Tiamo’s 1:56.3 is fastest of six NYSS filly late closers
Monticello, NY --- The extremely warm weather helped produce fast race times for the 3-year-old sophomore pacing fillies in the $74,000 New York Sire Stakes late closers on Tuesday (July 12) at Monticello Raceway.
A 1:56.3 clocking by Tiamo was the fastest of the six $12,300 divisions.
In their split driver Stephane Bouchard and Tiamo got away slowly and were sixth, some 12 lengths off the leader at the quarter. Bouchard moved her to the outside and they began to pick up horses and they were just five lengths behind at the half. With a three deep move up the backside the Artiscape filly was in second position on the final turn and in the lane she caught and passed the pacesetter, 44-1 shot No Faultz, who was driven by Bruce Aldrich, Jr.
“She didn’t want to get out of there very fast but once she passed the quarter pole she began to grab the bit,” Bouchard said. “We had to come a long way but she (Tiamo) was strong all the way to the wire.”
Tiamo is owned by George Zitone.
Bouchard also reined Dan Mitchell and Jeanne Hardy’s daughter of American Ideal, Betterluxnexttime, to a gate-to-wire, 1:57.1 win in another division and then won the final NYSS late closer split of the afternoon with Western Kerry in a 1:57.3 clocking. That Western Terror filly is owned by David Towne and James Kennedy Sr. and Jr.
Bouchard also reined another winner on the card which gave him a grand slam for the afternoon.
Corey Braden also enjoyed success by winning two NYSS splits. His drive behind Handleyourscandal shocked the betting public and was arguably the most impressive of the day when he hustled the daughter of American Ideal up in the final strides to turn back favored Bettor B Genuine and driver Jimmy Devaux in a time of 1:57.2. Handleyourscandal went off at odds of over 50-1 and paid a whopping $105.50 for win!
After sitting back of a :58.2 half, Braden and his pacing filly began their charge up the backside and Handleyourscandal circled her competition to range alongside the leaders as the field turned for home and her rally to victory certainly shocked of the betting public.
“Jason (MacDougal-the trainer) purchased her recently and initially she was a runaway but he since has made some changes and she’s now manageable,” Braden explained after his victory.
“This was the first time I drove her and I was a little careful when we left out of there so we just floated along through the first half. After that I began to urge her a little and she began closing ground on the leaders and by the time we reached the three-quarters she was in high gear. And in the stretch I asked her for more and she ran down the leader (Bettor B Genuine) much to my pleasant surprise.”
Braden also delivered the goods behind Sakra’s Mo in a time of 1:57.4. The Pro Bono Best filly left slowly from the five hole and after a first-up move at the halfway point Braden got his filly to the lead by the three-quarters and from there she rambled home a one length winner over Keystone Iris and driver Jimmy Marohn, Jr.
Also victorious in late closer action was Mighty M driving champion Jimmy Devaux who guided Ride A Cowboy to a hard earned wire-to-wire triumph in a time of 1:58. They were hard pressed from the halfway point by Jordan Stratton and Beforethedaystarts and both pacers raced eyeball to eyeball until the top of the stretch but with constant urging in the lane Devaux got Ride A Cowboy to the finish line first.
That Bettor's Delight filly is owned by the Paul Kelley Racing Stable.