Fresh off of his track record at Goshen, Flipper J proved that his mile was no fluke on Sunday afternoon in the Tompkins-Geers for three-year-old colt and gelding pacers at Tioga Downs, posting another track record in back-to-back starts
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Tim Tetrick was in controls behind Flipper J, who left from post position number five and quickly put the colt on the front end through fractions of :26.1 and :54.2.
Down the backside it was a two-horse breakaway as Rollem Up (George Brennan) kept tightly to the Tetrick helmet in two as the field passed three-quarters in 1:21.4.
Around the final turn, Brennan edged to the outside, but Flipper J was too strong and held on to win in a track and stakes record time of 1:49.3. RollEm Up was second, while Lucky Cadet (Andy Miller) was third.
“He’s got such good gate speed, and such quick versatile speed and today he was very good. I didn’t want to keep George’s horse in it down the backside that’s why we sprinted there and he responded well in the lane,” said winning driver Tim Tetrick following the victory.
In the other $33,460 division for three-year-old colt and gelding pacers, Major Belle posted a major upset at 36-1 for Jim Taggart Jr. in 1:53.
In the two-year-old colt pace divisions of the Tompkins-Geers, another Linda Toscano trainee equaled a stakes record mile with a 1:52 effort from Heston Blue Chip. Tetrick also did the driving on the two-year-old son of American Ideal-Shot Togo Bluechip for owner Ken Jacobs.
Other division winners for the two-year-old colt and gelding pacers included: Forever Just (Bettors Delight-Forever Cam) and Jody Jamieson in 1:55, Lawgiver Hanover (Art Major-Lauren Order) and George Brennan in 1:53, and Mr Erv (Art Major–Digga Digga) and Andy Miller 1:53.
Division winners for three-year-old colt and gelding trotters included: The Evictor (Valley Victory-Expressive Chip) and Andy Miller in 1:55.2, and Keenan (Credit Winner-Lookout Victory) and Jeff Gregory in 1:55, which established a new Tompkins-Geers stakes record for three-year-old colt and gelding trotters.
(With files from Tioga Downs)