BY FRANK DRUCKER,
Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS,
NY, Monday, July 11, 2016—It was the second downstate go-round for the state’s
glamour division Monday night, with Yonkers Raceway hosting the $166,374 New
York Sire Stakes Armand Palatucci Pace for 3-year-old colts and geldings.
A
pair of consecutive divisions, worth $82,437 and $83,937, respectively,
comprised the event.
Slight
2-1 favorite Roll Away Joe (Jim Morrill Jr., $6.30) had enough things go right
for him in the opening division, which he won in a life-best 1:53.
Starting
outside his six rivals, he left into a chasmic three-hole as Stolen Glimpse
(Matt Kakaley) was stung early by pole-sitting Autotune Hanover (Tyler Buter).
A
:26.2 opening quarter-mile gave way to a more sensible :55.3 intermission. Roll
Away Joe was out and moving toward a 1:24.1 three-quarters, ducking inside when
“Autotune” phoned it in.
Stolen
Glimpse held a tenuous, half-length lead into the lane, but was about to get
swallowed up. Roll Away Joe slide inside, then whipped a second-over
Craftship (Scott Zeron) by a length-and-a-half. Artmagic (George Brennan) was
third, while Stolen Glimpse faded to fourth.
“The
fast early fractions helped, but at the finish he was so good that he wanted to
go around again,” Morrill said.
For
“Joe,” a Roll With Joe gelding co-owned by Stephen Demeter, Howard Taylor and
Thomas Lazzaro and trained by Tracy Brainard, it was his second win in 11
seasonal starts. The exacta paid $65, with the triple returning $228.50.
Odds-on
Missile J (Tim Tetrick, $2.10), surprised very few in the second sire stakes
grouping, prevailing in 1:53.2.
Looped
leaving from post No. 4 by Fine Diamond (Kakaley), the people’s preference made
the lead before a :27.4 opening quarter, Subsequent fractions of 57-seconds
flat and 1:25.2 gave Missile J a couple of lengths in and out of the final
turn.
Fine
Diamond chased from the pocket, beaten a non-threatening three-quarters of a
length. Ideal Son (Morrill Jr.) was a three-hole third.
For
Missile J, the Art Rooney Pace-winning American Ideal gelding, he’s now
8-for-13 this season resume ($312,902). Linda Toscano trains the winner for
co-owning stables KJ and Purple Haze.
"He
rated well and paced home really strong," Tetrick said.
Sire stakes continue here Thursday night, with
the $163,374 Michael Sorentino Trot (3-year-old colts and geldings). Friday
night, it’s the $167,974 Art Watson Pace (3-year-old fillies).
