by Nick Salvi, for Tioga and Vernon Downs

Nichols, NY — The number of horses nominated to stakes at Tioga and Vernon Downs suggest a reversal to current industry trends, as indicated by the March 15 payments.

The inaugural Bettor’s Delight “Bred in New York to take on the World” for open pacers has commanded a response that will see the race exceed its estimated purse of $200,000 at Tioga on Sunday, June 13. Down Under import Auckland Reactor has been paid in, creating great anticipation as to how he’ll fare against the best of this continent. 2009 Dan Patch and Breeders Crown winner Won The West is in, as well as a powerful contingent of stars from George Teague Jr.’s barn and several of last season’s top sophomores graduating to the FFA ranks.

The companion Artiscape ($200,000 est.) for mare pacers has again attracted the finest in the land. Tug River Princess won last year’s Artiscape in a four horse photo and will return to defend her crown. Southwind Tempo, Hana Hanover and Dreamfair Eternal lead the opposition to Tioga Downs on Sunday, June 6.

On the trotting side The Credit Winner and Conway Hall (mares), both increased to an estimated $200,000 for 2010, have the stars of the square gait listed among their eligibles. Lucky Jim, who swept through 2009 virtually unscathed and is off to a winning start in 2010, has a date with historic Vernon Downs for the Credit Winner on Friday, September 17. He’ll face last year’s winner and his season-long nemesis Arch Madness along with the world’s fastest trotter Enough Talk and several very good horses that spent 2009 chasing Muscle Hill around as 3-year-olds. A compelling scenario includes champion trotting mare Buck I St Pat, who has been nominated to the Credit Winner as well as the Conway Hall.

The Conway Hall (Friday, September 10, at Vernon) and $150,000 est. Miss Versatility, which features legs at the Meadowlands, Tioga and Vernon before the final on the Little Brown Jug card at Delaware, Ohio, mirror each other with contenders and feature the above mentioned Buck I St Pat along with virtually every other trotting mare of note listed on each roster.

The number of 3-year-olds sustained to the 2010 Empire Breeders Classic increased by 12 percent and the 2011 Empire Breeders Classic 2-year-old nominating payment yielded an increase of nearly 40 percent in the number of nominations.

Continuing the climb is the Kindergarten Classic, restricted to freshman trotters only for 2010. Those nominations rose nearly 50 percent over last year’s figures.

Both the Kindergarten Trotting Classic and the Early Closers for older horses require an April 15 sustaining payment. The list of eligibles for all of the stakes listed above will be posted on the Tioga and Vernon Downs Web sites when they are complete.