Tioga: Favorites foiled in New York Sire Stakes for rookie pacing fillies

Two-year-old pacing fillies battled in a trio of New York Sire Stakes divisions over a sloppy Tioga Downs surface on Monday afternoon, and it was tough sledding for the favorites as they were zero-for-three.

In the first $34,866 split, Movie Town (Tyler Buter) sat back on the inside in last and next-to-last through stations of 28, 58 4/5, and 1:27 1/5, but Buter swung her out for clear sailing on the far outside in the stretch, and she powered by for a half-length decision in 1:56 2/5. Roll With Angel (Scott Zeron) also rallied, finishing second, with pace-setter Coconut Beach (Marcus Miller) third.

Jeff Stafford trains Movie Town, a daughter of American Ideal-New Hollywood, for owner Bay Pond Racing. This was the first win in four starts for Movie Town, who was bred by Winbak Farm and sold for $10,000 at the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale. The dam is a Cam's Card Shark full sister to Royalflush Hanover (1:49 3/5, $2,153,893) and a half-sister to Rocknroll Hanover, Red River Hanover, Rustler Hanover, and Richess Hanover. Movie Town was sent off at 4-1 and paid $10.60 to win.

The next $35,566 section saw Merga Hanover (Yannick Gingras) work hard to clear Racine Bell (Jason Bartlett) for the top passing the 26 4/5 opening quarter, and Merga Hanover would then come under attack from Galleria Gal (Buter), who forged to the front going to the 56 second half-mile marker. Galleria Gal remained in front to the 1:24 2/5 three-quarters, but Racine Bell was pressuring her first-over at that point, and would wear her down. However, So Rude (Matt Kakaley) had been towed into contention by Racine Bell from second-over, and she had the freshest legs in the lane, rolling by everyone on her way to a two length win in 1:53 3/5. Merga Hanover came back on for second, with Racine Bell third.

A So Surreal-I Am A Snob filly, So Rude is trained by Scott Di Domenico for owners Geoffrey Lyons Mound and Glenn Goller. So Rude has a record of 2-1-1 from four starts, all of which have come in the New York Sire Stakes program. Bred by Steve Jones, So Rude was a $16,000 Goshen Yearling Sale purchase, and the dam I Am A Snob is an Allamerican Native full sister to stakes winner Pedigree Snob (1:51 4/5, $439,369). Dispatched as the second-longest shot on the board at 7-1, So Rude returned $17.00 to win.

1-2 favorite Cash Roll (Zeron) put up opening-half stations of 27 2/5 and 56 1/5 in the final $35,566 sire stakes showdown, but Turnthefrownaround (Dexter Dunn), who pulled first-up from third past the half, joined her at the 1:24 3/5 three-quarters. Turnthefrownaround showed a lead on the outside past three-quarters and around the far turn, then put Cash Roll and the rest away for good turning into the lane, sprinting off to prevail by 2 3/4 lengths in 1:53 3/5. Hidden Cove (M. Miller) was up for second, with Hen Party (Gingras) third.

The victorious Roll With Joe-Knockout Pout filly is trained by Chris Ryder for owner Craig Henderson. Turnthefrownaround, a Kentuckiana Farms LLC.-bred who went for $17,000 at the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale, broke her maiden in her third opportunity. Turnthefrownaround's dam Knockout Pout is a mare by Western Terror and is a half-sister to Hide Me Away (Dragon Again, 1:51, $309,737). Turnthefrownaround was the 5-2 second choice and paid $7.90 to win.