BY FRANK
DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY, Friday, August 30, 2013--Sophomore fillies invaded Westchester
Friday night, with Yonkers Raceway hosting the $282,975 New York Sire Stakes
Bruce Hamilton Pace. The event annually honors the memory of the former
Executive Secretary of the Harness Horse Breeders of New York, whose
contributions to the success of the statebred program cannot be measured.
Three divisions--at $94,325 each--comprised the coterie.
Pocket-sitter defeated pace-setter in the first division, with Sir Lehigh Z Tam
(Pat Lachance) beating 2-5 choice Cheyenne Miriam (Andy Miller) by a head in
1:54.3. Road Bet (Marcus Miller) was third.
"Miriam" quarter-moved, then put up fractions of :27, :55.4 and
1:24.4. She had a length-and-a-quarter lead turning for home, but
"Lehigh," in play early from post position No. 4, ducked inside and
picked off the favorite.
For second choice Sir Lehigh Z Tam, a daughter of Art Major co-owned by
her (trainer) driver, M&M Harness Racing and Ira Rosenblum, she returned
$7.90 (second choice) for her third win in a dozen seasonal starts. The exacta
$15.20, with the triple returning $53.
The second event saw frosh sire stakes champ Summertime Lea (Jim Morrill Jr.,
$2.10) prevail as the puniest
of
parimutuel propositions. Leaving from post No. 2, :"Lea" worked
around pole-starting Freetime (Andy Miller), then laid down the law through
intervals of :27.3, :57, 1:26.1 and 1:54.3.
The final margin was 2¼ lengths over Lismore winner JK Black Beauty (Jason
Bartlett), with Freetime holding the bottom of the ticket.
For Summertime Lea, a daughter of Lislea co-owned (as Burke Racing) by
(trainer) Ron Burke, Weaver
Bruscemi,
Frank Baldachino and Earl Smith, she's now 7-for-9 this season and 15-for-19 in
her career. The exacta paid $8, with the triple returning $36.60.
Friday evening's final Hamilton hoedown was another take-no-prisoners effort,
this one by Winbak Heavenly
(Jim
Marohn Jr.). Leaving from post No. 3, she stuffed Springforth (Larry Stalbaum)
in behind, then set quick quarters of 27 seconds flat and :55.1.
That's when 2-5 shot Social Scene (George Brennan) came on the scene. However,
once she moved from third, it was obvious she was not the age group track
record-holder of earlier this summer. Social Scene never seriously threatened
by the 1:23.4 three-quarters.
Meanwhile, Winbak Heavenly, with a couple of lengths entering the lane, held
Springforth at bay by a neck in 1:53.2...matching her life-best effort.
Brussels Hanover (Brent Holland) closed from last among the six-pack to grab
third. As for Social Scene, she tired badly and finishing behind her five foes.
For Winbak Heavenly, an American Ideal lass owned by Paul Jensen and trained by
Mike Deters, she returned $15.40 (third choice) for her seventh win in 15
'13 tries. The exacta paid $76.50, with the triple returning $467.
Friday night's pair of $46,000 Open Handicaps, for trotters and lady pacers,
were won by Wishing Stone (Brennan, $2.90)--he a double-millionaire--in 1:54.3,
and Krispy Apple (Brian Sears, $6.30)--she a millionairess--in 1:53. The effort
by Wishing Stone, who overcame the eight-hole to win by 6¼ lengths, was a track
record (aged trotting horse).
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.
