It was the Jim Morrill Jr. show on Saturday night at Tioga Downs that featured three divisions of the New York Sire Stakes for three-year-old colt pacers
, each for $51,209.
The fastest mile of the night came in the third division when Morrill steered Joey The Czar to an easy victory at 1-9 in 1:51.3.
However, the most impressive victory on the 12-race card was put up by reigning divisions New York Champion Hes Gorgeous. Morrill left with Hes Gorgeous from post position number eight, but found himself in heavy parked out traffic through an opening quarter of :26.3. Bruce Ranger and Triple Major fought their way to the front striking the half in a sparkling :54.3 as Morrill and Hes Gorgeous pressed the leader down the backstretch head-to-head reaching three quarters in a hotly contested 1:22.3. Morrill continued to work away on Hes Gorgeous and struck the front to draw clear of the field in the final strides in a new lifetime best of 1:51.4.
It was the fifth win of the year for the three-year-old son of Art Major-So Ravishing, who is trained by Linda Toscano for owner Ken Jacobs of Baldwinsville, New York. With the lion's share of the $51,209 purse, He's Gorgeous increased his seasonal bankroll to more than $214,000.
“I didn’t think we would have to go that much the first half, but we did and he raced great tonight. He is a good horse, but we will see whether he is as good as Kenneth J or not when we put him in the Breeder’s Crown later this year,” said owner Ken Jacobs in the winner’s circle when asked to compare to Kenneth J.
In the other $51,209 division, Jimmie Hanover and Jim Morrill Jr. coasted to victory in 1:54. The fractions were unusually slow to due a wreck in the first turn in which driver Bruce Ranger was unseated and Art Two D Two was loose on the track. Both horse and driver escaped from the mishap unscathed and Ranger went on to compete in all other races on the card.
(Tioga Downs)