YR - DOCTOR BUTCH WINS 275G ART ROONEY PACE

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

 YONKERS, NY, Saturday, June 1, 2013--Statebred standout Doctor Butch (George Brennan) finished what he started Saturday night, winning Yonkers Raceway's $275,000 final of the Art Rooney Pace for 3-year-old colts and geldings.

In play from post position No. 5, "Butch"--the lone $30,000 supplemental entrant into this race--worked around Good Day Mate (Jason Bartlett), making the lead before a 27-second opening quarter-mile. He then rated a 29-second next interval (:56 half), a tact which would serve him well.

Brennan and "Butch" and something else working in their favor. Source of Pride (Dave Miller) and Sunfire Blue Chip (Dan Dube), coupled as the Jimmy Takter-trained 6-5 favorites, were first- and second-over, respectively, and both were essentially pacing in place.

Doctor Butch threw down on :27.2 third-quarter gauntlet (1:23.2), widening to 2¾ lengths turning for home. He would need just about all of it, as Lonewolf Currier (Brian Sears), as he did in last week's elim, closed a ton--last, eight lengths away entering the lane--from an impossible trip, only to miss.

"Butch's" final margin was diminishing half-length in a parimutuel-best 1:51.2. Third went to Sir Cary's Z Tam (Pat Lachance), with Sunfire Blue Chip and Source of Pride grabbing the last pay envelopes. Bet the Moon (Eric Goodell), Good Day Mate and only gelding Mach it So (Brett Miller) rounded out the order.

For Doctor Butch, a New York Sire Stakes champion son of Art Major owned by Ken Jacobs and trained by Linda Toscano, he returned $6.90 (second choice) for his first win in a pair of seasonal starts (9-for-14 lifetime). The exacta paid $28.80, with the triple returning $109.50.

"When I was asked to drive him tonight (Tim Tetrick drove in elims), let's just say I didn't have to think that much about it," Brennan said. "That's the Doctor Butch I remember seeing last season when I raced against him. I was able to steal a cheap second quarter, and that really helped...but he's a terrific horse, and Linda (Toscano) had him ready."

 "This race wasn't originally in our plans," Toscano said, "but when the sire stakes schedule changed, but when (the EHV-1) outbreak happened up at Vernon and they shut the place down we had one all dressed with no place to go, so I sort of put a little bug in Ken's (Jacobs0) ear about possibly supplementing him and I didn't have to talk Ken into it too hard."

 "I didn't think he was as good as he could be last week," Toscano said. "There was a couple of issues and I had a virus going through my barn. At least we found out about it in the elimination race and we seem to be going back on track now."

The win in the Rooney concluded a Toscano stakes double, with JK Black Beauty having earlier won the companion event, the $117,060 Lismore for soph pacing fillies.

Doctor Butch is scheduled to make his next start here in a New York Sire Stakes event a week from Friday (June 14).

Note that the Raceway now goes on live racing hiatus, returning (with evening simulcasting) Friday, June 14. At that time, the five-night-per-week schedule resumes, with first post every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:10 PM. Afternoon simulcasting available around the NYRA schedule, including the June 8th Belmont Stakes (special post time 11:35 AM).