Favourites prevailed in both co-featured $9,000 Open 2 pacing events Monday evening at Tioga Downs, as Some Kinda Beach and Flying Cowboy lived up to their respective billing.
Some Kinda Beach ($3.80) scored a repeat win off an open-length 1:50.1 triumph at Vernon, but utilized different tactics on the rise in class to capture the evening's fourth event. Mike Merton slid the six-year-old Somebeachsomewhere entire second-over to track Vangura (Corey Braden) on the clubhouse turn, stalking live cover through a :27 third quarter as Vangura briefly headed pacesetter Winyard Hanover (Jim Meittinis). Merton abruptly angled Some Kinda Beach three-wide on the far turn, losing momentum briefly as Vangura faded sharply, but the pair quickly reset and lifted to a half-length win in 1:51.2. Mariner Seelster (Scott Coulter) found a seam up the pegs to claim second, while Winyard Hanover was an engulfed third, only beaten by three-quarters of a length.
Patti Harmon trains the 18-time winner Some Kinda Beach for the Harmon Racing Stable, Karma Racing Inc and Punctuality LLC.
While Some Kinda Beach rallied off cover to prevail in his Open 2 event, Flying Cowboy ($5.00) earned his third straight victory in pillar-to-post fashion, capturing the eighth event in an identical time of 1:51.2. Mike Simons wasted no time with the six-year-old Brandons Cowboy gelding, working clear of Dragon Fever (John MacDonald) through a :27.1 first quarter. The 30-time winner subsequently turned aside a stout first-over challenge from Dees Rocketman (Fern Paquet, Jr.) off the far turn before also repelling an inside bid from Dragon Fever to prevail by 1-1/4 lengths. Dees Rocketman faded to third.
Joe Skowyra trains Flying Cowboy for owner Wade Wyatt.
Live racing returns to Tioga Downs on Friday (August 19) evening, with post time scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
(Tioga Downs)