Buffalo: Vivians Dream clocks track record mile in NYSS

Driver Jim Morrill Jr. and trainer Cory Mumford joined forces with Vivians Dream and Doing Marvelous to win both New York Sire Stakes splits for 2-year-old pacing fillies that took place on Wednesday afternoon at Buffalo Raceway. Vivians Dream won in 1:54 4/5, lowering the track record for the division.

Starting from the pole position in the opening $53,500 section, Vivians Dream went to the top, posted fractions of 28 2/5, 57 1/5, and 1:26 4/5, and kicked away in a 28 second last quarter, winning by 3 3/4 lengths over Beantown Babe (Marcus Miller). Alabama Hannah (Tyler Buter) came in third.

The clocking erased the previous track record for a 2-year-old pacing filly of 1:55 2/5 that belonged to A Girl That Twirls and April Angel when they dead-heated on July 7 of last year.

Vivians Dream, bred by Winbak Farm and purchased for $50,000 at the 2021 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale, is a daughter of American Ideal and is owned by Forrest Bartlett. She came into her pari-mutuel debut today having won both of her qualifiers at Harrington Raceway in 1:58 2/5 and then 1:58. Vivians Dream, who paid $7.90 to win as the 5-2 third choice, is out the Sportswriter mare Sports Chic [1:54 2/5, $254,738], a half-sister to the great pacing filly Rainbow Blue.

The other $54,500 flight saw Bama Breeze (Drew Monti) go to the engine from post three, but she would yield to Sand In The Hand (Kevin Cummings) after the 28 4/5 opening quarter. Bama Breeze re-moved to the point on the second turn and then kept command when a two-wide No Cigar Tony (Braxten Boyd) made a break while trying to move up to challenge.

Bama Breeze hit the half in 58 4/5 and the three-quarters in 1:28 1/5, but Doing Marvelous and Morrill Jr. tipped out of third going to the latter marker, dropped down into the pocket briefly on the final bend, and then moved back to the outside before they turned for home. Doing Marvelous would pace past Bama Breeze in the upper part of the stretch, and from there, she was able to hold sway over Seafood Beauty (Jordan Stratton) to prevail by half a length in 1:58 4/5. Turn On The Charm (Bruce Clarke) was placed third after Ideal Cover (Marcus Miller) broke stride approaching the wire and was moved back to fourth.

► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter

Also bred by Winbak Farm, Doing Marvelous, who returned $3.10 to win as the 1-2 favorite, is by Bolt The Duer and is owned by Frank Chick. Doing Marvelous qualified once at Harrah's Philadelphia, finishing third, and then was second in an overnight race at that oval on June 15. Doing Marvelous is out of the Delmarvalous mare Marvalous Joy, a full sister to He's Marvalous [1:50 2/5, $217,319].