BY
FRANK DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY,
Tuesday, May 8, 2018—New York Sire Stakes season began Tuesday night (May 8th),
with Yonkers Raceway hosting the $171,900 Joe Goldstein Trot for 3-year-old
fillies.
Four, seven-horse
fields—at $42,975 each—comprised the event.
The opening event
saw odds-on Plunge Blue Chip (Ake Svantsedt, $2.40) make amends for her lone
off day (last season’s final of NYSS here) by making short work of the other
six lasses. From post position No. 3, the frosh track record-holder had nary
had an anxious moment (:29.4, :59.4, 1:29.1, 1:57.3) in her seasonal purse
debut.
Tribute to Seven
(Tim Tetrick) came first-up into second, beaten a couple of lengths. White
Cheetah (Mark MacDonald), as the 84-1 rank outsider, was a pocket third.
For Plunge Blue
Chip, a daughter of Muscles Yankee co-owned (with Blue Chip Bloodstock and
Tomas Andersson) and trained by her driver, she’s now 10-for-11 in her career,
earnings in excess of $425,000. The exacta (two wagering choices) paid
$4.30, with the triple returning $29.
“She was really
good and it was an easy race for her,” Svanstedt said.
He wasn’t
lying.
The second
division saw Svanstedt double up when Fury Road ($7.70) finished what she
started (:30.2, 1:01.3, 1:30.4, 1:59.3).
From, post No. 4,
her job was made much easier when the other leavers—stateside-debuting 2-5
favorite Alloveragain (Tim Tetrick) and Red Reign (Andy Miller)—both jumped it
off. The former did get back in it and challenged until the
three-quarters before backing away.
Fury Road whipped
pocket-sitting Logetta Hanover (MacDonald) by a length-and-a-half, with Lima
Novelty (Corey Callahan) and Perfect Summer K (Scott Zeron) third and fourth,
respectively.
For second choice
Fury Road, a Muscle Mass miss owned by Knutsson Trotting and trained by
Svanstedt, she now has four wins and four seconds in 10 career starts. The
exacta paid $39, the triple returned $154 and the superfecta paid $532.
The evening’s third statebred sojourn saw border-crossing, people’s choice
Jordan Blue Chip (Zeron. $2.50) easily win her NYSS/American debut.
Away third from post No. 4, she went up and over early leader (:29.2, 1:00.2)
Somedew Somedon’t (Tetrick) before the 1:29.3 three-quarters en route to a
life-best 1:58.1 effort. Jordan Blue Chip widened to 3¾ lengths at the wire. Somedew
Somedon’t stayed at it and finished second, with Ciao Dolce (Svanstedt) third.
For Jordan Blue Chip, a Chapter Seven ma’am owned by Dreamville Stable and
trained by Paula Wellwood, it was her first win in a pair of seasonal starts.
The exacta paid $16.80, with the triple returning $50
“She was great,
especially for her first time over a half-(mile track),” Zeron said. “I didn’t
even have to pull the plugs.”
In the spirit of the hockey playoffs, Svanstedt had himself a hat trick in the
final NYSS event with 11-10 fave Lucky Ava ($4.30).
Lucky Ava, last
seen here upsetting (at 21-1) the $225,000 statebred finale a season ago,
pole-danced to a handy, down-the-road work night (:29.2, :59.4, 1:28.3,
life-best 1:58). The final. margin was a length-and-a-half.
Dew to Win (Trond
Smedshammer), at 46-1, snapped Mooshka Stride (Jeff Gregory) for second, with
Caviart Cady (Marcus Johansson) rounding out the gimmick finishers.
For Lucky Ava, a
season-bowing daughter of Lucky Chucky, co-owned by (trainer) Svanstedt, Little
E LLC and Van Camp Trotting, it was her sixth win in 11 career starts. The
exacta paid $103, the triple returned $416.50 and the superfecta paid $2,051.
