BY
FRANK DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY, Friday, July 14, 2017—Yonkers
Raceway Friday night’s (July 14th) hosted the $170,499 New York Sire
Stakes Art Watson Pace for the 3-year-old fillies.
The lasses were condensed into a trio of
moist $56,833 divisions.
Fresh-Lasix, fooled-very-few Tequila
Monday (Brian Sears, $2.50) handily won the first get-together. In play from
post position No. 6, last season’s statebred frosh champ and this season’s
Lismore champ threw down the fastest gauntlet (:28., 56.4, 1:25, 1:53.4) of the sire stakes evening.
Tequila Monday defeated her pocket shadow,
World Apart (Jason Bartlett) by 2¾ lengths, with Carly Girl (George Brennan)
third.
For Tequila Monday, a daughter of American
Ideal trained by Chris Oakes for co-owners Susan Oakes and Chuck Pompey, it was
her fifth win in nine seasonal starts. The exacta paid $5.80, with the triple
returning $18.40.
Sears doubled-up his sire stakes pleasure
a race later. He and Ann Hill ($25.40) were the beneficiaries when 1-4 choice
Obvious Blue Chip (Bartlett) ‘fell down’ on an open, but ultimately too quick (:26.4, :56.4, 1:25.2) lead.
Ann Hill, from No. 4, slid out to race
second-over, then rallied through the lane. She defeated Queen Josephine (Matt
Kakaley) by a length in 1:55.4, a tick off her life best. Planet Rock (Dan
Dube) third. ‘Obvious’ faded to fifth.
For Ann Hill, a daughter of Rock N Roll
Heaven co-owned by (trainer) Richie Silverman and Neal Oksenberg, it was her
second win in seven seasonal starts. The exacta paid $151.50, with the triple
returning $2,218
“We purchased her after last season and
pointed her for the sire stakes,” Silverman said. “She’s a beautiful filly, not
a killer but very handy. I’m lucky to have her.”
Friday night’s statebred finale saw second
choice Clear Idea (Mark MacDonald, $5.80) finish what she started (:28, :58,
1:26.2, 1:54.4), winning by a half-length.
From post No. 6, she fought off a
prolonged bid of even-money Roaring to Go (Brett Miller) for a fourth
consecutive victory. Touchamatic (Brennan) was a wide-off-the-final-turn third.
For Clear Idea, an American Ideal miss
co-owned by (trainer) Blake MacIntosh and Hutt Racing, it was her sixth win in
a dozen ’17 tries. The exacta paid $12.40, with the triple returning $42.60.
“She’s just been getting better and better
with each start,” MacDonald said. “She went a big mile at Vernon (NYSS, 1:52)
last month and hasn’t turned in a bad race since.”
New York Sire Stakes continue here Tuesday
night (July 18th), with the $160,000 Bruce Hamilton Trot for
2-year-old fillies.
Friday night’s $55,000 Filly and Mare Open
Handicap Pace was won by favored Medusa (Kakaley, $5.90) in 1:53.1.
