After his late push to the fore in last week's Open, Hititoutofthepark ($3.10) earned his third straight win in his $38,440 Arthur Tompkins Memorial Stakes division on Friday (July 1) evening at Tioga Downs.
Mike Simons situated the three-year-old Yankee Glide ridgling behind the live cover of Tight Lines (Jeff Gregory) on the backstretch, towed closer to pacesetter Steed (Matt Kakaley) through middle fractions of :57.1 and 1:26.2 before making his three-wide push in the final 300 yards. Hititoutofthepark accelerated off the far turn, working clear in mid-stretch and accelerating to hold sway of the late-rallying Blownoutofthewater (Jim Morrill Jr.) in 1:55.2. Steed, while collared after repelling his first-over rival, checked in third after his game front-trotting effort.
John Butenschoen trains nine-time winner Hititoutofthepark for the Give It A Shot Stable, Kurt Welling, and the VIP Internet Stable.
Dominion Beach ($80) upset in his $38,940 Tompkins division, surging up late to collar the first-over odds-on favourite Cufflink Hanover in 1:54.2. Marcus Johansson drove the son of Muscle Hill for Courant AB and trainer Nancy Johansson.
In the two $27,690 Tompkins splits for fillies, Goosebump Hanover ($5.60, Morrill, 1:55.2) lunged to the fore off second-over spotting, and Celebrity Eventsy ($2.30, John Campbell, 1:54.4) edged clear of her foes handily after brushing to the fore with a circuit to go.
The Geers Stakes for three-year-old pacers headline Monday (July 4) afternoon's program at Tioga, with $119,750 in aggregate purses on the line. Art Rooney winner Missile J (Tim Tetrick) headlines the $66,375 split for colts and geldings, carded as the fifth of nine races on the Independence Day program. Racing returns most immediately to Tioga on Saturday (July 2) evening, with the first of nine races due off at 6:30 p.m. Eastern.
(Tioga Downs)