Saratoga Harness: Buter, Alexander double up in NY Sire Stakes

Driver Tyler Buter and trainer Travis Alexander joined forces with Reggie The Fourth and Howlenthehills to win both New York Sire Stakes tilts for sophomore male pacers that occurred on Sunday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel.

In the first $85,500 split Buter sent Reggie The Fourth to the front early on but yielded to sit in the pocket behind a pocket-pulling Huntingforchrome (Joe Bongiorno) at the quarter, which was registered in 27 seconds. Huntingforchrome, the 4-5 choice, would go on to hit the half in 55 3/5 after that, with Ameritric (Brett Beckwith) out and on the move first-up from fourth, followed by Taranaki (Mark Herschberger).

Huntingforchrome managed to stave off Ameritric to the 1:23 2/5 three-quarters, but their battle continued around the final bend, and Ameritric finally got the better of Huntingforchrome off the final bend, forging his way to a narrow advantage. Taranaki was cut loose three-wide and was full of pace, too, but Reggie The Fourth had space of his own in the passing lane, and that path was the one that was the winner, as Reggie The Fourth defeated Taranaki by half a length in 1:53. Ameritric was a game third.

A Huntsville gelding bred by owner Fiddler's Creek Stables LLC., Reggie The Fourth has three wins in eight career starts and has now earned $89,150. He paid $8.90 to win as the 3-1 second choice.

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There was an early scramble for the top spot in the other $87,000 grouping as Vandiemen Bluechip (Bongiorno) was quickest away, but he was looped by Boston Rocks (Jason Bartlett) prior to the 27 second quarter-mile mark, with Boston Rocks then ceding the front to a brushing Howlenthehills and Buter beyond that stations. Howlenthehills kept control through middle-half stations of 54 4/5 and 1:23 1/5, with Vandiemen Bluechip trying a first-over bid in the third quarter but not making any headway.

As Vandiemen Bluechip retreated on the last turn, that gave Bartlett the ability to put Boston Rocks two-wide, and he did so in pursuit of Howlenthehills. Howlenthehills was game went Boston Rocks moved up to his flank, though, and staved off Boston Rocks's bid to the wire, downing him by half a length in 1:51, which was just a fifth of a second off the track record. Darius (Mark MacDonald) out-footed Vandiemen Bluechip in the stretch to get third.

Howlenthehills, a gelded son of American Ideal, was bred by Crawford Farms and is owned by Symmetry Stables LLC. He has a summary of 4-1-2 from 12 appearances, has pocketed $149,881 and returned $6.00 to win as the 2-1 second choice.