BY FRANK
DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY, Sunday, August 18, 2013--After a three-week hiatus, New York Sire
Stakes invade Yonkers Raceway this week for a pair of downstate dalliances.
Tuesday night, the $283,574 Milt Taylor Trot for 2-year-old colts and geldings
attracted just a dozen...meaning each six-pack (races 3 and 4) goes for a cool
$141,787.
Early favoritism--and the pole--in the opener belong to Crazzycrazzy (Brian
Sears, post 1). The son of Crazed, trained by Casie Coleman for
co-owners West Wins Stable and Andrew Harris, has a win (Monticello) and pair
of seconds in three sire stakes starts.
My Friend Charlie (Chris Lems, post 3) won a statebred event a Buffalo. A
George Ducharme-trained stablemate of Hambletonian winner Royalty for Life, the
son of RC Royalty is a Paul Fontaine homebred.
It wouldn't be freshman sire stakes trot without the requisite Dan Daley
participation. He trains and drives Daley Lovin' (post 4), a maiden-breaking,
14-1 upsetter at Vernon in his latest effort.
The second and final event includes Lukas Hall (Jeff Gregory, post 3),
going after a third consecutive NYSS win. The Conway Hall colt, trained by
Kevin McDermott for (breeder) Little E LLC and former New York Jets' standout wideout
Wayne Chrebet, drilled his Vernon foes in 1:55.
Flyhawk El Durado (Jim Morrill Jr., post 1) and Credit Fashion (Sears, post 4)
have each won divisions of both sire stakes (Monticello and Tioga) and Tompkins
(Tioga) this summer.
Thursday night's $289,775 Jim Meagher Pace for frosh colts and geldings is
going in three ($96,025, $96,025 and $97,725) events, races 3,4 and 6 on the
agenda.
The final division includes the speed freak He's Watching (Morrill Jr., post
6). Already a world record-holder (freshman, five-eighths mile oval) after a
1:50 romp at Tioga, the bargain-basement ($3,000) yearling has won all three of
his starts ($55,791).
However, his two small-track sojourns (Saratoga, Buffalo) have included
self-inflicted trouble, as in early breaks.
Dave Menary co-owns (with Brad Gray and Michael Guerrero) and trains the son of
American Ideal.
Forty Five Red (Yannick Gingras, post 7), no slouch he, returns to the scene of
his down-the-road win in the $111,250 final of the Lawrence B. Sheppard
(life-best 1:55.4). The son of If I Can Dream, co-owned (as Burke Racing) by
(trainer) Ron Burke and Our Horse Cents Stables, also has a pair of statebred
wins (Saratoga, Monticello).
The other early Meagher early choices are Stay Up Late (Dave Miller, post 1) in
the first event and Thereisapaceforus (Gingras, post 5) in the second grouping.
The Raceway's five-night-per-week live schedule continues, 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.
