Saratoga Harness: Mrs Cheese slices her way to New York Sire Stakes upset

Mrs Cheese worked out a pocket trip and then rallied in the passing lane in the stretch to win Saturday evening's $174,000 New York Sire Stakes dash for 3-year-old pacing fillies in a blanket finish.

Driver Matt Kakaley hustled Mrs Cheese to the point in the early stages but yielded to sit behind Send It Down Slim (Mark MacDonald) nearing the 26 4/5 quarter. Send It Down Slim would then get to the half in just 56 1/5 as Strutsville (Ridge Warren) advanced first-over from fourth, tracked by Shes A Streaker (Tyler Buter) and favorite The Last Martini (Brett Beckwith).

Send It Down Slim and Strutsville were fully locked in battle coming to the 1:24 1/5 three-quarters as Shes A Streaker and The Last Martini were put into a three-wide position. The Last Martini then fanned out four-wide on the last turn as Send It Down Slim and Strutsville continued their duel and Mrs Cheese awaited clearance.

► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter

It was anybody's race in the stretch, but Mrs Cheese had the path on the pylons and was able to get by a stubborn Send It Down Slim just before the finish line to collect the win by a head in 1:53 2/5. Strutsville was equally determined and wound up third from The Last Martini and Hurrikane Marigold (Jim Devaux) finished fifth.

An American Ideal filly bred by Winbak Farm, Mrs Cheese is trained by Scott Di Domenico for owner Triple D Stables Inc. Unraced as a 2-year-old, she has three wins and two seconds in eight starts in 2025, has banked $135,550 and paid $28.40 to win as a 13-1 shot