BY
FRANK DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY, Thursday, September 14,
2017—Yonkers Raceway Thursday night (Sept. 14th) hosted the $167,500
New York Sire Stakes Mike Cipriani Trot for 3-year-old fillies.
A pair of equally-parses, $83,750
divisions comprised the event, named for the Raceway’s longtime award-winning
photographer…and two high-class lasses did not disappoint.
The opening event saw Hudson Trot winner
Celebrity Ruth (Jason Bartlett, $2.10) return the legal minimum to win after
having the legal minimum amount of angst.
From post position No. 5, she worked
around Mamora Bay (Sam Schillaci) before leading at every weigh station (:29.2,
:59, 1:26.4, 1:55.3). The margin, 2¼ lengths entering the lane, was a
wrapped-up length at the wire. Mamora Bay was a never-threatened second, four
lengths in front of Maewegonow (Charlie Norris).
For Celebrity Ruth, a daughter of 2012
Yonkers Trot winner Archangel owned White Birch Farm and trained by Trond
Smedshammer, it was her seventh win in 13 seasonal/career tries (3-for-3 here).
The exacta (two wagering choices) paid (local season-low) $3.50, with the
triple returning $9.40.
The second and final Cipriani division had
to wait out a power issue (first-turn lights). When the wattage returned, Barn
Bella (Jeff Gregory, $2.40) saved her best for last.
Unhurried from post No. 4 (in one notch
after a scratch), Barn Bella watched as polester Ostrich Blue Chip (Scott
Zeron) led through intervals of :29, :59.1 and 1:27.2. This Ostrich was not
about to put her head in the sand, opening 2½ lengths off the final turn.
Meanwhile ‘Bella,’ the defending sire
stakes champion, was out briefly before setting fourth. She then moved with purpose
from the half, eventually ducking into a vacant pocket before taking her shot
at the leader.
Barn Bella was relentless, finally wearing down her foe by a neck in 1:56.2.
Chapter Too (Brian Sears) was third, beaten 6¾ lengths.
For Barn Bella, a Conway Hall miss
co-owned by (trainer) Steve & Nancy Pratt and Purple Haze Stables, it was
her 11th win in 14 ’17 tries (17-for-22 lifetime). The exacta (two
wagering choices) paid $5.30, with the triple cancelled due to the limited
number of starts (five, after that defection).
Neither the unexpected delay nor the fact
his date was coming in off two breaks (Batavia and Tioga) was a concern to
Gregory.
“She just didn’t handle Batavia,:” he
said. “The turns there are just too flat for her. I didn’t drive her at Tioga
the start before, so I can’t speak to that. Tonight, she seemed very relaxed
and I just wasn’t going to race her off her feet early.
“I knew she had enough get-up, but the
other filly (Ostrich Blue Chip) made us work for it.”
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