Tioga: Driving doubles for Buter, Bartlett in New York Excelsior Series finals
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Tioga Downs wrapped up their 2026 meet and hosted this year's eight $100,000 New York Excelsior Series finals on Saturday night.
Drivers Tyler Buter and Jason Bartlett both drove a pair of Excelsior Series champions. Buter teamed up with trainer Rob Harmon to capture the 2-year-old filly trot with Solar Queen (by Met's Hall and bred by Winbak Farm, paid $8.80 to win) in 1:55 2/5 for owners Go For Glory Stable LLC. and Matthew Lamont and the 2-year-old male trot with Telling Tall Tales (by Back Of The Neck and bred by Runthetable Stables, paid $3.96 to win) in 1:55 2/5 for owners Harmon Racing Stable LLC., Billy Muggleston and Robert Robinson.
Bartlett's victories came in the 2-year-old male pace with Bacchus Blue Chip (by American Ideal and bred by Blue Chip Bloodstock Inc., paid $2.12 to win) in 1:51 4/5 for trainer Ron Burke and owners Burke Racing Stable LLC., Larry Karr, Libby And Purnel and Frank Baldachino and in the 3-year-old male pace with Aries Blue Chip (by American Ideal and bred by Blue Chip Bloodstock Inc., paid $2.38 to win) in 1:50 1/5 for trainer Deborah Daguet and owner Forrest Bartlett.
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A pair of favorites and two upsetters won the remaining finals. The bettors' choices that won were 2-year-old filly pacer Prop Bet (by American Courage and bred by owner Fiddler's Creek Stables LLC., paid $5.16 to win) in 1:52 for driver Matt Kakaley and trainer Travis Alexander and 3-year-old filly trotter My Philomene (by Chapter Seven and bred by Melvin Gowan, paid $2.24 to win) in 1:54 3/5 for trainer/driver Trond Smedshammer.
The longshots that came through were 3-year-old pacing filly Lady Oakley (by Huntsville and bred by James Crawford IV, paid $16.32 to win) in 1:51 for driver Braxten Boyd, trainer Maria Alvarez and owner Friendship Stables LLC. and 3-year-old gelding trotter Number Seven (by Chapter Seven and bred by Ecurie Jean-Pierre Barjon, paid $58.72 to win) in 1:56 1/5 for driver Johnathan Ahle, trainer Alicia Gray and owners Paul O'Neil and Jessica Okusko.