Driver Mike Merton and trainer Rob Harmon combined for a grand slam on Sunday, July 26 at Tioga Downs, with Merton adding another tally for five wins on the 11-race program.
The duo set the tone early, snagging the opener with American Pastime ($3.36) in 1:53.4, then rattled off a natural hat trick together in races seven through nine. The late-card winners were Carronsidelegcy Gb ($6.10, 1:52.1), Soho Skyfall A ($9.22, 1:52.1) and Coalford Hitman Gb ($7.64, 1:51). Merton also won with the Josh Kinney-trained Bettor Sun ($4.76, 1:54.2) in the fifth race.
Harmon extended his lead in the Tioga trainers' standings to eight over Mike Deters and Michelle Warner, who are tied for second. He has 27 local victories this season and is 121-for-627 overall.
Merton has 53 wins at Tioga this meet, good for fourth on the leaderboard. He is striking at a 22 per cent rate across all tracks with 226 victories in 1,023 starts.
Matai Phil N was a gate-to-wire winner for driver Lauren Tritton and trainer Augie Abbatiello Jr. in the $20,423 Open Pace. Matai Phil N went straight to the front from post five and put up fractions of :26.1, :56.3 and 1:24.3. He quickly dispatched the first-over Marvellous Mac A (Mike Merton) on the last bend and motored home to win by 1-1/2 lengths in 1:51.3. Livonjaxandqueens (Tom Merton) finished second over Red Blooded (Jim Pantaleano). The winner, a six-year-old Washington Vc-Matai Katie gelding, is four-for-23 this year for Durazzano Stable LLC. Sunday's win was his 11th lifetime in 55 starts. He paid $3.98 to win.
Live racing returns to Tioga Downs on Thursday, July 30, starting at 6:15 p.m.
(With files from Tioga Downs; photo of Mike Merton in 2024)