It was a stakes-filled Sunday afternoon at Tioga Downs, as the five-eighths oval featured two divisions of NYSS for three-year old colt and gelding trotters and five divisions of excelsior stakes.
In the first $66,043 division of the NYSS, Modest Prince and Mike Simons got away second as Crazy About Pat cut through fractions :27.4, :56.1, and 1:25.2. Around the final turn, Crazy About Pat was still in command and in the stretch Simons tipped Modest Prince to the outside and got up to win in a new lifetime best of 1:54.4 by a length and a quarter. The three-year old son of RC Royalty–In To Me is owned by Richard Gutnick and is trained by Linda Toscano. Race favourite Crazy About Pat hung on for second, while Rolls Blue Chip was third.
In the second $66,043 NYSS division, Jim Morrill< Jr. opted to take Tirade Hanover from post position number eight over E L Rocket post six. When the field hit the quarter pole in :27.3, Morrill was on top with Tirade Hanover while Marohn settled in second with E L Rocket. Morrill then cut through fractions of :57.4 and 1:27 before asking Tirade Hanover for trot in the final quarter mile of the race. Down the stretch Marohn tipped race favourite E L Rocket to the outside, but was unable to get by Tirade Hanover and those two finished first and second a quarter length apart at the wire in 1:55. The win was the fourth in nine seasonal starts for the three-year old son of Crazed–Teagarden Hanover for trainer Tyler Raymer.
Tioga Downs also held five divisions of NYSS excelsior stakes which were won by: Jelectric and Jim Marohn, Jr. (1:58.2), Bromance Hanover and Mike Simons (1:56.4), Prove Up and Marcus Johansson (1:56.3), Golden Tate and Mike Simons (1:56.3) and Brookroaddonnie and Mike Simons (1:56.1).
(Tioga Downs)