Vernon: Savage Cindy defeats NY Sire Stakes rivals in track record time

Savage Cindy overcame a demanding tempo and a middle-half duel with the favorite to win Friday evening's $121,800 New York Sire Stakes clash for sophomore pacing fillies at Vernon Downs in a track record 1:49 3/5 mile.

Driven by Leon Bailey, Savage Cindy got away in third as Surreal Spirit (Jeff Gregory) launched to the front from post eight in a blistering 25 second opening quarter. Surreal Spirit would be overtaken past that marker by a two-wide Two Twenty Swift (Chris Long) and then Savage Cindy would brush to the front. Watching all that from fourth had been 1-2 choice Odds On Monetary (Matt Kakaley), and she would attack in the second quarter, moving into second as Savage Cindy ripped off a half in 53 seconds half.

On the final turn Savage Cindy and Odds On Monetary matched strides, but Odds On Monetary relented and dropped into the pocket past the three-quarters in a dazzling 1:20 3/5, leaving Savage Cindy on a clear lead turning for home. After the braven-up tuck, Kakaley swung Odds On Monetary back to the outside in the stretch, but all she had was an even finish, which allowed Savage Cindy to hit the wire a length and a half to the good. Odds On Monetary had to settle for second and Surreal Spirit, who got shuffled back and then followed the cover of Odds On Monetary, checked in third.

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The time of 1:49 3/5 knocked a fifth of a second off the prior Vernon Downs standard for a 3-year-old filly pacer of 1:49 4/5 set by Stepabovetherest and Tarrific in 2024.

Cory Stratton trains Savage Cindy, a daughter of Huntsville bred by owner Scarlett Stables LLC. She has a summary of 5-5-2 from 15 starts, has earned $277,502 and paid $10.76 to win as the 4-1 second choice.

Two $20,000 New York Excelsior Series events were won by Grazia (by Huntsville and bred by Whiskeyontherocks Racing, paid $2.74 to win) in 1:52 for driver Matt Kakaley, trainer Joe Pavia Jr. and owners Vincent Ferriero Jr., Pint Size Racing LLC., Dominic Pavia and Steven Held and Lady Oakley (by Huntsville and bred by James Crawford IV, paid $2.86 to win) in 1:51 for driver Braxten Boyd, trainer Maria Alvarez and owner Friendship Stables LLC.