Grand Circuit glamour boy Madden Oaks took on New York Sire Stakes (NYSS) competition on Sunday afternoon, Aug. 17 at Tioga Downs, winning the $172,083 event for regular reinsman Braxten Boyd and trainer Cameron Capone.
The slightly favoured Fast Choice (Jason Bartlett), a two-time NYSS winner this year, was fastest to the quarter out of post eight in :26. Parked from a post six start, Madden Oaks, who was placed first in the Meadowlands Pace and was a close runner-up in the North America Cup and Cane Pace, took over around the clubhouse turn, hitting the half in :54. He cleared to command but his lead was short lived as Ima Perfect Choice (Matt Kakaley) forged ahead and led to three-quarters in 1:20.2. As the field of nine reached the stretch, Madden Oaks popped the pocket and swooped by to win in 1:49.2 by three-quarters of a length. Ima Perfect Choice settled for second with his Travis Alexander stablemate, Silky Choice (Ridge Warren), closing quickly from the backfield for third, both stepping up from the Excelsior Series.
Madden Oaks has hit the board in all 14 of his career starts, earning $888,231. The Huntsville-Hard Eighth colt, now a seven-time winner, is owned by Samir Tawil of Syracuse, New York and Paul Kautz of Franklin Lakes, New Jersey. along with Alexander Henn and Nathan Fullmer of Manlius, New York.
Sent postward as the even-money second choice in his first NYSS outing this year, he paid $4.10 to win.
Driver Jason Bartlett swept both $27,777 Excelsior divisions with the favoured 1:52 winners Digging For Gold ($2.10), trained by George Ducharme, and Forward Flash ($2.80), trained by Kelvin Harrison.
Bartlett also drove former Ontario Sires Stakes winner Santana Hanover to a career-best 1:49.2 victory in the $23,611 Open Pace. The five-year-old Big Jim-So Artsi gelding is currently campaigned by trainer Joe Bongiorno.
(Standardbred Canada with files from Tioga Downs)