BY FRANK
DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY, Saturday, November 2, 2013--Jason Bartlett won five races Saturday
night...oh, including a stakes race of substance.
Bartlett and the New York-bred Ronny Bugatti outgamed a stubborn Sunfire Blue
Chip (Yannick Gingras) on the money, winning Yonkers Raceway's $450,000 final
of the Messenger Stakes--final jewel of the Pacing Triple Crown--for 3-year-old
colts and geldings.
Leaving from post position No. 2 as the one of the two geldings in the group
(Lucan Hanover), "Ronny" made the first lead before yielding to 11-10
choice Word Power (George Brennan).
While that was happening, last week's
two elimination winners, Sunfire Blue Chip and Lucan Hanover (Dave Miller),
leaving from posts 7 and 8, respectively, were looking for seats.
Sunfire Blue Chip found one in third, while there was no room at the inn for
"Lucan."
Word Power made the lead just after a :27.1 opening quarter-mile, It was in
Turn Two that "Sunfire" made
Move
Two, going after the lead toward a soft :56.4 half.
Word Power and Sunfire Blue Chip threw it down in a :26.4 third quarter (1:23.3),
with Word Power taking a length-and-a-quarter lead into the lane.
Despite the brutal trip, Sunfire Blue Chip put away the leader, but could not
stall rival with the better trip. Ronny Bugatti ducked inside and outgamed
"Sunfire" by a head in 1:51.4...a track record for 3-year-old pacing
geldings.
Twilight Bonfire (Tim Tetrick), next-to-last early, rallied for third, with an
out-every-step Lucan Hanover and Odds On Equuleus (Corey Callahan) coming away
with the minor spoils. Lonewolf Currier (Brian Sears), Good Day Mate (Eric
Goodell) and a tiring Word Power completed the order.
For Ronny Bugatti, an Art Major gelding trained by Allan Johnson for co-owners
Eric Prevost, Bridget McNeese and Tom Haughton, he returned $14.80
(fourth choice) for his third win in 15 seasonal starts (all wins in last
four starts). The exacta paid $93.50, the triple returned $652 and the
superfecta paid $1,274.
“It's great to win a race like this,” Bartlett--who grabbed the drive when
Miller stayed with Lucan Hanover--said . “I didn’t think it would be that close
coming around the last turn, but George’s (Brennan) horse (Word Power) stalled
and that allowed Yannick (Gingras and Sunfire Blue Chip) to gain momentum.
"He gets around this track very well and we beat a talented horse."
The $225,000 winner's share more than double "Ronny's" career
earnings, which now stand at $365,058.
The 13-race handle was a season-high $1,061,228 the second seven-figure handle
in as many nights.
