan Stratton - Lonny Hale
(With files from Tioga)