Wilkes-Barre, PA — Tyler Buter recorded the 3,000th driving victory of his career during a special Easter Sunday twilight card at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono. Buter rallied Daddy Let Me Drive into a :28.1 last quarter, closing furiously in the last sixteenth to be up right on the money.

Tyler Buter and his family in The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono Hanover Shoe Farms Winner’s Circle after his 3,000th win. Curtis Salonick photo.

The 33-year-old Buter, from a famous racing family, showed early talent in the sulky when he recorded his first win with I Luv My Pasture at the Gladwin (Mich.) fair before his 17th birthday. Along the way to his 3,000 wins and almost $35 million in sulky earnings, Buter had his best money year in 2015, when his mounts brought home more than $5 million; his best year for visiting the winner’s circle was 2007, when he won 444 times while driving at 30 different tracks, more than half fairs in his native Michigan.

Tyler Buter was also able to rouse a huge last sixteenth out of Two AM to overhaul favored Fearless Man late and take the $21,500 featured trot in 1:53.2. The Muscle Massive gelding made atonement for an uncharacteristic break last time, tucking in early, then coming on uncovered, and still able to roll home a length to the good over the chalk while raising his earnings to $368,460 for trainer Todd Buter and the ownership of Buter Farm Inc., Lynette Buter, and William and Carol Fuhs.

The Chapter Seven miss Quincy Blue Chip trotted the fastest mile by a 3-year-old filly anywhere in North America so far this year, and trotted faster than any 3-year-old on a five-eighth-mile track in 2019, when she took her seasonal debut in a lifetime best of 1:53.4 in one of two $17,000 co-features. Jim Morrill Jr. had the swift miss behind fast fractions of :27.2 and :55.3, moved out to challenge the pacesetter before the 1:24.2 three-quarters, then drew away from her field for trainer Gareth Dowse and Blue Chip Bloodstock Inc.

Shadow Cat had an adventurous journey in taking the $17,000 co-feature on the pace in 1:53. The Somebeachsomewhere gelding was looped out of the gate by JK Musicman and remained outside to continue on frontward, only to have to briefly dodge JK Musicman as that rival went on a break, then went to the infield. Shadow Cat hit the quarter in :26.1 while forcing main rival Tivo Hanover, who was carried wide early, then went to the half in :57 and looked comfortable nearing the 1:25.3 three-quarters.

But Shadow Cat suddenly took a bad step, with Tivo Hanover easing outside from the two-hole. However, the winner of $165,660 righted himself immediately, then dug back in to hold off the surge of Tivo Hanover by a neck in a :27.2 last quarter for driver Jim Morrill Jr., trainer Jennifer Bongirono, and owners Howard Taylor, David Rovine Stable LLC, and Tom Lazarro.

The first of the 2019 $30,000 Weiss Series championships takes place on Monday’s twilight card at The Downs, with Ghosttothepost trying to complete a Weiss sweep after taking all three of her preliminaries. She’ll be handled by George Napolitano Jr. as she begins from post five in the nine-horse field of pacing distaffs.