Tioga: Two-year-olds compete in Geers, Tompkins Memorial

Shining Beauty, a fashionably-bred daughter of Captaintreacherous and $1.8 million earner American Jewel (American Ideal), won at first asking, taking a single $64,900 Geers Stakes division for 2-year-old pacing fillies on a stakes-packed program on Friday night at Tioga Downs.

Driven by Tim Tetrick for trainer Linda Toscano and owner/breeder Brittany Farms, Shining Beauty sat fourth through stations of 28, 57 1/5, and 1:25 1/5, then kicked home off cover in 27 4/5 to win by a quarter of a length in 1:53 3/5. JK Finendandy (Dexter Dunn) was the second-place finisher, with Bolt Of Beauty (Marcus Miller) third.

Scratched from a planned start at Harrah's Philadelphia on July 31, Shining Beauty showed a layoff from a winning baby race at the Meadowlands on July 20 to tonight was no issue. She was the 7-5 choice and paid $4.80 to win.

Rookie trotting colts also raced in one stakes event on the card, a $54,000 Arthur Tompkins Memorial, and the winner was Saylor in 1:58 4/5 for trainer-driver D.R. Ackerman. Saylor made front past the 29 1/5 opening quarter, led through middle-half fractions of 59 and 1:28 1/5, and held sway to the finish line in a 30 3/5 last quarter. He downed Coventry Hall (Corey Callahan) by three-parts of a length, with AP Hall Of Trix (David Miller) third.

Saylor, a Chapter Seven-Creme De Cocoa (Chocolatier) colt, is a Doug Ackerman Stables Inc. homebred who has won two of five starts and banked $58,548. He was sent off at 4-1 and returned $10.60 to win.

Two-year-old trotting fillies were divided up into two Tompkins Memorial events, and they were worth $41,800 and $41,300. Swedish-bred Common Sense (Jim Morrill Jr.) took the first grouping on the front-end in 1:56 3/5, posting fractions of 28 1/5, 58, and 1:27, giving a parked Jula Champagne (Kasper Forget) the cold shoulder, and lasting by a length and a quarter over Eye On The Hill (Dunn). Thankful For You (Callahan) grabbed third.

Common Sense, a daughter of Trixton-Opportunity (From Above) was bred by Menhammar Stuteri AB and is now owned by trainer Ake Svanstedt and partner S R F Stable. She has a record of 2-0-2 from five attempts and has put away $44,700. She was the 6-5 favorite and paid $4.40 to win.

Musclesandmascara (Callahan) had the top spot at the 29 3/5 quarter, 1:00 half, and 1:29 three-quarters in the other test for rookie trotting fillies, but she was passed turning for home by a pocket-pulling Hannah (Andy Miller). Hannah went on a break in the lane, though, handing the lead back to Musclesandmascara, and she wouldn't relinquish it again, prevailing by half a length in 1:58 4/5. Luv U Bye Click (Steve Smith) came on for second, followed by Stella Kemp (Morrill Jr.).

A daughter of Muscle Hill-Broadway Sister (Conway Hall), Musclesandmascara broke her maiden in her third chance for trainer Jonas Czernyson and owner Consus Racing Stable Inc. Bred by Steiner Stock Farm, Musclesandmascara was a $45,000 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale purchase, and the dam is a full sister to Broadway Hall. Dispatched at 9-1, Musclesandmascara returned $21.40 to win.

Pacing colts and geldings of the 2-year-old variety were also split up into two $29,350 Geers tests. Major Betts (Dunn) won the first of them, clicking off a 27 2/2 quarter, 57 3/5 half, and 1:25 3/5 three-quarters on his way to a 1:53 2/5 decision. Bombshell Hanover (A. Miller) was next, with Papi Rob Hanover (D. Miller) third.

Major Betts, an Art Major-Southwind Johanne (Dragon Again) colt, has won both of his starts for co-owner/trainer Mark Harder and co-owners Joseph Jannuzzelli and Deena Frost. Major Betts was bred by Southwind Farms LLC., was purchased for $70,000 at the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale, and the dam is a half-sister to Southwind Jazmin (Art Major, 1:49 2/5, $620,593). Major Betts was the 3-1 third choice and paid $8.60 to win.

Manticore took the other Geers dash for that group, moving from second to first on the way to the 56 1/5 half and scoring by a neck in 1:52 2/5. Western Vacation (A. Miller) got second, with JK Lucky Charms (Dunn) third.

The third-place finisher in the Sheppard final at Yonkers, Manticore is a Western Ideal-Southwind Piaya colt trained by Bruce Saunders for owners M And L Of Delaware LLC. and M & M Harness Racing LLC. Manticore, who was bred by the Estate of George F. Hempt and went for $20,000 at the Standardbred Horse Sale, has two wins, a second, and two thirds from five trips behind the gate, and he returned $3.00 to win as the 1-2 choice.