Tioga: Early Action overcomes miscue to tie track record

Early Action tied the track record of 1:52 2/5 for a 2-year-old gelding pacer and trainer Erv Miller had a double in New York Sire Stakes action on Sunday afternoon at Tioga Downs.

Racing in the first $34,200 flight, Early Action (Jason Bartlett) broke stride briefly past the start, but that actually benefited him as he got back on-stride and got to chase a contested pace of 27 2/5, 55 4/5, and 1:23 3/5, with a different leader (KJ Hunter, Bluesville, and Gone Before Dawn) at each call. On the final bend Bartlett sent Early Action three-wide from second-over, he advanced quickly to challenge Gone Before Dawn (Marcus Miller), surged by that rival (Marcus Miller) in the lane, and drew off to win by 4 1/2 lengths. Greg The Leg (Mark MacDonald) was third.

The time of 1:52 2/5 equaled Cougar Bait's standard set on August 12, 2016.

From the first crop of Huntsville, Early Action is trained by Joe Holloway for owners Val D'Or Farms and Ted Gewertz. Early Action now has two wins and a second from four appearances, has earned $25,875, and paid $2.50 to win as the 1-5 favorite. Early Action, bred by Hanover Shoe Farms, was a $60,000 Standardbred Horse Sale purchase and is the first foal out of the Village Jolt mare Fashion Katie (1:52 1/5, $194,333).

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In the second $33,600 split, Flip My Chip (M. Miller) cut the opening quarter in 28 1/5 but was overtaken by Forrest Blu (Tyler Buter) before the 57 second half-mile marker. Forrest Blu continued on the point to three-quarters in 1:25 1/5, but Miller angled Flip My Chip to the outside on the last turn and out-kicked Forrest Blu in the stretch drive to tally by three-parts of a length in 1:53 1/5. Seven Hundred (Wally Hennessey) finished third.

Flip My Chip, a Heston Blue Chip gelding, is trained Erv Miller, who also co-owns him with Sara Miller. Flip My Chip, who was bred by Winbak Farm, fetched $20,000 at the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale and is out of former Breeders Crown champion Restive Hanover (The Panderosa, 1:51 4/5, $941,971). Flip My Chip has a record of 3-0-1 from five trips behind the gate, has pocketed $38,670, and returned $7.70 to win as the 5-2 second choice.

The final $34,200 section saw JD (MacDonald) leave quickly and reach the quarter in 27 seconds, but he was passed by Pickup Man Hanover (Billy Dobson) en route to the 56 4/5 half, and then Pickup Man Hanover was looped by Stretch The Line (Buter) heading for the 1:23 4/5 three-quarters. That would be the last lead change of the race, though, as Stretch The Line held sway after taking command, winning by a length in 1:53. Pickup Man Hanover was next, followed by JD.

Another Huntsville gelding, Stretch The Line is trained by Erv Miller and co-owned by him in partnership with Rock And Roll Stable Inc. Eric Taddeo bred Stretch The Line, a $16,000 Goshen Yearling Sale acquisition who has five victories in seven efforts and a bankroll of $56,267. Stretch The Line is out of the Little Steven mare Jessalilmixup (1:51 3/5, $309,356) and paid $4.60 to win.