Tioga Downs: Top 4-year-olds set to battle in Graduate on Sunday

Tioga Downs will host the third leg of the Grand Circuit Graduate Series for 4-year-olds on Sunday afternoon. Both the pace and trot split into two divisions, each for a purse of $50,000.

Lather Up and Courtly Choice will hook up in the first of two seven-horse pacing divisions in race six. This pair split the first leg of Graduate divisions at The Meadowlands back on May 4 with Lather Up taking the single division of the second leg at WMP last Saturday. Lather Up is a slight favorite in the field of seven with Montrell Teague back aboard for trainer Clyde Francis and owners Gary & Barbara Iles.

Division two (race 9) features Done Well and Thinkbig Dreambig, who are both off to strong starts on the season. Thinkbig Dreambig is the 2-1 choice in this division off losing a photo to Lather Up in last week's race. Scott Zeron has the drive for trainer Nancy Johansson and owners Brixton Medical, Fielding, Anderberg and Falk.

The first trotting division (race seven) sees leg one winner Muscle M Up (Ake Svanstedt) look to double up in the series from post 2 in the abbreviated five-horse field. He has won all three starts this year for owner Knutsson Trotting but has been on the bench since his May 18 Graduate success.

Division two (race 10) features plenty of horsepower with a pair of million-dollar winning sophomores from last year, Six Pack and Crystal Fashion, meeting up for the first time this season. Six Pack became the fastest 3-year-old colt trotter ever twice last year by winning in 1:50 at The Meadowlands then taking the Kentucky Futurity in a sizzling 1:49 1/5. Six Pack captured his division of the first Graduate leg then skipped leg two in Canada and will make his second seasonal start on Sunday. Ake Svanstedt drives and trains for his own interests along with partners Little E, LLC, Knutsson Trotting, Stall Kalmer and L. Berg.

Post time for the 13 race card is 1:00 pm.

-edited release (Nick Salvi for Tioga)