BY FRANK DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS,
NY, Monday, July 1, 2013--Today's phrase that pays is "Sire
Stakes-A-Palozza," with Yonkers Raceway hosting three New York Sire Stakes
divisions for statebreds this week.
Monday night, it's the $356,456 Dick McGuire Trot for 3-year-old colts and
geldings. Four races in succession (races 5 through 8) comprise the event.
The opening ($89,914) division includes Tirade Hanover (Victor Kirby, post 4),
runner-up in last season frosh final and a winner earlier this season
(life-best 1:53.1) in his elimination for the Empire Breeders Classic at
Vernon. The Crazed gelding is trained by Tyler Raymer for co-owners Leigh
Raymer, Stephen Moss and Harold & Helane Solomon.
The second ($88,314) grouping finds West Side Story (George Brennan, post 1)
roll in off a blowout win (1:55.2) at the three turns of Georgian Downs. The
son of Conway Hall, unraced at 2, has offered no middle ground this season, as
evidenced by two wins and two breaks in four tries.
Per Henriksen trains and co-owns (as ASA Farm) with Steve Organ.
MondayT's third ($88,314) statebred events is led by Modest Prince (Jeff
Gregory, post 5), an RC Royalty colt who has hit the board in four of his five
seasonal starts. The win was a 50-1 upset in his division of the Simpson
(Meadowlands), two starts before a cut-the-mile second to Jurgen Hanover in the
$259,900 final of the Empire Breeders Classic (Vernon).
Linda Toscano trains for owner Richard Gutnick.
The final ($89,914) sire stakes event looms more contentious than the rest,
with previously-mentioned Jurgen Hanover (Brennan, post 2) eying a return to
winning ways. The son of Credit Winner, reeled off seven consecutive wins to
begin this season (including the Empire Breeders) before a non-factor fifth in
his elim for the Earl J. Beal Memorial at Pocono.
Donna Marshall trains for co-owners Norman and Gerald Smiley and TLP Stable.
Jacks to Open (Brian Sears, post 8) has been board-certified in all but one of
his six '13 tries, while he, Theraputic (Jim Morrill Jr., post 1) and New
York's Best (Gregory, post 5) all won sire stakes events in their latest
starts.
Tuesday night offers the $353,256 Art Watson Pace for 3-year-old fillies,
quartered consecutively (races 4 thru 7) at $88,314 each.
The third division looms the best, with defending sire stakes champion
Summertime Lea (Morrill Jr., post 2) landing right next door to Canadian
upstart Belle Boyd (Jody Jamieson, post 1).
"Lea," a daughter of Lislea, is a big fan of the paparazzi, having
had her picture taken a dozen times in 14 lifetime starts ($383,424). She is
4-for-5 this season, the last three (Buffalo, Tioga and a life-best 1:50.4 at
Vernon) in statebred competition. Ron Burke trains and co-owns (as Burke
Racing) with Frank Baldachino and Earl Smith.
Belle Boyd, a daughter of Art Major, is making her second south-of-the-border
career start and half-mile debut.
She romped through a pair of Woodbine series (Blossom and Princess), then finished second to the talented I Luv the Nitelife in both her elim and $384,044 final of Mohawk's Fan Hanover. For the season, she has seven wins and a pair of seconds in nine tries ($193,095). Carl Jamieson trains and co-owns (with Thomas Kyron and Joanne Morrison) the lass.
Other early favorites include Cheyenne Miriam (Simon Allard, post 5) in the
first division, Bettor Think Twice (Cat Manzi, post 3) in the second grouping
and Lismore winner JK Black Beauty (Sears, post 5) in the final event.
Friday night features the Armand Palatucci Pace for soph colts and geldings, to
be drawn later this (Monday) afternoon.
The Raceway's
five-night-per-week live schedule continues, with first post every Monday,
Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:10 PM. Evening simulcasting
accompanies all live programs, with afternoon simulcasting available around the
NYRA schedule.
