YONKERS, NY, Monday, May
21, 2012--Yonkers Raceway hosts its first New York Sire Stakes event of the
season Monday night, with the $339,040 Hugh Grant Pace for 3-year-old colts and
geldings.
A quintet of divisions proved quite formful through the mist (and later steady
rain), with driver Tim Tetrick and trainer Linda Toscano asserting themselves
early.
The defending sire stakes champ, Heston Blue Chip ($2.10), made short work of
his first paid work night of the season. Leaving from post position No. 4 in
the $66,848 first division, he strolled through intervals of :27, :55.4, 1:24.2
and 1:52. The final margin was 3 3/4 lengths over Gable Blue Chip (Mark
MacDonald), with Twin B Hollister (Brian Sears) third.
For Heston Blue Chip, an Art Major colt owned by Ken Jacobs, it was his 12th
win in 14 career starts. The exacta paid $9.60, with the triple returning
$19.20.
"He was very impressive for his first start," Tetrick said. "I
never had to ask him."
Driver and trained doubled their pleasure when pole-sitting Forever Just ($3)
held sway in the $68,048 second grouping. Retaking from JK Panache (Jason
Bartlett), he fought back against a stubborn, first-over foe in Domethatagain
(Dan Noble in his local driving debut).
Forever Just prevailed by three-quarters of a length in 1:54.1, with an
early-skipping Ideal Romance (Sears) third.
For Forever Just, a son of Bettor's Delight co-owned by Fred Wallace and Stake
Your Claim Stable, it was his second consecutive (NYSS) win in three ''12
tries. The exacta paid $27.60, the triple returned $61 and the superfecta (JK
Panache) paid $128.50.
Dave Miller then picked up the baton, taking a back seat to the evening's next
two statebred winners.
Breakin' the Law ($3.80) won the third ($68,048) event--his sixth consecutive
victory--while Escape the News ($6.40) was sharp in the fourth ($68,048)
division. Both won by a length-and-a-half.
The former, an Artiscape gelding co-owned (as Burke Racing) by (trainer) Ron
Burke, Weaver Bruscemi, JJK Stables and Panhellenic Stable Corp., prevailed in
1:53.2. The latter, also an Artiscape gelding, is a homebred for co-owners
Brittany Farms and Val D'Or Farms. It was his first win in three tries this
season after a $232,000 frosh resume.
Monday night's final ($68,048) Grant division was won by Coral Snake (Sears),
who prevailed in the passing lane in 1:53.2. Unraced at 2, and in his sire
stakes debut, Coral Snake outgamed Steelhead Hanover (Jim Morrill Jr.) by
three-quarters of a length for his second win (both local) in as many
tries...both in identical times. Major Bombay (Bartlett) was third.
For Coral Snake, a son of Bettor's Delight owned by West Wins Stables and
trained by Casie Coleman, he returned $4.90 as the second choice (to
"Steelhead").
The
Raceway's five-night-per-week (Monday/Tuesday/Thursday/Friday/Saturday) live
schedule continues. First post for all programs remains at 7:10 PM.
Evening simulcasting accompanies all live programs, with afternoon simulcasting
available around the NYRA schedule.
