Barn Babe impressive in NYSS at Tioga Downs

Barn Babe gets by late to win her NYSS

Barn Babe and John Cummings Jr. posted the fastest mile of the night as the New York Sire Stakes for 3-year-old trotting fillies rolled into Tioga Downs on Saturday night. Three divisions of sophomore filly trotters highlighted the 12-race card.

Barn Babe (John Cummings Jr.) left the gate alertly from post position number four and sat a two hole trip behind Wygant Lady (Jeff Gregory) through fractions of 27.3, 57.1, and 1:25.3 before challenging in the stretch. In deep stretch it looked as though Louise Kemp (Jim Marohn Jr.) had put away her competition with a grueling first over move, but Cummings had Barn Babe firing on all cylinders out of the pocket. Barn Babe used a 28.3 final quarter to get up by three parts of a length in a new lifetime best of 1:54.2. Steve Pratt trains and co-owns the 3-year-old daughter of Cash Hall – My Baby's Momma with Nancy Pratt of Corfu, NY. It was the second win in the NYSS this season for Barn Babe who posted her fourth win in seven seasonal starts.

Proclaiming April (#4) wins

In the first division of the NYSS, Trond Smedshammer used a second over trip with Proclaiming April to capture the first race of the night in 1:56.1 as the 1-2 betting favorite. Smedshammer also trains the 3-year-old daughter of Conway Hall – Lawn Tennis for owner-breeder White Birch Farm of Allentown, NJ.

In the third and final division of the night, Brandon Simpson steered Lola De Vie to her fifth win in seven seasonal in a lifetime best equaling 1:55.3. Chris Ryder trains the 3-year-old daughter of Credit Winner – Fan Favourite for the Joie De Vie Farm of Jobstown, NJ. With the win, Lola De Vie increased her seasonal earnings to more than $183,000 on the year, with the lion's share coming from her Empire Breeders' Classic victory earlier this month at Vernon Downs.

Lola De Vie splits horses to win her NYSS event

Four divisions of NYSS Excelsior Stakes were also held on Saturday night at Tioga with the winners being: Blarney – Jeff Gregory (1:57.2), Suzies Little Vic – Jeff Gregory (1:58.2), Minnie Madness – Ivan Davies (1:58), and Pretty Crazy – Brandon Simpson (1:57.1).

Tioga Downs continues live racing action on Sunday, June 30^th with a post time of 1:30pm, for more information on Tioga Downs please visit us online at www.tiogadowns.com.