BY FRANK
DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY,
Sunday, October 19, 2014—Yonkers Raceway has
announced the octet of world-class trotters for this Saturday night’s (Oct. 25th)
International Trot Preview.
The
race, at one-and-one-quarter miles for a purse of $250,000, is a precursor to
next season’s return—after a two-decade hiatus--of the International Trot.
The
eight on the gate for the Preview are (alphabetically) Archangel, Arch Madness,
reigning Harness Horse of the Year Bee a Magician, Commander Crowe, Market
Share, Natural Herbie, Not Afraid and Sebastian K. the world’s fastest trotter.
Here’s a quick cheat sheet…
ARCHANGEL—A
5-year-old statebred son of Credit Winner with more than $1.1 million on
account, he’s the 2012 Yonkers Trot winner (track-record for 3YO colts
[1:54.1]). After a year in the breeding shed, he returned for new trainer Ron
Burke and took a life-best 1:50 effort earlier this season. Archangel is
co-owned by Legendary Standardbred Farm (Alan Hainsworth) and Clare Semer.
ARCH
MADNESS—The 10-year-old Balanced Image gelding is a millionaire four times over
for co-owners Marc Goldberg & Willow Pond LLC and trainer Trond
Smedshammer. Arch Madness served notice that he’s back in business this past
Friday night, with an 11-length romp in a track-record 2:00.3 for the
mile-and-one-sixteenth.
BEE
A MAGICIAN—2013’s Harness Horse of the Year on the strength of a perfect
17-for-17 season, this 4-year-old daughter of Kadabra is defending the honor of
the fairer sex here. Thrice a winner (with six seconds) in a dozen starts
this season, Bee A Magician’s lone local appearance was an effortless
track-record (4YO mares) 1:55 in Open event in late August. The lass, a career
$2.5 million earner, is trained by Nifty Norman for co-owners Mel Hartman, Herb
Liverman and David McDuffee.
COMMANDER
CROWE—One of Europe’s preeminent trotters, the 11-year-old Juliano Star gelding
joins Arch Madness in the $4 million earnings club. His 60 career
victories include the Elitlopp in 2012 and, more recently, Sweden’s Åby Stora Pris invitational. This is his U.S.
debut and third North American start, the first two of a pair of thirds in
Breeders Crowns (2011 & ’12). “Commander” is trained by Fabrice Souloy for
owner Snogarps Gard AB (Barbro Wihlborg, Ulf
Wihlborg & Joakim Wihlborg).
MARKET
SHARE—This 5-year-old son of Revenue S is approaching $3.5 million in lifetime
loot. His resume includes wins in a pair of seven-figure events, the 2012
Hambletonian and that season’s Canadian Trotting Derby. A season ago, it was
the Breeders Crown. Maple Leaf Trot and TVG Free-For-All and American-National.
In 2014, the Maxie Lee (Harrah’s Philly) has been his biggest win to date.
Market Share’s lone local appearance was a third-place effort (to Archangel) in
the 2012 Yonkers Trot. Linda Toscano trains for co-owners Richard
Gutnick, Bill Augustine and T L P Stable.
NATURAL
HERBIE—A 4-year-old Here Comes Herbie gelding has gone from being the scourge
of Indiana to one of North America’s best trotters. A .500 hitter (11-for-22)
this season and a shade better (23-for-45, $624,851) for his career,
“Herbie” whipped Invitational class horses in the Vincennes (Meadowlands,
life-best 1:51.4) and Noble Memorial (Scioto) for owner/trainer/driver Verlin
Yoder.
NOT
AFRAID—If there’s not a law that says a high-end trotting event can’t be held
without a representative of Jimmy Takter present, perhaps there ought to be.
This 5-year-old S J’s Caviar gelding is co-owned by Christina Takter,
John Fielding and Goran Anderberg. He’s a six-time winner each of the last two
seasons with career earnings in excess of $400,000. Not Afraid defeated Arch
Madness in a Pocono Preferred event earlier this month. However, this is
certainly a step up the social circle from the crowd Not Afraid saw the last
time he was here, going winless in five tries against overnighters in the first
half of 2013.
SEBASTIAN
K—When your business card reads “World’s Fastest Trotter,” do you need any
other references? The 8-year-old son of Korean, trained and driven by Ake
Svanstedt for owner Knutsson Trotting (Michael Knutsson and Tristan Sjoberg),
has taken the continent by storm in 2014. Eight wins and two seconds in 11
starts ($663,853), with his stunning 1:49 effort in a late June Pocono
Invitational rewriting all the record books. A pair of stakes wins at the
Meadowlands and one a Vernon are also included. His European prowess
unquestioned (nearly $2.3 million in earnings), Sebastian K, as well as
Commander Crowe, add to the tremendous list of overseas horses who have, ahem,
“taken their talents to Westchester.”
This Saturday night’s (Oct.
25) five stakes finals…$500,000 Yonkers Trot, $500,000 Messenger Stakes,
$250,000 International Trot Preview, $150,854 Lady Maud and $124,590 Hudson
Filly Trot shall be “open drawn” Tuesday afternoon.
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 daily.
