BY
FRANK DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY, Saturday, July 8,
2017—Yonkers Raceway’s premier open event for 2-year-olds colts and geldings,
the Lawrence B. Sheppard Pace, offered a trio of $25,000 elimination races
Saturday night (July 8th).
The first and third elims were prim and
proper, but the middle one was dynamite.
Ottawa invader Kwik Talkin’ (Jordan
Stratton, $3.40) proved he was kwik walkin’ as well. From post position No. 2,
he prevailed in a mile with much movement, whipping a stubborn Springsteen
(Chris Ryder) by a length in a snappy 1:54.4. ‘Phat’ was third, beaten 4½
lengths.
Those two, plus pole-sitting Phat Blue
Chip (Jason Bartlett), mixed it up two- and three-wide through intervals of :27.4, 57.4 and 1:27.1.
It was
Springsteen getting first ‘run,’ ripping out of a three-hole and leading into
the lane. He could not stall the winner, now 3-for-3 in his career after
cutting his teeth at Rideau Carleton.
For Kwik
Talkin’, an $18,000 (Harrisburg) son of Well Said trained by Rob Harmon for
Ontario co-owners Robert Robinson, Jacqueline Dinelle and Scott & Lisa
Henry, the mile was a life-best effort. The exact paid $17.20, with the triple
returning $31.80.
“Nice horse,”
Stratton said. “Hopefully, we draw well in the final.”
Harmon
offered a bit more insight. “The owners called and asked if I’d take the
horse,” he said. “I didn’t know anything about him. I trained him here
(Yonkers) last Friday in 1:58 and he was getting around the track well. I just
added a line pole outside, since he’s sort of green and doesn’t know a whole
lot.”
Another
example of why ignorance is bliss.
Those three
frosh are to be joined in next week’s $110,500 finale of the Sheppard by the
other elimination winners—maiden-breakers Persist Blue Chip (George Brennan,
$10.20) in 1:58.3 and Trump Nation (catch-driver Eric Goodell, $23.40) in
1:57.1—as well as second-place finishers Damion Diesel Hahn (Ray Schnitttker)
and Hora Star (Brennan) and Real Rayenbow (Jason Bartlett).
Real Rayenbow
cut the mile as the 13-10 fave in the final elim before fading to third.
Persist Blue
Chip ($57,000 Harrisburg) is a Roll with Joe colt, while Trump Nation, a son of
Betterthancheddar, did not sell at auction.
The Sheppard is, of course, named for the
man behind breeding behemoth Hanover Shoe Farms. The open draw takes place
Monday afternoon (July 10th),
Saturday
night’s pair of $55,000 Open Handicaps were annexed (big word) by…
--(Pace)
Somewhere in L A (Bartlett, $4.70) in 1:51, matching fastest local mile of
season;
--(Trot)
Homicide Hunter (Brian Sears, $10) in 1:55.4.
Special
Saturday props to Brennan for his five-win night, including the first four
races during the dozen-race card.
New York Sire
Stakes hit town for the first time this season Monday night, with the $169,500 Hugh
Grant Pace for 3-year-old colts and geldings.
