BY
FRANK DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY, Tuesday, August 1,
2017—“She’s just bigger and stronger than she was last season.”
Such was Jeff Gregory’s post-mortem after
Barn Bella ($2.80) completed her Tuesday night (Aug. 1) rounds, winning the
second division of Yonkers Raceway’s $169,000 New York Sire Stakes Joe
Goldstein Trot for 3-year-old fillies.
Working her way to the lead from post
position No. 3 in the $85,250 grouping, the defending frosh statebred champion
made the lead from pole-sitting Maewegonow (Charlie Norris) right at a :28.2 opening quarter-mile.
After a :57.4
intermission, Southwind Tesla (Jordan Stratton) moved from sixth, making steady
advances in and out of a 1:26.3 three-quarters.
Barn Bella
owned a length-and-a-half-lead into the lane, then held off a stubborn ‘Tesla’
by a half-length in 1:55.3. Maewegonow safely held third.
For Barn
Bella, a daughter of Conway Hall co-owned by (trainer) Steve & Nancy Pratt
and Purple Haze Stables, it was her ninth win in 10 seasonal starts (lifetime
15-for-19, including 3-for-3 here). The exacta (two wagering choices) paid
$5.30, with the triple returning $30.40.
“We’ve never
rushed her out of the gate and tonight was no different,” Gregory said. “After
the first turn, I just moved her and she’s the same as she’s been.”
The opening
($83,750) sire stakes event was a public workout for pole-dancing fave
Celebrity Ruth (Jason Bartlett, $2.10). She had no issues through intervals of
:29, 58.2, 1:27 and 1:56.1.
A five-length
lead entering the lane was ‘only’ 3½ lengths at the wire. Heels on Wheels
(George Brennan) chased the winner around the ovals, with Deli-Delite (Brian
Sears) third.
For ‘Ruth,’ a
unraced-at-2 daughter of Yonkers Trot winner Archangel owned by White Birch and
trained by Trond Smedshammer, she’s now 4-for-8 (with four seconds) this
season. The exacta paid $3.90, a local low for the season. Triple wagering was
cancelled due the short (after a scratch) five-horse field.
“She was much
the best and she showed it,” Bartlett said.
The evening’s sire stakes event was named for the former legendary PR man,
whose clients included many in the horse-racing world. Family and friends
joined in the winner’s circle presentation.
