Tioga: Favorites rule in Graduate Series contests for pacers

Public choices Filibuster Hanover, Miso Fast, and Highalator were the winners of the three $50,000 Graduate Series splits for 4-year-old male pacers on Sunday afternoon at Tioga Downs.

Filibuster Hanover (Yannick Gingras) improved to five-for-five this year with a 1:50 3/5 effort in the first section at odds of 1-5. He chopped out fractions of 27 4/5, 56 3/5, and 1:24, and comfortably fended off a first-up Funknwaffles (Corey Callahan) to win by half a length. Blood Line (Tim Tetrick) collected third from a pocket trip.

"I didn't have to use him too early, so I felt pretty confident," Gingras said. "Off those fractions I thought he'd be hard to beat. He had some more. There's no doubt about it, but I tried to save some. It's going to be a long year and he's got some big races coming up, so any time you can get a nice, easy trip like this we'll take it."

Filibuster Hanover is a gelded son of Somebeachsomewhere owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC., Joe Di Scala Jr., J And T Silva Stables LLC., and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. This was Filibuster Hanover's 12th career victory, and he has now earned $1,041,153. He returned $2.50 to win.

Miso Fast (Tetrick), fresh off a 1:50 2/5 win in Graduate action at Woodbine Mohawk Park, repeated with a 1:49 2/5 mile in the second division as the 1-2 favorite.

He fired to the front from post six, reaching the opening quarter in 27 seconds. Lawrencetown Beach (Gingras) rolled up to challenge on the outside in the second quarter, but Tetrick would not release him, leaving him out at the 53 4/5 half. Miso Fast would go on to click off three-quarters in 1:21, with Boogie Shuffle (David Miller) a non-threatening first-up, and Miso Fast held serve through the lane, winning by a neck over a pylon-skimming Western Joe (Scott Zeron), who had been in the pocket. Rock N Tony (Matt Kakaley) brushed in for third.

"My horse got out to the front really good, and there's no passing lane. My horse raced good last week, and I thought I'd give him a shot on the lead to see what he would do. My horse is really good and he felt good. There late he drifted out a little bit and Western Joe got up for second, but I never thought I was going to get beat."

A son of Roll With Joe, Miso Fast is trained by Virgil Morgan Jr. for owner Winchester Baye Acres LLC. Miso Fast visited the winner's circle for the tenth time in his life, and he has now pocketed $710,391. He paid $3.10 to win.

Highalator (Miller), the 4-5 pick of the public, took the final flight in 1:49. He passed Maroma Beach (Gingras) for the lead heading to the 27 1/5 opening quarter, and after middle-half intervals of 55 3/5 and 1:22, Highalator poured it on, opening up to win by three lengths over Donttellmeagain (Tetrick). Beckhams Z Tam (Ricky Macomber Jr.) came on from sixth to third in the final quarter.

"He is real laid-back. You have to ask him, but he goes usually when you do," remarked the winning driver. "Filibuster, he's the horse to beat for sure, but you never know, it's a horse race. We'll see what happens."

Trainer Jenny Bier also co-owns Highalator, a son of Somebeachsomewhere, with Joann Dombeck and Midsize Construction Inc. Highalator made his 18th appearance in the winner's circle, and he has now banked $220,118. He returned $3.80 to win.

The Graduate Series wraps up with a $250,000 final on July 7 at the Meadowlands.