by Dustin Ross, Racing Operations Manager, Tioga Downs

Disco Dragon rolled Friday night at Tioga Downs with Joe Pavia Jr. aboard reaching the front-end passing the quarter-pole in: 27.1. Leading throughout the mile no challengers reached the wheel of the 2-1 betting favorite. The Paul Bernardo trainee passed three-quarters in 1:23 to open up a four and three-quarter length lead, stopping the timer in 1:52.1. Great Plains and Ed Lohmeyer charged late from last to finish second while Donald Dancer and Light And Sound N got up for third.

Squaw’s Ebony Chip and driver Chuck Connor Jr. won the first leg of the Tioga Take Down Series. The 4-year-old son of Browning Blue Chip left from post position seven and led every step of the mile in a winning effort of 1:54.2. J F Dreamwork and Tim Curtin finished second while South Park Kid and Rock Vinci rounded out the ($112.00) 7-5-1 Trifecta.

Malabar Aqua and Pierre Bovay won the first leg of the Tioga Takeover Series in a new lifetime mark of 1:56.3. The 5-year old son of San Pellegrino was hung to the quarter pole in: 28 but never looked back as he edged Holleypop and Joe Pavia Jr. for the win.

The first leg of the Miss Versatility Series will be battled out in Nichols, New York Sunday afternoon with a post time of 12:45 p.m. (EDT). The ten horse field will include some of the top trotting mares in the country along with some of the top drivers doing the piloting. A combined career earnings for all ten drivers is $293,092,641 and career earnings for the ten trotters is $3,624,173.

Tioga Downs will continue live racing action around the 5/8th’s mile track on Saturday, August 26 with a post time of 6:50 p.m. (EDT).