Rags To Riches semi-finals held at Tioga

A pair of semi-final divisions in the Rags To Riches pacing series were contested on Sunday afternoon at Tioga Downs, with Escape Attack and Derek Bromac N coming up winners.

Escape Attack and Jason Bartlett posted a 1:53.4 victory in the first division. Bartlett sent Escape Attack out of the two hole past the quarter in :27.1 to take command and led the nine pacers to the half in :56.1. Mcardles Charm and Mark Gingrich were first-over applying pressure to the leader down the backside as the field tripped the three-quarter pole in 1:24.2.

Escape Attack repelled the first-over attack by the favorite, but had to hold off a late surging Scotts Rolls Royce and Jimmy Whisman through the lane. Escape Attack held on to win by a head and secure a spot in next week’s $75,000 final. Scotts Rolls Royce held on for second, while Stettin Hanover (Jordan Stratton) finished third. Also qualifying for next week’s final was the favorite, Mcardles Charm, with a fourth-place finish.

In the second division, Derek Bromac N and Greg Merton moved to the front just past the quarter pole and held on through the mile to score his fourth victory of the year in 1:53. The 9-year-old Holmes Hanover gelding is owned by Maryann Plano and is trained by Rick Plano. False Alarm (Ken Holliday) utilized a two-hole trip to finish second, while Hobby Art Benka (Claude Huckabone III) hung on for third after a first-over journey. Also qualifying for next week’s final with a fourth place finish was My Wicked Willie (Jason Bartlett).

The fastest fifth-place finisher of the two events was Glossy N (Jim Pantaleano) from the second division, being timed in 1:54, to also garner a spot in the final.

Bartlett, Stratton and Merton each posted driving doubles on the afternoon’s 12-race card. (Tioga Downs)

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