Prairie Fortune and driver Jim Meittinis used come-from-behind tactics to capture Saturday’s $12,000 Open Handicap Trot at Tioga Downs.
Groovey Kid (Wally Hennessey) led to the first quarter in :28.1. Rose Run Rudi (Aaron Byron) then took charge to lead to the half in :56.3 and three-quarters in 1:25.3.
Prairie Fortune ($3.60), who is owned by trainer Mike Deters and Laurie Poulin, was fourth after three-quarters. He went flying around the final turn and cruised to an easy win in 1:55.3. Celebrity Eventsy (Haralabos Giannoulis) finished a distant second. BJ Lorado (Jim Taggart, Jr.) was third.
Prairie Fortune is a seven-year-old gelding by Arapa Victory. He won for the fifth time this season. He now has reached the winner's circle 52 times in his career.
Gold Star Mysti, in rein to Corey Braden, was an upset winner in the $11,000 Fillies & Mares Open.
Truth And Liberty (Mike Simons) put up all the early fractions of :27.3, :55.4 and 1:24.2, but she failed to go the distance.
Gold Star Mysti ($32.20), who is owned by the Gold Star Farm and trained by John Hallett, was in sixth after three-quarters. Gigi From Fiji (Wally Hennessey) took over the lead at the top of the stretch but Gold Star Mysti wrestled the lead away in deep stretch to hit the finish line first in 1:53.2. Gig From Fiji settled for second money. Truth And Liberty held for third.
Gold Star Mysti is a six-year-old mare by Mysticism. It was her fifth win in 2019. She now owns 23 career victories.
Tioga Downs returns to live racing on Sunday with a 12 race card starting at 1:00 p.m.
(Tioga Downs)