by John Horne, for Tioga Downs

Nichols, NY — What a difference a week made for Guardian Angel As (Jason Bartlett). The New York Sire Stakes for sophomore trotting colts and geldings were on hand for three divisions on Friday night (Aug. 11) at Tioga Downs.

Fred Brown photo

Guardian Angel As was a 1:54.1 winner in NYSS action.

Less than a week ago Guardian Angel As (Archangel) was racing in the Hambletonian and was interfered with and went off stride. The judges ruled that What The Hill caused the interference and was disqualified after finishing first.

Stick With Me Kid (Chirs Lems) would get the lead and head into the first quarter in :27.1 on Friday. Guardian Angel As ($2.40) would go first over from third and take the lead just before the clubhouse turn. Owned by ACL Stuteri AB with Kjell Johansson and trained by Anette Lorentzon, the 3-year-old colt would control all the fractions after that — :56.3, 1:25.3, 1:54.1 — getting a lifetime best mile.

Stick With Me Kid (Deweycheatumnhowe) would take a run at him but Guardian Angel As was too strong and won the $39,200 second division of the NYSS and looked much the best, winning for the sixth time in 11 starts as a 3-year-old. Stick With Me Kid hung on for second with Another Chapter (Scott Zeron) getting third.

The $39,900 first division went to Seven And Seven (Thomas Durand). The colt by Chapter Seven was in the Hambletonian eliminations last Saturday, finishing eighth in 1:53.1.

Eye Of A Tiger As (Jason Bartlett) would lead to the first quarter in :27.2. Seven And Seven ($10.20) would be parked first over before taking the lead just before the half. Durand trains the colt and owns with June Durand and Allen Smith. He would hold off Eye Of A Tiger As (second) in the stretch to win in a lifetime best and first time as a sophomore in 1:54.1. Texican (Jim Marohn Jr.) finished third.

In the final division, Longshot Icanflylikeanangel (Mickey McNichol) would charge late in the stretch to win in a lifetime best of 1:54.3. Money Macintosh (Andy Miller) looked poised to win when the colt went off stride in the stretch. Money Macintosh (Credit Winner) would finish third and placed fifth for failure to obey the breaking rule.

Icanflylikeanangel (Archangel) who is owned by Joseph Hess and trained by Benny Eggers, may have won anyway because he looked like he was flying in deep stretch, and paid a whopping $37.60 for the win. Swell Chap (Jim Marohn Jr.) would come on late to finish second. Meetmeinthemiddle would finish fourth but was placed third.

Tioga Downs returns to live action Saturday (Aug. 12) with a nine-race card starting at 6:50 p.m. Also between live races is the fourth annual World Spiedie Eating Contest featuring Joey “Jaws” Chestnut and Matt “Megatoad” Stonie.

For more information go to www.tiogadowns.com.