by James Witherite, Tioga Downs racing media

Nichols, NY — Not even an hour after Sassa Hanover ($2.30) equaled JK Molly’s 1:52.2 track record for 2-year-old pacing fillies at Tioga Downs in her $53,500 New York Sire Stakes event, Mosquito Blue Chip ($6.10) set the record anew in her 1:52.1 Sire Stakes triumph, finding room up the inside off a pocket trip to just prevail on the all-stakes Thursday (Sept. 4) evening card.

Fred Brown photo

Mosquito Blue Chip set the track record for 2-year-old pacing fillies in her 1:52.1 Sire Stakes triumph.

The daughter of Bettor’s Delight and Sandfly Hanover held pocket position behind a speedy Devil Child (Jimmy Whittemore) through a solid, yet well-rated :56.4 half-mile, tracking intently as favorite Bettor N Better (Matt Kakaley) charged first-over at Devil Child to force a :27 third quarter.

Blocked in upper stretch, Jim Morrill Jr. wedged through at the pegs with Mosquito Blue Chip in the final 70 yards to take the lead from Devil Child, prevailing by three-quarters of a length in 1:52.1. Bettor N Better flattened late, still holding third.

Trainer Paul Jessop co-owns Mosquito Blue Chip with the Our Three Sons Stable and Donato Falcicchio.

Earlier in the evening, Sassa Hanover (Rock N Roll Heaven-Sayo Hanover) gave Morrill his first Sire Stakes driving win on the evening, brushing to the fore with a circuit to go before turning aside a challenge from My Little Delight (Mark MacDonald) and subsequently kicking clear to a 2-1/4 length 1:52.2 win.

Ron Burke trains Sassa Hanover for the Burke Racing Stable, the Panhellenic Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, and Larry Karr.

In addition to New York Sire Stakes action for 2-year-old pacing fillies, freshman trotters contested five W.N. Reynolds Memorial Stake divisions.

Colts SS Poseidon (Marcus Miller, 1:57.1) and Sixteen Encores (Matt Kakaley, 1:57.2) proved victorious in their divisions, while Gold Cora (Mike Simons, 1:56.3), Allerage Star (Corey Callahan, 1:56.1), and Big Barb (Mike Simons, 1:57.2) scored wins in the three filly divisions.

Live racing returns to Tioga Downs on Friday (Sept. 5), with first post at 6:15 p.m. (EDT).