The 2014 stakes season at Tioga Downs kicks off tonight (Friday May 23), as a pair of $62,400 New York Sire Stakes races will help showcase some of the top three-year-old trotting colts and geldings in the state.
The first division has been carded as the third race on the nine-dash card. Martin Scharf's Flyhawk El Durado has been installed as the 8-5 morning line favourite. Mark MacDonald will drive the son of Conway Hall, who prevailed as the two-year-old trotting champion on the NYSS circuit last year (he held off Credit Fashion to take the winner's share of the $225,000 final at Yonkers Raceway). Wayne Chrebet and Little E, LLC's Lukas Hall will also contest the first division. He is coming in off a runner-up performance to Trixton in the $51,543 Simpson at the Meadowlands Racetrack. Jim Morrill Jr. will handle the driving duties.
John Grasso's Expressive Action headlines the second division (Race 6). Another son of Conway Hall, Expressive Action was a late-gaining fifth in the Valley Victory last November at the Meadowlands, ending a five-race freshman campaign against national stakes competition. Mike Simons will handle the driving duties on the 5-2 morning line favourite. Ann-Mari Daley and JLRL, LLC's Daley Lovin will line up as the 3-1 second choice in the morning line. He dueled with Flyhawk El Durado in last year's two-year-old NYSS final before fading late. Trainer Dan Daley will handle the driving duties.
First-race post time for Friday’s nine-race card is 6:15 p.m.
(Tioga)