Driver Tim Tetrick and trainer Linda Toscano swept the three-year-old Geers Stakes divisions at Tioga Downs on Monday afternoon (July 4), as both Missile J ($3.80) and Cut And Paste ($3.60) prevailed in convincing fashion.
In the $66,375 Geers for pacing colts and geldings, Missile J pushed clear of Mr Ds Dragon (driven by Jim Meittinis) midway along the first turn and went on to control the :57.1 opening half-mile before accelerating clear on the backstretch. The three-year-old American Ideal gelding used a :26.3 third quarter to get the jump on his eight rivals and ultimately bested the pocket foe, Mr Ds Dragon, by three and three-quarter lengths in 1:51.2. Fine Diamond (Matt Kakaley) circled belatedly to save third while detached from the top pair.
Missile J, now a seven-time winner, is owned by the KJ Stables, LLC and the Purple Haze Stables, LLC.
Cut And Paste took advantage of a pocket trip through the first eleven-sixteenths of the $53,375 filly division and tracked Mother Of Art (Mark MacDonald) before vaulting clear on approach to the far turn. As soon as Tetrick vacated the pocket with the Well Said filly, Cut And Post sprinted clear with authority. The now six-time winner mounted a six-length margin over eventual runner-up Encore Deo (Mike Simons) before Tetrick geared her down in the last 70 yards to a 1:53 triumph. Ghose Runner (Tom Jackson) used a third-over trip to take third, as she just missed Encore Deo for the place spot. Early pacesetter Mother Of Art faded on the far turn and finished last in the seven-filly field.
Cut And Paste is owned by the Stake Your Claim Stable, the Camelot Stable, and Fred Wallace.
Tetrick completed a driving hat trick on the nine-race card with Nitro Seelster ($3.60) in the $11,000 Open Pace. He fanned three-wide off the far turn and out-sprinted Andreos Kardia (Aaron Byron), who found a seam up the pegs in the last sixteenth with an abundance of pace, in 1:51.2.
Live racing will return to Tioga Downs on Friday (July 8). First post is slated for 6:30 p.m. (ET).
(Tioga Downs)