Last year’s two-year-old New York Sire Stakes champion pacer, Hes Gorgeous, won for the first time this year in 1:55.4 for owner Ken Jacobs at Buffalo Raceway
Sunday afternoon. With only four divisions contested, each division was worth $39,638.
The prohibitive favourite in the race, Hes Gorgeous ($2.40) settled in fourth as Real Gentleman (Jim Morrill, Jr.) hit the quarter in :28.3. Real Gentleman broke soon after, and caused mass confusion. Hes Gorgeous and driver Jason Bartlett, were lucky to avoid the commotion.
Bartlett put Hes Gorgeous on the lead and hit the half in :58.1 followed by the three-quarters in 1:27.2. A :28.2 last quarter-mile put the winner 6-3/4 lengths in front of Bullish Blue Chip (Kevin Cummings) at the finish line. Mystery Island (Stephane Bouchard) was third.
"He’s a pretty handy horse and he had to be", said Bartlett with a laugh. "With all the traffic problems in the race, I thought he handled himself really well”.
Trained by Linda Toscano, the $19,819 share of the winning purse put Hes Gorgeous’ lifetime earnings at $345,266. It was his tenth win in 15 lifetime starts.
The fastest mile of the afternoon was turned in by Windfall Blue Chip and reinsman Jim Morrill, Jr., who also won for the first time this year with a 1:54.4 clocking. Windfall Blue Chip, a son of Art Major, left from post seven in the field of eight and quickly took command of the race. He set fractions of :28.4, :56.3 and 1:25.2 en route to winning by 3-1/4 lengths over Upfront Cosmo (Jason Bartlett).
“I waited to see how he felt, before I took off with him”, said Morrill. “Once we got to the lead, he was just fine”.
George Teague Jr., trains Windfall Blue Chip who now has $283,361 in lifetime earnings.
The other Sire Stakes winner’s were Screenplay ($4.00) and driver Jimmy Whittemore, who in just four starts, remains undefeated, and Forty Carrots ($11.00) with Brian Allen in the sulky.
Racing will resume on Wednesday, June 23, with first post scheduled for 6:40 p.m.
(Buffalo Raceway)