BY FRANK DRUCKER,
Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS,
NY, Thursday, July 14, 2016—They won the draws as well as and the hearts and
minds of the electorate Thursday night.
Short-priced
pole-sitters Dayson (Yannick Gingras, $2.60) and Dante (Ake Svanstedt,
$2.80) delivered in Yonkers Raceway $163,374 New York Sire Stakes Michael
Sorentino Trot for 3-year-old colts and geldings.
Dayson,
racing in a money start for the first time since adding trotting hopples,
allowed Smalltownthrowdown (Dan Daley) the initial lead in the opening
($80,937) division.
Dayson
then retook right before a :29.4
opening quarter-mile, with none of his five rivals electing to press the issue.
After a :59.2 intermission and 1:27.3 intermission, Smalltownthrowdown pulled
an early pocket in the final turn.
Dayson met that challenge and widened, open to 2½
lengths in 1:56.1. Royson (Jim Marohn Jr.) skimmed the cones to grab second,
with “Throwndown” third.
For Dayson, a Conway Hall gelding co-owned (as Burke Racing) by (trainer) Ron
Burke, Our Horse Cents and J&T Silva Stables and Rossi Smith, it was his
fifth win in eight seasonal starts. The exacta paid $15.20, with the triple
returning $35.40.
“It
was nice and easy,” Gingras said. “The straps definitely helped him keep his
mind on business.”
As
for Dante in the $82,437 second division, he was content to sit pocketed to
uncoupled stablemate The Royal Harry (Mark MacDonald) though intervals of :28.0, :58.2 and 1:28.1.
That
one had a length-and-quarter lead entering the lane, but Dante edged out and
edged by. He beat his barn neighbor by a length in 1:57.2, with Credevie
(George Brennan) third.
For
Dante, a son of Credit Winner trained by his driver for owner Courant A B, he’s
4-for-6 this season. The exacta paid $7.60, with the triple returning $105.50.
“He
doesn’t pull as much as he did (at 2),” Svanstedt said. “He’s a better horse to
drive now.”
Stakes action continues here this weekend. Friday
night, the $167,874 New York Sire Stakes Art Watson Pace (3-year-old fillies).
Saturday night, it’s the $100,000 Lawrence B. Sheppard (2-year-old
colts/geldings).
