Tioga Downs: Obvious Blue Chip, Roaring To Go star in New York Sire Stakes

Tioga Downs played host to a pair of New York Sire Stakes races for 3-year-old filly pacers on their Labor Day matinee program, and it would be Obvious Blue Chip and Roaring To Go who picked up the victories.

The bettors made the first $60,200 division a match race between Tequila Monday (Brett Miller, 4-5) and Obvious Blue Chip (Scott Zeron, 6-5), and they would lock horns in the early going, with Tequila Monday working to clear at the 27 1/5 opening quarter. Tequila Monday kept the pace high, clicking off middle-half splits of 55 and 1:22 1/5, but Obvious Blue Chip came to her outside and went by in the lane, winning by 3 3/4 lengths in 1:50 2/5. Tequila Monday held on for second over Artrageous (Mark MacDonald).

"She had a little bit of a tie-up issue halfway through the season which made her not as good at certain moments, but she's always been a good filly," said Sean Steacy, the assistant trainer of his father Mark. "People just didn't know it."

A filly by Roll With Joe, Obvious Blue Chip is trained by Steacy for owners Nlg Racing Stable and Stephen Klunowski. Obvious Blue Chip is now a six-time winner in her life to go with a bankroll of $264,073. Obvious Blue Chip returned $4.40 to win.

A two-hole trip also worked out for Roaring To Go (Miller) in the other $61,300 split as she tracked 3-5 favorite Clear Idea (MacDonald) through panels of 27 3/5, 56 3/5, and 1:24 1/5, then came three-deep around Clear Idea and a first-over Planet Rock (Jason Bartlett) in the stretch on her way to a 2 1/4 length score in 1:51 4/5. Planet Rock wound up second and Clear Idea was third.

"She's been razor-sharp, but she's just got some bad journeys out of it," remarked winning trainer Kevin Lare. "It's no fault of Brett's any at all. (In the Empire Breeders Classic) she was trapped in for her life and couldn't shake loose. It's just a shame she doesn't have more wins than she's got."

Lare trains the victorious Art Major filly for owner Frank Chick. Roaring To Go now has nine career victories, and she has earned $427,587. The 2-1 second choice, she paid $6.80 to win.