Track record smashed at Buffalo Raceway

HAMBURG, N.Y. — The New York Sire Stakes for the 3-year-old filly trotters rolled into Buffalo Raceway on Wednesday afternoon (June 8) with expectations they would produce the major harness racing headlines. Someone forgot to inform Je Suis Si Belle (Chapter Seven) in the $15,000 Excelsior A Series about that.

Je Suis Si Belle ($2.10) crushed the Buffalo Raceway 3-year-old filly mark of 1:57 set in 2018 by Fury Road and in 2019 by Amal Hall by covering the mile in 1:56.1 over the fast track. The record time also equaled the all-aged filly and mare trotting standard registered by Chelseas Chance in 2018.

While the buzz surrounded Je Suis Si Belle’s effort in the Excelsior, driver Mark MacDonald was the main benefactor in the two $57,000 Sire Stakes divisions as he steered Bomb Hugger ($7.70) and Cash Infusion ($6.70) to wins in times that weren’t near the effort put in by Je Suis Si Belle. Bomb Hugger was the fastest in the pair of NYSS races with a 1:57.2 try while Cash Infusion needed a 1:59.0 to grab the first place check in the other bracket.

Tap Me Blue Chip set wicked splits to set up Je Suis Si Belle (Andy Miller) for the big performance. With fractions of :28.1, :57.3 and 1:27, Tap Me Blue Chip heard the sounds of hoofbeats from Je Suis Si Belle on the outside just past the three quarter marker.

She had no answers after that as Je Suis Si Belle stomped out a final panel of :29 in collecting the easy 3-3/4 length score. Tap Me Blue Chip (Tyler Buter) and Blazin Chally (Kyle Cummings) finished in a dead heat for second.

A winner of three in a row now in Excelsior A competition, Je Suis Si Belle (out of Somebody Love Me) is trained by Julie Miller. The victory upped her yearly bankroll to $22,500 and $89,785 lifetime.

Bomb Hugger took the first $57,000 NYSS event with a front-stepping neck victory over a hard-charging She’s A Scorcher in 1:57.2. Pure Countess (Jim Morrill Jr.) was third.

With fractions of :29.1, :59.2 and 1:28.2, Bomb Hugger (Chapter Seven-Stylemaker) had enough left in the shadow of the wire to post her second win of 2022 in six appearances. The victory moved her earnings to $50,647 on the campaign and $156,780 lifetime. Bomb Hugger is owned by Thestable Bomb Hugger Group and is conditioned by Ryan Swift.

Cash Infusion (Chapter Seven) and Gettinmystepsin were basically locked in a match race in the other NYSS leg as breaks by Seven On The Rocks and La Vie En Blanc took them along with In A Tiny Way out of contention early.

Gettinmystepsin (Andy Miller) showed the way early with times of :30.2, 1:00.0 and 1:30.1 but a last gasp effort from the pocket sitting Cash Infusion stole the victory by a neck. Seven On The Rocks (John Stark Jr.) regrouped in time to take the show spot.

Trained by George Ducharme, Cash Infusion (out of Swing Anna Cash) has put $40,374 in the bank on the campaign and $109,496 in her career. The triumph was her second in five tries this season.

In the other $15,000 Excelsior A race, We Could Be Heros (Credit Winner, Buter) notched a huge $32.40 upset win over Deli Tessel (Jimmy Whittemore) in 1:59.2 in a four-horse field.

Justin Irvine, Morrill Jr. and Drew Monti all had doubles on the program with Swift producing four victories on the training side of the ledger.

Racing will continue on Friday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. with a nine-race card slated.

For complete race results, click here.

by Brian J. Mazurek, for Buffalo Raceway