So Over goes over the top in Sire Stakes action at Buffalo
Hamburg, NY --- When a local horse, with a local trainer, and a local driver wins a $50,286 New York Sire Stakes race on your home track, the place goes wild. That’s exactly what happened Friday night (June 17) as So Over, driven by Ray Fisher, Jr. and trained by Jim Graham, won in a season’s best 1:55.4 for the Cadesway Stables of Alden, N.Y., at Buffalo Raceway.
There were tears of both joy and sadness, as Fisher proclaimed in the winner’s circle, “Eddie Dee is looking down on us,” in reference to one of Cadesway’s owners, Eddie Dee, who passed away last December.
“Eddie always wanted a stakes caliber horse,” said his widow, Eileen Dee. “He would have been so proud of this night.”
So Over ($25.40), dismissed by the bettors at 11-1, settled in fourth as Quinnman (Jack Flanigen) hit the quarter-pole in :29. Eventual second place finisher Test Of Will (Stephane Bouchard) took the lead and hit the half in :57.2. Third place finisher Bombay Away (Sam Caruso, Jr.) brushed to the lead down the backstretch and hit the three-quarters in 1:26.3.
All this early action set it up perfectly for So Over, as the 3-year-old son of Artiscape unleashed a :28.4 last quarter-mile to win by a half-length at the wire.
“The trip went perfect,” said Fisher. “Caruso’s horse pushed the pace, the big favorite broke, and I had a perfect second over trip with cover.”
It was the second win in nine attempts this season for So Over and the $25,143 share of the purse put his season’s earnings at $33,585 and $69,054 lifetime.
In other Sire Stakes races, Bettors Glass ($9.80), driven by local reinsman Chris Page, won in 1:55 for owners Linda Glassford and The Stake Your Claim Stables. It was the first lifetime win for Bettors Glass, who was coupled in the wagering with Flipper J (Scott Zeron).
“I had to stick up for the other half of the entry,” said Page with a laugh. “This is a really nice colt, that’s only going to get better.”
The fastest Sire Stakes race of the night was turned in by Mojo Terror and driver Stephane Bouchard. Mojo Terror ($3.00) was timed in 1:54.2 for owner Bulletproof Enterprises. The 3-year-old Western Terror gelding went wire-to-wire, setting fractions of :28.3, :58.1 and 1:27.1.
“This is a really fast horse,” said Bouchard. “He gets through the turns really nice.”
Chris Oakes trains Mojo Terror, who now has eight wins in 15 lifetime attempts.