BY FRANK DRUCKER,
Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY, Saturday, May 23, 2015—Brian
Sears was the man about town Saturday night, winning Yonkers Raceway’s pair of
$40,000 eliminations for the 25th Art Rooney Pace.
A total of 13 3-year-old gentlemen—11
colts and two geldings—began the night, with the first four finishers in each
elim getting a pass through the velvet robe into the stakes finale.
Sears took of the first event with a
first-up Sonofa Sizzle ($9.90) in 1:52.1. He held off Betting Exchange (Dave
Miller) by a neck after the front end folded. The front end came in the form of
6-5 favorite Soto (Brett Miller), who worked around Arque Hanover (Jason
Bartlett) and threw down intervals of :27.2 :56 and 1:24.1.
Meanwhile, scourge of Delaware Sonaofa
Sizzle, from post position No. 3, had engaged the leader before putting him
away. He held off Betting Exchange, who was three-wide early before slipping
out in the lane. Cartoon Daddy (catch-driver Dan Dube) was a never-threatening
third, with Arque Hanover, despite breaking early in the lane, finished fourth
to get into the final.
A tiring Soto and an outrun A Bettor Hat
(George Brennan) rounded out the order.
For second choice Sonofa Sizzle, son of
Life Sizzles owned by Michael White and trained by Josh Green, it was his fourth
win in five seasonal starts. The exacta paid $81.50, with the triple returning
$190.
“He did everything I
asked of him,” Sears said “It helped that they mixed it up a bit early, but he
was very sharp.”
Let’s not gloss over the “interesting”
effort of Arque Hanover, who, in the words of his date, was a victim of too
much pace and no place to go.
“I was overloaded,” Bartlett said. “He was
definitely a winner. He had so much pace, he started getting crooked on me and
made a break. It’s shows how good he was that he came back and made the final,
anyway.”
The second elimination saw odds-on choice In the Arsenal ($2.50), whose
debutante effort came in last season’s Lawrence B. Sheppard Pace here, barely
prevail.
Leaving from post No. 2, he gave the first lead to Rock N’ Roll World (Dube)
before a 28-second opening quarter-mile. In the Arsenal then moved to the lead,
completing his rounds (:57.2, 1:26, 1:53.1). Rock N’ World, now a
runner-up in all four races this season, tried In the Arsenal in the passing
lane by missed a head.
National Seelester (Dave Miller) and Bet
You (Brett Miller) also earned their invites to return, while Rolling Ring
Afire (catch-driver Tyler Buter), Western Pioneer (Brennan) and a breaking
Penji Hanover (Mark MacDonald) completed the order.
For In the Arsenal, a son of American Ideal trained by Kelvin Harrison for
co-owners (breeder) White Birch Farm and In the Arsenal Racing, it was his
second win in as many ’15 tries. The exacta paid $10.20, with the triple
returning $16.
“He’s more mature mentally and physically than he was at 2,” Sears said. “In
elimination races, you have to race a favorite as if he’s the favorite, so I
put him on the lead. He knows what he’s doing out there.”
The $300,000 final of the Rooney goes next
Saturday night (May 30), along with the six-lass $117,724 Lismore (3-year-old
pacing fillies). The open draw for both stakes takes place late Tuesday
morning.
Saturday’s $42,000 Open Handicaps were won
by…
--(Trot), Luminosity (Brennan, $6.50) in
1:54.4
--(Pace), Duc Dorleans (MacDonald, $16.60)
in 1:51.3.
No one took down the Saturday Pick 5, so
Monday’s gimmick begins with a carryover of $4,501.50 and
offers a $10,000 guaranteed pool (program pages available at www.yonkersraceway.com). The
Pick 5 is a 50-cent base wager comprising races 7 through 11 every racing
program.
The Raceway’s live season continues
Memorial Day evening (7:10 PM), Tuesday (1 PM, pair of finals in the Jackpot
Next Door Claiming Series), then Thursday through Saturday (all at 7:10 PM).
Note there is no live racing or evening simulcasting June 3-12, inclusive.
Afternoon simulcasting is available daily, including the June 6th
Belmont Stakes.
