Right out of the box in the very first $28,362 NYSS split a
new track record was established by Lady Riviera when Ron Piercee guided
her to a 1:59.2 triumph. The homebred daughter of Sand Vic- La Riviera Lindy
knocked one full second of the former mark of 2:00.2 set by Jezzy in 2010.
Content to sit back off the quick early pace Pierce got his
filly started when he moved her behind cover as the field passed the three-
eighths pole. After a three -deep move as they headed around the final
turn Lady Riviera trotted by the pace-setter Americash Express (Trevor
Henry) and went on to a very easy five-length victory. Single
Rock, driven by Dan Daley, rallied to photo-out Fifty Shades (Eric
Goodell) for second money as Americash Express faded and finished
fourth.
In the winner’s circle Pierce had a broad smile on his face
as he and owner- trainer Rich Banca shared some comments. “She did it (won)
real easy”, Pierce could be heard telling Banca. “She’s sweet; real sweet.”
Lady Riviera trotted the first-ever sub-two
minute mile by a 2 year-old trotting filly and her final time was
also two-fifths of a second faster than the colt’s mark of 1:59.4 set by RC
Royalty in 2005.Pierce
Sent off the prohibitive 1-4 favorite Lady Riviera paid
$2.50 for win.
Jimmy Morrill, Jr. used the front-end route in another
$28,362 NYSS division to turn back Fairley Legal and driver Jacquie Ingrassia
in a time of 2:01.4.
After a 1:00.3 half Morrill gave his filly a breather up the
backside and reached the three quarters in 1:32.1 as Fairley Legal came from
out of the pack to make a serious run for the lead. But that position was not
to be reached when Morrill a fed Lola De Vie her head and the big daughter of
Credit Winner-Fan favorite trotted away in the lane for a 1-1/2 length victory
over Ingrassia’s filly. Amor Deo took home the show dough for Trond
Smedshammer.
Owned by the Joie De Vie Farm and trained by Chris
Ryder, Lola De Vie retuned a $3.00 win mutuel.
A third NYSS split went to Proclaiming April in a 2:01 clocking
trainer-driver Trond Smedshammer.
When the gate sprung Smedshammer sent the Conway Hall-Lawn
Tennis filly to the lead and they remained there throughout although on the
final turn Crazy Grigio (Stephane Bouchard) made a big move but she lost her footing
midway around the bend which caused interference with Royal Mathilda (Dan
Daley) which allowed Proclaiming April to scoot away to a
three-length victory. Crazy Grigio got back at her work quickly and
charged home and was second under the wire but because she caused interference
while on a break she was disqualified and placed out of the money.
That enabled You Want Me and Brian Mattison to be moved up
to second and Temple Of Athena (Ray Schnittker) to third place.
Proclaiming April, who is owned by White Birch Farm, paid
$20.20 for win.
Western New York import, Barn Babe with John Cummmings at
the controls, gave owner Steve Pratt a present when he guided the
Cash Hall-My Baby’s Momma to a 2:02.4 victory in yet another $28,362 split.
When the starting judge said go Cummings sent Barn
Babe to the front and when the field settled in the backstretch Jimmy
Morrill, Jr. moved Classic Paola to the lead where she stayed until the deep
stretch when Cummings and Barn Babe finally found room in the lightning lane
and they coasted on by the pace-setter to score a one length triumph.
“ We were in a little bit of trouble up the backside
and things looked bleak with the filed tightly bunched but luckily
the passing lane gave us a clear shot at victory and when I moved my
filly there (to the passing lane) she just trotted by the field to
win it,” Cummings said.
Barn Babe returned an $3.00 win mutuel.
In what fans and handicappers alike thought would be the
biggest and best contest of the day turned out not to be even though
Daytona Blue Chip and Order By Credit looked so good on paper that only win and
place wagering was permitted.
Horse races, as most know, don’t always go as predicted..
First Daytona Blue Chip, winner of her only two starts in 2:01 and a piece,
caused a recall and then on the second try she went away on the run despite
all efforts by her trainer-driver, Ray Schnittker.
Then the betting favorite Order B y Credit, a daughter of
Credit Winner-Hostess who came into the race off a 1:58.1—last ¼ in :27.4--
baby race victory at the Meadowland mile oval got caught up in traffic and
never was a factor on the double oval for trainer-driver Jimmy Takter and
finished fourth.
Quietly Jeff Gregory got the eventual
winner, Crazy Eyes, away in third place and when he finally
moved her the Crazed –Eyecon filly moved alongside the leaders and proved
to be the strong horse in the lane and went on to a 2:02.1 triumph over Crazy About
NY (Scott Mongeon) and Playful Credit (Brian Mattison).
Three $12,800 Excelsior Series races were also carded and
Jimmy Morrill, Jr. won a pair of them. He scored with One Sharp Chick in
2:01.4 and with Pretty Crazy in 2:03.1. Dan Daley won the other behind
Dancing Louisa in a 2:03 clocking.
The betting card, which featured eight 2–year-old filly
trots, produced wagers of $860,879.
