YONKERS, NY, Friday, August 31, 2012--Archangel, who won July's $445,594 Yonkers Trot in world-record fashion, returns to Westchester Tuesday night.
He does so as the marquee attraction in the $331,270 New York Sire Stakes Dick
McGuire Trot for 3-year-old colts and geldings. Post time for the 12-race card
is the usual 7:10 PM, with the trio of statebred soirees going as races 4,6 and
7. The event pays tribute to the long-time New York Knick player and coach and
Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer, who also just happened to be an avid
horseplayer.
Archangel drew post position No. 2 in the $111,090 second division, where he
looms a shorter price than his 3-5 early line. Jim Morrill Jr. reprises his
role behind the son of Credit Winner, who is co-owned by (trainer) Peter
Arrigenna, Alan Hainsworth and Clare Semer.
Archangel's 1:54.1, wire-to-wire Trot victory was a world record for his age
group over a half-mile oval and a stakes record for a Yonkers Trot held here.
It also matched the local all-aged track record for trotters
(Blacktuxwhitesocks). It's the highlight of a season which includes eight wins
and two seconds in a dozen starts ($635,754).
Along the way, there have been sire stakes wins at Saratoga, Buffalo and Tioga,
along with the $233,250 final of the Empire Breeders Classic (Vernon).
Tuesday's first ($109,090) NYSS event finds a pair of six-figure seasonal
performers in Gaelic and Garlic (Morrill Jr., post 2) and Coraggioso (Brian
Sears, post 3). The former, a Credit Winner gelding. was a statebred winner at
Monti two starts ago. The latter, a son of Conway Hall, has won five times
(including his lone YR appearance) in 11 '12 tries.
Gaelic and Garlic is trained by Ed Hart for co-owners Bernard White and Kristie
Leigh Farm, while Coraggioso is trained by Gates Brunet for co-owners Joe
Spadaro and Tom Durkin.
The evening's final ($111,090) features Trouble (Andy Miller, post 2) and
Brookroad Knight (Jeff Gregory, post 6). Each has four wins this season, with
"Brookroad"--$164,946 earnings of in 2012--handily defeating
Trouble--$183,772 in seasonal cash--in a July statebred event
here.
The Raceway continues its normal five-night-per-week live schedule, with first
post every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:10 PM. Evening simulcasting
accompanies all live programs, with afternoon simulcasting available around the
NYRA schedule.
