Driver Jason Bartlett dominated the New York Excelsior Series finals, winning five of the eight $74,324 divisions on Friday, Sept. 13 at Vernon Downs.
Bartlett's first winning drive in the Excelsior finals was with All Star Racing's homebred two-year-old pacing filly Fashion Terror, who cruised to an easy win in a career-best 1:53.2. Mark Ford trains the Huntsville-High Fashion Model filly, who is now four-for-seven in her career. Princess America (Matt Kakaley) finished second and Feeling Right (Mark MacDonald) was third.
Inn Of The Stars and Bartlett captured the two-year-old filly trot. The daughter of Chapter Seven-Mets Inn equalled her lifetime mark of 1:57, winning for the fourth time in seven starts. Inn Of The Stars is trained by John Butenshoen and owned by Bay Pond Racing Stable. Flashchap (Jordan Stratton) was second and Tuff Stuff (John Stark Jr.) finished third.
It Wasnt Me brought Bartlett back to the winner's circle after a 1:54.2 triumph in the three-year-old colt and gelding trot. Michelle Warner trains the Chapter Seven-Sonnet Grace gelding for Big Sky Ranch. It Wasnt Me picked up his third career win from 18 starts as he defeated Ramborain (MacDonald) and Sky Box (Wally Hennessey).
Bartlett then guided Invictus to a 1:53 career-best victory in the two-year-old colt and gelding pace for trainer Roland Mallar and owner Jeffrey Nanna. The Huntsville-Dark Force gelding improved his record to three-for-seven. Digging For Gold (Stratton) finished second and Groovin Will (Greg Merton) was third.
Bartlett drove his fifth Excelsior winner in the three-year-old colt and gelding pace with the Deborah Daguet-trained Escape To America (pictured above) scoring in 1:51.4 over defending champion Pop It (MacDonald) and Ideal Par (Kakaley). The American Ideal-Flirtiscape colt, who now boasts nine wins in 22 starts, is owned by John Darrah and Lawrence Keethe.
Driver Matt Kakaley and trainer Travis Alexander teamed up to win a pair of Excelsior finals with Fiddler's Creek Stables' homebred Habanero Blues in the two-year-old colt and gelding trot and Nymeria in the three-year-old filly trot for the ownership group of Alexander M Spacc Stable, Fiddler's Creek Stables, Tar Heel Racing and Lone Wolf Stable.
Habanero Blues, an E L Titan-Habanero Honey gelding, lowered his mark to 1:56.4 winning for the second time in four outings. Low Inside (Dan Daley) was second best and Poblano (Bartlett) finished third.
Nymeria dominated her divison in a career-best 1:54 mile over Erin (Daley) and Central Park (Marcus Miller). Unraced as a two-year-old, the Chapter Seven-Zette Minx miss is now eight-for-14.
Tempville topped the three-year-old pacing fillies with Jordan Stratton working out the winning trip for trainer George Ducharme and owner Purple Haze Stables. The Huntsville-Tempest Blue Chip filly took a new lifetime mark of 1:52.1 with OBJ (Kakaley) second and Petrol Queen (Braxten Boyd) third. She earned her fifth win in a row and ninth career victory from 20 starts.
(With files from Vernon Downs)