Saratoga Harness: Courts On Fire, Thirsty Thursday tally in NY Sire Stakes
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Courts On Fire and Thirsty Thursday went home with top honors from Sunday afternoon's $85,500 New York Sire Stakes races for 3-year-old colt and gelding pacers at Saratoga Casino Hotel.
Holt Hanover (Mark MacDonald) went wide on the first turn from post three but pressed on to take the lead away from Courts On Fire (Brett Beckwith), who had blasted out from post two, before the 27 4/5 quarter in the first division. Courts On Fire, the New York Sire Stakes champion for this group last year, then re-moved to the top beyond that marker and went on to reach the half in 56 4/5.
Race favorite Dandy Ideal (Tyler Buter) had pulled from fourth prior to that half-mile station and was moving up to challenge Courts On Fire on the third turn when he broke. With the main danger out of the picture, that allowed Courts On Fire to sail through three-quarters in 1:24 4/5 and on to the victory by 2 1/4 lengths in 1:52 2/5. Fast Choice (Jim Devaux) got up for second and Holt Hanover checked in third.
Trainer Blake Macintosh co-owns Courts On Fire, a Courtly Choice colt bred by Winbak Farm, with partners Hutt Racing Stable, Tim Klemencic and Daniel Plouffe. He has three wins, four seconds and a third from nine starts, has earned $244,718 and paid $5.70 to win as the second choice.
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In the other split 1-9 favorite Thirsty Thursday (Buter) got away in the third position from the pole, but Buter brought him to the outside prior to the 27 3/5 quarter and brushed past Red Blooded (Wally Hennessey) after that marker. From there it was all Thirsty Thursday as he put up middle-half panels of 56 2/5 and 1:24 3/5 on his way to a 1 3/4 length decision in 1:52 2/5. Full Metal Jacket (Devaux) was game from first-up and got second from Red Blooded.
A colt by Huntsville, Thirsty Thursday is trained by Hunter Oakes for co-owner Flying A Racing Stable and co-owner/breeder Chuck Pompey. Thirsty Thursday has a summary of 5-2-1 from nine trips behind the gate has put away $271,300 and returned $2.30 to win.