BY
FRANK DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY, Monday, September 18,
2017—Yonkers Raceway Monday night (Sept. 18th) hosted the $157,600
New York Sire Stakes Lew Barasch Trot for 2-year-old colts and geldings.
The race again honored the memory of
‘Tootie,’ the iconic Hall of Fame harness publicist from the sport's golden
age.
A pair of equally-parsed, $78,800
divisions comprised the event, which, as it turned out, was not for the
squeamish.
Fourth Dimension (Brian Sears), who
entered the opener a perfect 4-for-4, exited have burned much money. Sent off
as the 3-10 choice from post position No. 5, he was away third, only to
break twice in the back half. The second- (Tito [Andy Miller]) and third-choice
(My Lindy Winner [Jim Morrill Jr.]) also misbehaved, a problem not shared by
Six Pack (Ake Svanstedt, $31).
Going right down the road (:29, :59.4, 1:28.4, 1:57.3) from
outside post No. 7, Six Pack never had any anxious moment. He opened 3½ lengths
into the lane, then widened to defeat 49-1 shot Purpose Blue Chip (Dan Daley)
by 4¾ lengths. Tito recovered to finish third, while Fourth Dimension wound up
a well-beaten sixth.
For fifth choice Six Pack, a Muscle Mass
colt co-owned (with Stall Kallmar, Little E LCC and Lars Berg) by his
trainer/driver, it was his second win six seasonal starts. The exacta paid
$353.50, with the triple returning $1,705.
Monday evening’s second Barasch division
saw Ronnie Goldstein (Kim Crawford, $24.20) prevail from the pocket. From post
No. 3, he made the first lead (after another leaver broke), then gave it
up to 9-10 choice (Perlucky) just past a :29.2 opening quarter-mile.
After a :59.1 intermission, Perlucky
engaged the second move of second choice Don (Miller), toward the 1:29.1
three-quarters. Don then jumped it off, leaving Perlucky with 2¼-length lead in
and out of the final turn.
He couldn’t finish it off, though, as
Ronnie Goldstein surged by. The margin was a neck in a life-best 1:59.1. Seven
Iron (Sears) was third.
For fourth choice ‘Ronnie,’ a
homebred son of Muscle Mass trained by his driver for owner Steven Goldstein,
it was his second win in eight ’17 tries. The exacta paid $66, with the triple
returning $297.
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