Tioga Downs: Western Fame surprises favorites in Roll With Joe

Western Fame, the longest shot on the board at odds of 15-1, got up off cover in the lane to win the $143,000 Roll With Joe for open pacers on Sunday afternoon at Tioga Downs in 1:48 4/5, a career-best clocking.

Just a field of five lined up for the event, and it would be Rockin Ron (Yannick Gingras) going to the lead from post four and clicking off the opening quarter in 26 2/5. Off the first turn Dealt A Winner (David Miller) pulled from fifth, and he would get All Bets Off (Matt Kakaley) out in front of him from third, and they were chasing down Rockin Ron at the half, which flashed up in 54 4/5.

Rockin Ron and All Bets Off locked horns to three-quarters in 1:21 1/5, and continued their duel around the far turn, with Dealt A Winner just waiting for his call to pull to the outside. Meanwhile, Western Fame (Andrew McCarthy), who had gotten away fourth and sat in when Dealt A Winner came to the outside off the opening bend, had come out into the cover flow as well and was positioned behind Dealt A Winner in the third-over slot.

Off the last turn Dealt A Winner went three-wide and Western Fame came out four-wide, and they would both get around the tiring Rockin Ron and All Bets Off in mid-stretch, with Western Fame out-finishing Dealt A Winner late to win by a head. Rockin Ron held third, followed by All Bets Off and Dr J Hanover (Brett Miller).

"I was just hoping they'd mix it up pretty much to the half and then figure it out after that," stated McCarthy. "Dave got going pretty early there at the quarter pole. I didn't want to risk being first-up, so I stayed in, and ended up putting myself in a bit of a bad spot. He just good enough to overcome it. He was especially sharp today, but the horse has been racing well. He's just been drawing very bad post positions. In a short field today it worked out."

Jimmy Takter trains Western Fame, a 5-year-old son of Western Ideal, for owner/breeder Brittany Farms. Western Fame scored the 15th win of his career, and he has now earned $873,750. He returned $32.20 to win.