Saratoga Harness: Splash Brother just missed track record in NYSS

Three-year-old pacing colts and geldings were featured on Tuesday afternoon at Saratoga Casino Hotel as part of the New York Sire Stakes. Splash Brother (So Surreal-Sugarcoated-The Panderosa) just missed the track record for 3-year-old geldings when the Ray Schnittker-trained superstar paced to a 1:51 victory in his $74,500 division of the Sire Stakes.

Tyler Buter sat behind Splash Brother, who finished fourth in the stakes final last year as a 2-year-old despite going winless on the campaign. The sophomore season has brought the victories for Splash Brother, who scored for the fifth time in eight seasonal tries on Tuesday.

Buter aggressively moved the speedy soph to the lead going to the opening quarter, bypassing fellow even-money shot Major Betts (Jordan Stratton) before powering through the first half in a demanding 55 seconds. Save Me A Dance and Jason Bartlett powered up first-over heading to three-quarters but was dismissed by a game Splash Brother who dug in turning for home. The even money shot was approached briefly by the co-favored Major Betts in the stretch before turning that one away and stopping the timer in an impressive 1:51.

The track record for 3-year-old geldings belongs to Funknwaffles, who paced just a tick faster than Splash Brother did on Tuesday when he scored in 1:50 4/5 in a NYSS race in 2017 with Corey Callahan at the controls. Major Betts wound up as the runner-up on Tuesday while Save Me A Dance earned the show spot to Splash Brother, who is owned by Schnittker, Arnold, Flannery and Nolamaura Rcg, all of New York.

The $75,900 division on Tuesday went the way of Uhtred (Art Major-Seaside Roxy-Mach Three), who had Scott Zeron piloting for trainer Carmen Auciello. Uhtred went off at odds of 6-1 and got a perfect trip from Zeron before pouncing in the stretch.

Longshot Genius Man and reinsman Marcus Miller cut the mile and rebuffed the favored Groovy Joe (Matt Kakaley) around the final turn while Uhtred gobbled up ground on the pylon path. The Auciello trainee surged late and got up to win by a nose in 1:51 4/5. Genius Man, dismissed at odds of 10-1, was a game second while the favored Groovy Joe had to settle for third.

Uhtred paid $14.80 to win in what was his third victory in five career starts. The exacta and triple came back $87 and $193, respectively. Uhtred is owned by Earl Hill Jr. and Stephen Klunowski of Ontario, Canada.

Live racing continues on Wednesday evening with NYSS action featured once again as 3-year-old pacing fillies come to town. First post time is set for 7:15pm.

-edited release (Saratoga)