While steady rain in the Southern Tier made for sloppy going by the end of Saturday (September 12) evening's 10-race card, the spirits of those backing Jim Marohn Jr. were anything but dampened by his six-win performance on the Closing Night program at Tioga Downs.
The "Mighty Mite Part Two" reeled off five wins in the first six races, teaming up with Take Charge Karl ($3.50, 1:55.2), Smellthecolornine ($5.50, 1:54.4), Race Me Rocky ($15.00, 1:54.2), Bugger Bruiser ($17.80, 1:52.1), and Ruthless Ace ($5.50, 1:55.1).
In the closing race of the season, a co-featured $14,000 Open Trot, Marohn wasted no time taking charge with Swishnflick ($6.10), sprinting clear of Lutetium (Corey Braden) early on and edging away from a first-over challenge by B Yoyo (Joe Bongiorno) at the top of the stretch. The five-year-old Kadabra mare beat the boys by four lengths in 1:55 over sloppy going, with Bourbon Bay (John Cummings, Jr.) emerging from traffic to just nab Lutetium for second. Arthur Green trains Swishnflick for owner Kenneth Westerside.
The other featured event on the evening's card, a $14,000 Mares Open Pace, saw Arodasi ($9.90) sustain a first-over move out of mid-field, working clear of pacesetter and odds-on favourite Icommandmyspirit (Cummings) in mid-stretch while holding sway of pocket rival Southwind Trini (Marohn) for a 1:53.2 victory. Mike Simons handled the driving duties of the six-year-old Western Terror mare for owner/trainer Joe Pavia Jr. and co-owners Peter Shank, Joseph Barbera, and the AGC Stables.
With the 61-program season at Tioga Downs in the books, Mike Simons was crowned the leading driver, amassing 82 wins on the meet over Marohn Jr.'s 76. The race for leading trainer went to Gary Messenger, harnessing 32 winners over Ronnie Morales III's 28.
Mach It A Par was named Pacer of the Year, having reeled off six wins at Tioga in 10 starts, rallying from off the pace to be a formidable force in top distaff events. Dan Clements owns the mare, while Morales III handled the training duties. Bourbon Bay took Trotter of the Year honours, breaking the track record for trotters on Opening Night with a front-end 1:52.1 mile and not looking back, earning seven wins in 12 local starts on the season. John Cummings Jr. leases the gelding, with Megan Wilson training.
Racing will return to Tioga Downs in May of 2016. For updates on the 11th season of harness racing in the Southern Tier, visit tiogadowns.com.
(Tioga Downs)