American Mercury ($6.50) overcame the outside post at the start, then overwhelmed Major March in the stretch to win the $118,800 New York Sire Stakes event for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings at Buffalo Raceway on Wednesday night (June 5).
Covering the mile in 1:52.4, in was the second straight NYSS victory for American Mercury.
"It's a steep hill to climb from the eight post here at Buffalo," Buter said after the race. "I left hard with him but when things straightened up, I let the leaders soften each other up."
Starting from the outside, American Mercury was able to use some early speed and drop into fourth heading up the backstretch the first time. Major March, Melodies Major and Price Hanover showed no mercy toward each other as they battled for early control.
After Major March (Jason Bartlett) put up a smoking opening panel of :26.4, American Mercury went first-over and was able to come to even terms with the pacesetter at the three-quarter pole in 1:24.1. In the meantime, the remaining six entrants found those splits too hot and started to retreat.
It boiled down to a match race in the stretch. American Mercury proved too strong for Major March and never looked back in scoring a 1-3/4 length win. Reigning Deo (Jim Morrill Jr.), the two-year-old New York Sire Stakes champion in 2018, was third, 10-1/4 lengths behind.
Trained by Chris Oakes for owners Crawford Farms, Northfork Racing Stable, Chuck Pompey and Scott Bice, it was the third win in fourth tries this season for American Mercury (American Ideal-Tessa Hanover). The gelding has now earned $105,050 this season and $142,670 lifetime.
There were two $15,000 divisions of the Excelsior A Series. Buter drove Quake Blue Chip ($3.00) to the opening bracket triumph, scoring by a neck over Murrow Boy (Bartlett) in 1:55.3. Buter swept the level with a half-length win aboard Rickybobbynthehaus ($4.10), who beat front-stepping Rollonhighway (Morrill) in 1:56.3.
The $6,600 Excelsior B Series race saw McNulty Z Tam (Pat Lachance) register a head victory over Dancing To Heaven (Shawn McDonough) in 1:57.3 and return $2.50 to his backers.
Buter and Billy Davis Jr. completed the evening with triples, while Oakes had three training victories and Sabrina Clevenger two.
Racing will resume on Friday evening (June 7) at 5 p.m. with a 12-race card slated.
For more information, including the latest news, race replays, results, entries, upcoming promotions and simulcast schedule, go to www.buffaloraceway.com.
(Buffalo Raceway)