YONKERS, NY, Thursday, June 19,
2014—Yonkers Raceway Thursday night hosted its first New York Sire Stakes event
of the season, the $221,000 Hugh Grant Pace for 3-year-old colts and geldings.
Three divisions went for $72,800,
$74,100) and $74,100, respectively.
The opening event saws odds-on (Marcus
Miller, $2.70) take no prisoners from the pole. After a :26.4 opening
quarter-mile, he rebuffed the advances of second choice Ideal Fashion (Dave
Miller) through a :54.2 intermission. From there, a 1:23.4 three-quarters gave
him a length lead into the lane.
Western Conquest finished it off by
three-quarters of a length over pocket-sitting Moliere Hanover (catch-driver
Jason Bartlett) in 1:52.3. Third went to Keystone Honor (Matt Kakaley).
For Western Conquest, a homebred son of
American Ideal owned by Tanah Merah Farms and trained by Erv Miller, it was his
second win in six seasonal starts. The exacta paid $17.20, with the
triple returning $70.50.
“He’s handy and he’s smart,” Marcus
Miller said of Western Conquest. “Last week (NYSS at Vernon), I was stuck in
the two-hole and he paced a terrific (:25.4) last quarter, but they went too
slow early. I wasn’t going to sit behind anyone tonight.”
The second sire stakes event saw Jeneral
Patton (Tim Tetrick, $3) prevail from the pocket that Western Conquest wanted
no part off.
“Jeneral”—from post position No. 3--sat
behind second choice Sire Sam’s Z Tam (Pat Lachance) through intervals of :28.1, :57.3 and 1:25.4, before diving
inside. He went on to win by a length-and-a-half in 1:53. “”Sam” was a safe
second, with Forty Five Red (Yannick Gingras) a best-of-the-rest third.
For Jeneral
Patton, an Art Major colt owned by Ken Jacobs and trained by Linda
Toscano, he’s now 3-for-5 this season. The exacta paid $6.40, with the triple
returning $24.40.
In the winner’s circle, Tetrick offered his escort was “on a
line” but “very talented.”
“We didn’t race him at 2 after he hurt himself, so he’s learning,” Jacobs said.
“We started with him a bit late this season and staked him late, but I expect
him to be a good one.”
The evening’s final statebred soiree
found a first-up Ideal Cowboy (catch-driver Bartlett, $13.80) getting the eight
furlongs in 1:52.4. Unhurried from post No. 6, he watched as 6-5 fave Twin B
Speedo (Mark MacDonald) set early
fractions of 27.1 and :57.1.
Ideal
Cowboy lassoed the leader in and out of a 1:24.4 three-quarters, widening to 2½
lengths into the lane. However, “Speedo” found renewed life in the lane,
closing the margin only to miss a half-length. Capital Account
(Gingras).
For fourth choice Ideal Cowboy, an
American Ideal gelding trained by PJ Fraley for co-owners Bamond Racing
and J&T Silva Stables, it was his second win in seven ’14 tries. The exacta
paid $31.20, with the triple returning $108.
“He was chasing the best colts (in the
North America Cup),” Bartlett said. “Tonight, we were able to get to the leader
easily because they weren’t going much early. Then, he just dug in.”
Note that since no one took down the
Thursday night Pick 5, Friday’s gimmick offers a $10,0000 guaranteed poll with
a carryover of $2,972.95.
The Raceway's five-night-per-week live schedule is back in business, with first
post every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:10 PM. Evening
simulcasting accompanies all live programs, with afternoon simulcasting
available daily.
