Tioga: Dayson, Sir Royson capture New York Sire Stakes divisions

Fast miles were the rule on Sunday (May 29) evening at Tioga Downs, as all nine races resulted in lifetime marks over the Jason Bluhm-conditioned five-eighths mile course. Among those lifetime marks was a track record effort from Dayson ($3.40), who sprinted away from a collapsing pace in his $62,400 New York Sire Stakes event.

Dayson, a 3-year-old Conway Hall gelding, sat second-over off dueling leaders Dante (Oskar Florhed) and Free Willy Hanover (Trond Smedshammer) through fractions of 28, 56, and 1:24. As Free Willy Hanover's valiant first-over attempt started to fade on the far turn, Jim Morrill Jr. angled Dayson three-wide on the far turn, and the response was instant. Dayson vaulted clear to an 8 1/2 length victory over Allerage Echo (Jim Marohn Jr.), who rallied into his runner-up position from a third-over trip. Joyful (Mike Simons) gained late into third from well off-the-pace, while a softened Dante faded to fourth.

Dayson's 1:52 2/5 triumph was his ninth in 11 career starts, and shaved four-fifths of a second off Datsyuk's prior track record for 3-year-old trotting geldings. The Burke Racing Stable, Our Horse Cents Stables, Silva Stables, and Rossie Smith own Dayson.

In the other New York Sire Stakes event, Sir Royson ($4.10) brushed to the fore with a circuit to go, turning aside pocket rival Smalltownthrowdown (Dan Daley) and holding off a late charge from 69-1 outsider The Royal Harry (Florhed) for a 1:54 victory, the fifth of his career. Linda Toscano trains the 3-year-old Crazed colt for R-and-I Farms LLC.

For driver Jim Marohn Jr. the win with Sir Royson was one of five on the night.

--press release (Tioga Downs)--