Tioga: Fearless Partners, Odds On Monetary come out on top in Empire Breeders Classics

Pacers took center stage at Tioga Downs on Sunday afternoon with Empire Breeders Classics for 3-year-olds and New York Sire Stakes events for 2-year-old colts and geldings.

In the $197,100 Empire Breeders Classic for males, Fragment (Jason Bartlett) took the lead away from Knoxville (Tyler Buter) past the 26 1/5 quarter and kept it to the 55 1/5 half and the 1:22 2/5 three-quarters. On the final bend Jordan Stratton swung Fearless Partners out three-wide from fourth, and his 27 2/5 final kicker propelled him by Fragment late to prevail by half a length in 1:50 3/5. Hunting Glory (Ridge Warren) collected third.

"It was a wide-open race. I didn't really know what to expect, but the trip worked out perfect. He raced phenomenal today," remarked Stratton.

The victorious American Ideal gelding was sent out by Noel Daley for owners Robert Leblanc, Pryde Stables Inc., Joe Sbrocco & Jaf Racing and William G Beattie. He has a summary of 5-1-2 from 19 tries, has pocketed $212,917 and paid $16.66 to win.

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Odds On Monetary (Matt Kakaley) won the $187,100 Empire Breeders Classic for fillies by three-quarters of a length in 1:52 2/5 after she cut fractions of 27, 56 4/5 and 1:24 2/5. Existential (Leon Bailey) put in a huge effort after she went first-over from last before the half and wound up second and favored Liberty Style (Bartlett) was a traffic-troubled third.

"She's a nice filly. She's cantankerous but she gets it done," offered winning trainer Travis Alexander. "It was a perfect drive. He kept Liberty Style locked in, and it worked out for us."

A daughter of Huntsville bred by Crawford Farms LLC., Odds On Monetary is trained by Alexander for owner Odds On Racing. She's won half of her 20 efforts, has banked $496,365 and returned $6.18 to win.

Rose Run Cowboy (Buter) worked out a second-over trip in the $112,100 New York Sire Stakes contest and got up with a 28 2/5 last quarter to score by half a length in 1:52 1/5. Early leader Free Agent (Braxten Boyd) was second and My Body Guard (Warren) was third after he brushed to the point beyond the 27 second quarter and went on to click off the half in 55 1/5 and the three-quarters in 1:23 1/5.

"I definitely wanted to race him off a helmet, so I was glad to see a couple of outside ones left, and it worked out," said Buter.

Ron Burke trains Rose Run Cowboy, a Huntsville colt bred by Larry Schlabach, for owners Thomas and Scott Dillon. Rose Run Cowboy has three wins, a second and a third in six starts, has earned $164,641 and paid $3.94 to win.

Capturing two $20,000 New York Excelsior Series divisions for 2-year-old male pacers were:

--Its News To Me (by Huntsville and bred by Fair Winds Farm Inc. and Steve Jones, paid $3.02 to win) in 1:53 3/5 for driver Leon Bailey, trainer Chuck Connor Jr. and owner Ya Gotta Love It Stable;

--Bacchus Blue Chip (by American Ideal and bred by Blue Chip Bloodstock Inc., paid $3.36 to win) in 1:51 4/5 for driver Jason Bartlett, trainer Ron Burke and owner Burke Racing Stable LLC., Larry Karr, Libby And Purnel and Frank Baldachino.