KYSS Freshman Trotters Race Thursday at The Red MIle

Lexington, KY – The Kentucky Sires Stakes (KYSS) for 2-year-old trotters return for leg three, the last of the preliminary races with 24 fillies and 19 colts set to go on Thursday evening at The Red Mile.

Ladies first, they split evenly into three eight filly divisions and are carded as races 2, 3 and 4.

Lily Stride skipped leg one, dominated her rivals in the second leg and returns to start from the rail as the 6-6 morning line choice in the middle division on Thursday. The gifted daughter of Muscle Hill from Sterling Volo cost her Australian owners Emilio and Maria Rosati the hefty sum of $220,000 at the Lexington Selected Yearling Sale last fall and has already shown a considerable return on investment.

A winner thrice in five tries to go along with a second in her elimination race then third in the final of the prestigious Jim Doherty Memorial, Lily Stride has earned back nearly $90,000 thus far. She set a personal speed record of 1:55.2 in her effortless KYSS leg two score. Mark Harder trains and Jeff Gregory is back in town for the drive on Thursday.

The colts split into a pair of divisions and the seventh race came up loaded. No fewer than four previous KYSS leg winners along with impressive Indiana invader All On Black all drew into that split.

Hat Trick Habit and Wolfgang (Jimmy Takter) are among the very best of this lot and have drawn into the same division every time with the upcoming third leg serving as their personal rubber match.

Hat Trick Habit sat a tight pocket to Wolfgang for Dave Palone and edged past that stubborn rival on the wire after a stretch-long fight for the 1:55.2 win on behalf of owner Fred Monteleone and trainer Frank Antonacci.

Wolfgang has the fastest time of the series thus far via his 1:54.2 opening leg victory for driver/trainer Jimmy Takter. He’s fast and consistent and will be in play again on Thursday owners Brixton Medical, Goran Falk, Hatfield Stable and Fair Island Farm.

Both Cordoba Hall and Haveitalltogether also have a KYSS win on their resume and will contest the issue in that seventh race as well.

The rookie pacers race the last leg of their KYSS prelims on Saturday as they jockey for a spot on the gate in the $250,000 finals for each on September 17.

The current point standings may be viewed on the KYSS website.

Post time on Thursday is 7:00 p.m.

Stepien Noses Out Waterstone in Grand Circuit Handicapping Challenge

(September 3, 2017) – In the closest finish this year in the Hambletonian Society Grand Circuit Handicapping Challenge, Anne Stepien held off a late rush by Gordon Waterstone to win by a  half point, 79.5 versus 79.0 points at the end of the contest slate of August 31-September 2.  Rusty Nash finished back in third with 67.5 points.  Despite stalling, Megan Maccario tops the standings for the fifth straight week, leading Rusty Nash by an overall score of 820.23-812.7.  Off her performance this week, Stepien moves up three spots to land in fifth place.

With only two races on tap Thursday evening at Mohawk, there was a dead-heat for the evening’s honors as Jay Hochstetler and Nash both tabbed Courtney Hanover ($4.90) in the first division of the Champlain for 2yo trotting fillies with their choice in the second division, Jordan Blue Chip finishing second.

On Friday night’s card, Anne Stepien made her brush to the top by sweeping the two Simcoe tilts as well as the Simcoe, earning herself 65 points.  Matt Rose finished second for the evening with two winners earning 35 points for the evening.  While Waterstone had two winners as well, he finished out of the top five for the night settling for 12 points.

With nine races on tap Saturday thanks to a combined slate from Mohawk and Yonkers Raceway, Waterstone made his move by picking three winners for evening, earning earned 65 points thanks largely to his pick of Kendell Seelster ($21.80) in the first division of the Champlain for 2yo pacing fillies.  Ray Cotolo, who has picked up his tempo of late finishing second for the evening earning 40 points with Maccario, who despite having four winners for the night, settling for third and 32 points.  Stepien with two winners for the evening managed to earn 12 points, just enough to hold off Waterstone and win the week.

Standings thru Saturday, September 2, 2017 - Leg #47
Pos	Handicapper	Total Points Earned	Legs Won	Last Week	Streak
1st	Megan Maccario	820.23	8	1st	5
2nd	Rusty Nash	812.70	6	2nd
3rd	Matt Rose	745.38	7	3rd
4th	Russ Adams	723.87	7	4th
5th	Anne Stepien	698.15	6	8th
6th	Sally Hinckley	664.98	6	6th
7th	Dennis O’Hara	663.18	6	7th
8th	Gordon Waterstone	663.00	6	9th
9th	Ray Garnett	654.11	4	5th
10th	Bryan Owen	592.23	5	10th
11th	Steve Horoky	591.16	3	11th
12th	Jay Hochstetler	511.50	3	13th
13th	Terry Wilson	501.47	5	12th
14th	Ray Cotolo	464.33	3	14th
15th	Michael Carter	421.53	3	15th
16th	Adam Friedland	370.30	2	16th

Next Up: With the beginning of the Meadowlands mini-meet, Friday night has the third leg of the Kindergarten Classic for 2yos of both sexes and gaits as well as the fourth leg of the Ms. Versatility for Open Trotting Mares.  Saturday evening, Mohawk Racetrack will be hosting the Simcoe Stakes for 3yo pacers as well as eliminations for the Elegant Image and Canadian Trotting Classic while Scioto Downs will be hosting the Jim Ewart Memorial and the Jug Preview.

The following week, the Grand Circuit hits a fever pitch with racing ten out of eleven days starting with stakes racing Wednesday, September 13 at Hoosier Park.  Over this span, contest racing will be taking place at the Delaware County Fair, Harrah’s Philadelphia, Hoosier Park, Meadowlands and Mohawk.

The 2017 Hambletonian Society Grand Circuit Handicapping Challenge is sponsored by Adam Friedland, DRF Harness, Green Acquisition Corporation, The Hambletonian Society, Hoosier Park Racing and Casino, Meadowlands Racing and Entertainment, Northfield Park, Ontario Harness Horse Association, Red Shores Charlottetown/Summerside, Tioga Downs, Vernon Downs, Wellbourne Farms, and WEG Entertainment.  The contest is administered by HANA Harness, the harness racing division of HANA, the Horseplayers Association of North America.  Fans may follow the challenge by visiting the contest site at http;//hanaharnesscontest.blogspot.com.  

YONKERS’ FRIDAY PICK 5 FEATURES $2,300 CARRYOVER

BY FRANK DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway

YONKERS, NY, Thursday, August 31, 2017—A friendly reminder from Yonkers Raceway that Friday evening’s (Sept. 1^st ) Pick 5 wager starts with a carryover of $2,395.25.  

The Pick 5 is a 50-cent base wager comprising races 7 through 11 every racing program. It has no consolation payoff, meaning if no one selects all five winners (as was the case Thursday night), the entire pool (minus takeout) moves to the next racing program.