Prairie Fortune ($3.20) and driver Jim Meittinis won the featured $12,000 Open Trot at Tioga Downs on Saturday night (July 8).
Dragin The Wagon (Aaron Byron) jumped out to the early lead and cut out all the early fractions of :28.1, :57.4 and 1:25.4. Prairie Fortune was fifth place at the halfway point and went first-over at the middle of the backstretch. Owned by Laurie Poulin and trainer Mike Deters, the five-year-old Arapa Victory gelding took the lead by the top of the stretch and held off a late bid by Picture This (Charlie Norris) to win for the fifth time this season in 1:54.1. Picture This finished three-quarters of a length behind in second with Dragin The Wagon holding on for third.
For Meittinis, it was his second win of the evening. He also won with Lilys Swan Pond ($2.40), who finished in a dead heat victory with Yooooukilis ($5.20) and driver Jeff Long.
Uriel ($3.40) and Tony Dinges took the STAC Amateur race at Tioga Downs. Owned by Enos Van Stanhope III along with Dinges, who also trains, the six-year-old Explosive Matter gelding won in gate-to-wire fashion in 1:58.1. Uriel won for the second time this season. Yankee Manny (Mario Dessureault) finished second and Thekeptman (Fred Cohen) was third.
Live racing resumes at Tioga Downs on Sunday (July 9) with a 13-race card beginning at 1 p.m.
(With files from Tioga Downs)