by Dustin Ross, Regional Racing Operations Manager, Tioga Downs & Vernon Downs

So Tuffian took a division of the McNamara’s pacing series for the second straight week at Tioga Downs on Friday night. It was the third straight win in Nichols, New York for the 3-year-old daughter of Artiscape who has won seven of her ten starts in 2007 for more than $32,000 in earnings for the Maine Prime Time Stable. Brian Mattison handled the driving duties for conditioner Paul Kelley as So Tuffian dropped her lifetime mark with the mile in 1:54.1.

Tioga Downs photo

So Tuffian dropped her lifetime mark with the mile in 1:54.1 in the 1st division of the McNamara’s pacing series.

Wild Ride Hanover took the other division with an impressive win from the nine hole as the 4-5 betting favorite. Josh Marks had the 3-year-old Western Ideal filly on the outside before clearing to the front by the three-quarter pole and drifted home to win in 1:55.1. Linda Toscano trains the filly who is a perfect six for six in 2007 with earnings of more than $20,000 and is seven for eight lifetime with her only defeat coming with a second place finish.

Exotic Destination posted an impressive victory in the second leg of the late closing series with Jimmy Marohn Jr. in the bike for trainer Paul Bernardo. The 3-year-old Dream Vacation filly dropped her lifetime mark by more than six seconds with a front end trotting mile in 1:57.2. It was the trotting filly’s third lifetime start in which she has posted two wins and one second in 2007.

Jimmy Marohn Jr. and Corey Braden both posted driving doubles on the night’s ten race card.

Tioga Downs continues racing action on Saturday night at 6:50 p.m. and Sunday afternoon at 1:15 p.m. (EDT).