Tioga: Track record effort from Huntingforchrome in NYSS

Huntingforchrome, who saw his three-race win streak end when he faded to seventh last time out at Yonkers, was back on top of his game on Saturday evening at Tioga Downs, knocking a fifth of a second off the track record for a 2-year-old gelding pacer in the second of two $51,500 New York Sire Stakes events. Vandiemen Blue Chip, who upset Huntingforchrome in that tilt in Westchester, took the other flight.

Driven by Tyler Buter, Huntingforchrome got away in the fourth spot as Supplemental Fee (Mark MacDonald) led early before yielding to Boston Rocks (Jason Bartlett) beyond the 27 4/5 quarter. Boston Rocks maintained control through the half of 57 seconds and the 1:25 1/5 three-quaters, but Buter had Huntingforchrome out and moving first-over nearing the latter station.

Boston Rocks and Huntingforchrome hooked up in a duel around the final bend, but Huntingforchrome went by on the rim entering the lane and went on to score by a length and a quarter over Boston Rocks in 1:52 1/5. Howlenthehills (Matt Kakaley) was the third-place finisher.

The previous record for a rookie gelding pacer at Tioga Downs was 1:52 2/5 set by Cougar Bait in 2016 and then matched by Early Action in 2021.

Bred by Crawford Farms, trained by Jenn Bongiorno, owned by Bob Di Nozzi and purchased for $77,000 at last year's Lexington Selected Yearling Sale, Huntingforchrome is four-for-six in the win column to go with a third in his debut. The gelding by Huntsville has put away $130,450 and returned $3.20 to win as the 3-5 favorite.

Back in the opening division, Darius (MacDonald) put up fractions of 27, 57 and 1:24 4/5, but Bartlett swung Vandiemen Blue Chip out three-wide from the pocket on the final bend, rallied in the lane, and got up to tally by a length in 1:52 3/5. Darius held on for second and Avenger Force (Kakaley), the odds-on favorite who made a brief break past the start, overcame that miscue to get third after looming from first-up in the last quarter.

Mark Capone trains Vandiemen Bluechip, a gelded son of Huntsville, for owners Samir Tawil, Paul Kautz, Nathan Fullmer and Alexander Henn. Bred by Blue Chip Bloodstock and Dan Fisher, Vandiemen Bluechip, a $40,000 buy at last year's Standardbred Horse Sale, has three wins, a second and two thirds from eight outings and has now earned $132,194. He paid $10.20 to win as the 4-1 third choice.

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Three $20,000 New York Excelsior "A" Series splits also took place, with the victories going to Pop It (by Huntsville and bred by Kathryn and M.K. Weed) in 1:53 3/5 for driver Mark MacDonald, trainer Ray Schnittker and owners Schnittker Arnold, Country Club Acres Inc., Joe Sbrocco and Ted Gewertz; Who Said I Can't (by In The Arsenal and bred by co-owner Joseph Jannuzzelli) in 1:54 4/5 for driver Tyler Miller, trainer Mark Harder and co-owners Steven and Joseph Williams and Escape To America (by American Ideal and bred by owners John Darrah and Lawrence Keethe) in 1:53 for driver Jason Bartlett and trainer Deborah Daguet.