Buffalo: Tobern triumphant in New York Sire Stakes

There was a huge $102,500 purse on the in the New York Sire Stakes for the 2-year-old colt and gelding trotters at Buffalo Raceway on a blazing Wednesday afternoon (July 5) and Tobern used a track record performance to pull down the massive paycheck.

Tobern ($6.80) needed every ounce of energy to nip Titan Your Grip by a neck in 2:00 3/5, erasing the old 2-year-old gelding trotting mark of 2:01 set in 2022 by Met Your Request. Voss Blue Chip (Jordan Stratton) took third-place, followed by Blantons Blue Chip and the favored Chaplind, who finished in fourth and fifth, respectively.

Never trailing in any points of call in his two qualifying wins and a victory in the $20,000 Excelsior Series at Yonkers Raceway on June 22, Tobern (John Stark Jr.) used the same strategy in stepping up into Sire Stakes competition.

Zooming off the starting car, Tobern had to deal with Titan Your Grip (Mark MacDonald) for early supremacy. Able to cross over just before the opening marker, Tobern laid down sensible fractions of 29 4/5, 1:01 and 1:31 3/5 over the fast track.

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But things got juicy with a panel to go as Chaplind used a first-over grind to get on even-terms with Tobern around the far turn. The rally from Chaplind soon melted away, so Tobern was left to deal with Titan Your Grip, who was charging fast but came up a neck short.

Owned and trained by Stark Jr., Tobern (Crazy Wow-Bertaux) is now a perfect two-for-two in his career, earning $61,250 in those two tries.

There were a pair of $20,000 Excelsior Series events for the boys and Kevin Cummings steered home both winners. First, he drove Barn Credit ($4.40) to a nose victory over Super Duper Cooper in 2:01 2/5 for the local connections of trainer Steve Pratt, Nancy Pratt, Purple Haze Stable and Out In The Country Stable.

In the second division, Whiskey Double ($3.50) was victorious for Cummings with a neck score over a fast-charging Chapere (Trond Smedshammer) in 2:02 4/5.

--press release (Buffalo)--