BY
FRANK DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY, Tuesday, July 24, 2018—Yonkers
Raceway Tuesday night (July 24th) hosted the $159,000 New York Sire
Stakes Frank Becerra Pace for 2-year-old fillies, the division’s second local
go-round in 18 nights.
A pair of divisions—worth $78,800 and
$80,200, respectively—comprised the event, which offered minimal
suspense.
The opening group saw So Awesome (Tim
Tetrick, $2.70) make the lead from post position No. 4 (in one notch after a
program scratch) and never, ever have a thought of giving it up (:28.4, :58.3, 1:27.2, 1:55.3).
The lead was
2¾ lengths off the final turn, widening to 3¾ lengths at the wire. American
Marilyn (Jason Bartlett) chased from a loose pocket, with JK American Beauty
(Brian Sears), Topville Angelina (Marcus Miller) and Crazy Cute (Jordan
Stratton) coming away the remainder.
For So
Awesome, a daughter
of So Surreal owned by William Hartt and trained by Scott DiDomenico, it
was her second win in four seasonal starts…both here in statebreds and both in
the identical (1:55.3) time. The exacta paid $6.80, the triple returned $31.80
and the superfecta (four wagering choices in order) paid $83.
“She’s fast and she just gets over this
track so well,” Tetrick said.
Tuesday night’s second and final division
had the death-and-taxes St. Somewhere (Yannick Gingras, $2.10) withstand a
spirited challenge from 27-1 shot Hurrikane Norakane (Dan Dube) before opening
up late.
All told, she went the distance from post
No. 5 (:28.2, :57.3; 1:26.1;
1:53.4), the final time just three ticks off the local division record (Tequila
Monday’s 1:53.1 in 2016). Hurrikane Norakane was a solid second, beaten three
lengths, with Gia’s Surreal (Bartlett), Money Shot Hanover (Tyler Buter) and
Ladybeluckytonite (Tetrick) completing the payees.
For St.
Somewhere, an American
Ideal miss co-owned (as Burke Racing) by (trainer) Ron Burke, Phil Collura,
J&T Silva-Purnel & Libby and Weaver Bruscemi, it was her third
(consecutive NYSS) win in four ’18 tries. The exacta paid $14.80, the triple
returned $34 and the superfecta paid $75.50.
St. Somewhere, as with So Awesome, won
both of her local Empire tries.
“I just let her take me around the track,”
Gingras said. “There wasn’t much to it.”
New York Sire Stakes return here Friday
night (July 27th) in the $173,500 Dick McGuire Trot for 3-year-old
colts and geldings.
